The American Tenors, founded in 2002, began their journey with a PBS
special recorded at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, following a
signing by Sony Classical. The group has delighted audiences
across the U.S. and Europe with their combination of splendid
voices, humor and choice of material. From “Nessun
Dorma” to “West Side Story,” and from the
Great American Songbook to Neopolitan favorites, and evening
with The American Tenors is guaranteed to thrill, to entrance
and above all, to have audiences screaming for more.
Marcus McConico
Marcus McConico recently sang Alfredo in
“La Traviata” with Augusta Opera, Opera Roanoke and
Baltimore Opera, a role he debuted in the Italian American
Festival Duluth in April 2004. In April 2006 Marcus sang
Rodolfo in “La Bohème” for Minneapolis Opera
Theatre with performances in Minneapolis and Duluth. The
2004-2005 season saw his debuts with Virginia Opera, as Faust,
and with North Star Opera in St. Paul, Minn., as
ALL PERFORMANCES TAKE PLACE AT THE
MARYLAND THEATRE
Eisenstein in “Die Fledermaus.”
He has worked as an apprentice with numerous opera
organizations including Central City Opera, Knoxville Opera,
Des Moines Metro Opera and Baltimore Opera. Marcus made his
Baltimore Opera debut as the Coachman and Nihilist Teacher in
“Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” in 2003. With Baltimore
Opera, he has also performed Don José in “La
Tragédie de Carmen,” (Peter Brooks’
adaptation of “Carmen”), Ruiz in “Il
Trovatore,” Bruno in “I Puritani,” Ruggero in
Puccini’s “La Rondine,” and prepared the
title role in “Faust,” Alfredo in “La
Traviata,” and Pinkerton in “Madama
Butterfly.”
Other roles in Marcus’s repertoire
include Il Duca in “Rigoletto,” Roméo and
Tybalt in “Roméo et Juliette,” Rinuccio in
“Gianni Schicchi,” the title roles in
“Werther” and “Albert Herring,” and
Florville in “Il Signor Bruschino.”
Internationally, Marcus has made concert
appearances in Palermo, Italy, and Tel Aviv, Israel, as well as
domestic concerts with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra
and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and recitals in Duluth,
Minn., Bay View, Mich., and Lynchburg, Va. As a member of The
American Tenors, Marcus has appeared in Hot Springs, Ark., and
Auburn, Ala., and with the Redlands Symphony in California and
with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
In 2006, his engagements included Pinkerton
in “Madama Butterfly” with Duluth Festival Opera ,
Il Duca in “Rigoletto” and Ferrando in
“Così fan tutte” for the Sieur Duluth Arts
Festival, and Abdallo in “Nabucco” for Baltimore
Opera. Marcus performed Frederic in “The Pirates of
Penzance” for Opera Carolina in April 2007.
Marcus holds master’s degree in vocal
performance from the University of Tennessee and a
bachelor’s in vocal performance from the University of
Minnesota Duluth, and he currently studies voice with Arthur
Levy in New York.
Nathan Granner
Nathan Granner’s old school timbre
and natural abilities are distinctive and rare. His voice has
been described as buoyant, compelling, clean and resonant.
Combining these qualities of tone with his exuberance,
versatility and daring, he makes a captivating figure on any
stage in every performance.
A native of the Midwest, Nathan now lives
in Kansas City, Mo. He has made principal debuts with Wolf Trap
Opera Company, Opera Theatre Saint Louis, Lyric Opera of Kansas
City, Tulsa Opera, Tampa Opera and the Pittsburgh Opera Center.
He has performed with Glimmerglass Opera, Utah Festival Opera,
Opera in the Ozarks, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Irish
Radio Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra. Granner
has also collaborated with the Kansas City Ballet to bring
three world premiere performances to life. He was the featured
soloist with the Kansas City Symphony for Maestro Michael
Stern’s debut performance as Music Director. Furthermore,
Nathan was the tenor soloist in “The Messiah” with
the quintessential Handel/Haydn Oratorio Society under the
baton of Maestro Grant Llewellyn.
During the fall of 2005 and spring 2006,
Nathan produced a successful double national tour, performing
for nearly 33,000 patrons in 35 American cities with classical
guitarist Beau Bledsoe and with soprano Lisa Williamson. Nathan
and Beau’s second CD Departure, released in the fall of
2005, showcases an amazing array of classical, folk, flamenco
and gospel music.
A family man and a congenial colleague,
Nathan is currently leading and producing, “I Do! I Do! A
Musical About Marriage.” He is also working on a CD of
hymns and sacred music in honor of his grandmother. The
arrangements by Bradley Cox are a collection of traditional
American spirituals from hymns and gospel songs passed down
through shape notes, oral traditions, folk song and some
current renditions newly written with wise hands.
Ben Gulley
The up-and-coming American tenor, Ben
Gulley is a 2008 graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas
City Conservatory with a bachelor’s in vocal performance.
Ben has been hailed “as an outstanding tenor … with
a voice as seamless as simple speech” by the TulsaWorld.
Ben is the recent winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s
National Council district and regional competitions and a
national semi-finalist. Other awards include the winner of the
Hellam Young Artists’ Competition, Florida Grand Opera
voice competition finalist, Richard Tucker Foundation finalist,
Silver Medalist and People’s Choice Award from the Tulsa
Rotary Club’s 10th Annual Crescendo Music Competition,
and a finalist for the prestigious Palm Beach Opera Competition
among others. He has also received awards from the Gerda
Lissner Foundation and Shreveport Opera’s Singer of the
Year, including the Audience Favorite Award and Encouragement
Awards.
He has recently been seen on the stages of
Cedar Rapids Opera as the fourth Jew in “Salome”
(his first HD broadcast), UMKC as the title role in
Britten’s Albert Herring, Kansas Concert Opera as Turridu
in “Cavalleria Rusticana,” Lt. Pinkerton in
“Madam Butterfly,” the Lyric Opera of Kansas
City’s productions of “La Boheme,” Die
Zauberflote as the “First Armored Man,” and as a
priest in “Aida.” Other appearances include Tony
Esposito in UMKC’s “The Most Happy Fella,”
Lt. B.F. Pinkerton in “Madam Butterfly,” Sam Polk
in “Susannah” at Opera in the Ozarks, as Stromboli
in the world premiere of Stephen Schwartz’s new musical
“Gepetto and Son” with the Coterie Theater. Ben was
an apprentice with the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, singing
as Jason in “A Grand Night for Singing” and as
Ludwig in the World premiere of the opera
“Nocciolina.” He is also the current tenor
apprentice with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Ben was
recently seen on the PBS televised event “Celebration at
the Station” with the Kansas City Symphony under the
baton of Michael Stern. Future Engagements include singing
Borsa in LOKC’s production of “Rigoletto,”
chorus in “Don Giovanni,” joint recitals with
up-and-coming bass Scott Conner, tenor Kevin Westring and
others. He is currently a student of Professor Dale Morehouse.
A CD project with SONY Classic internationally recognized
pianist Jura Margulis is in the works and is slated to be
available soon.
Ben joined The American Tenors in 2010.