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The American baritone, Randall Scarlata, graduated from Conestoga High School in 1988. He received his undergraduate training at the Eastman School of Music (graduated 1992), then received a Fulbright Grant to continue his studies in Vienna at the Hochschule für Musik (graduated 1994). He holds a masters degree from the Juilliard School, where he studied with with Kenneithia M. Mitchell (graduated 1998) and was also a member of the Juilliard Opera Center. He spent several formative summers studying under the great French baritone, Gérard Souzay. Additional studies at the Salzburg Mozarteum, the Académie Internationale d'Été in Nice, the Aspen Music Festival, and at the Steane's Institute of the Ravinia Festival solidified his musicianship. Of particular significance were five summers as a participant in the Marlboro Festival, where he collaborated with many important chamber musicians and developed some of his most rewarding musical partnerships. Randall Scarlata's awards include First Prize at the 1999 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, First Prize at the 1997 Das Schubert Lied International Competition in Vienna, First Prize at the 1997 Joy in Singing Competition in New York, and the 1998 Alice Tully Vocal Arts Debut Recital Award.
Randall Scarlata began in singing career in 1999. Hailed for his warm, expressive sound, consummate musicianship and winning way with the audience, he is firmly established as one of the most highly regarded musical interpreters of his generation. He is equally comfortable in J.S. Bach and George Frideric Handel oratorio, W.A. Mozart and Rossini operas, the great song cycles, works from Tin Pan Alley, and the newest of new music. His performances throughout the USA, Europe, Asia and South America have garnered raves from audiences and critics alike. Scarlata has appeared as soloist with great orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Vienna's Tonkünstler Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, American Symphony, and North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Early Music ensembles Wiener Akademie, Musica Angelica, and the Grand Tour Orchestra. In addition, he has appeared at international music festivals including Ravinia, Marlboro, Edinburgh, Vienna, Salzburg, Aspen, Spoleto, and on concert stages across five continents.
Randall Scarlata's repertoire spans four centuries and sixteen languages. A sought-after interpreter of new music, he has given world premieres of works by George Crumb, Paul Moravec, Ned Rorem, Lori Laitman, Thea Musgrave, Samuel Adler, Daron Hagen, David Ludwig, Wolfram Wagner, Mohammed Fairouz and Christopher Theofanidis. His performances of Songs of Tin Pan Alley with soprano Jennifer Aylmer are favorites of both art song aficionados and lovers of popular music. Scarlata enjoys important musical partnerships with pianists Richard Goode, Cameron Stowe, Jeremy Denk, Ken Noda, and Laura Ward. Through these collaborations, they have explored much of the art song canon, with recitals in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York City; The Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, and Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC; the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston; Wigmore Hall in London; the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh; the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia; Cité de la Musique in Paris; the Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna; the Musikhalle in Hamburg, among many others. In addition, Scarlata has recorded for the Chandos, Naxos, CRI, Gasparo, Arabesque and Albany labels.
Recent and upcoming highlights include performances of Schubert's Winterreise with pianist Gilbert Kalish, the CD releases of his celebrated performance of the Celebrant in Leonard Bernstein's Mass (a Gramophone Editor's Choice), as well as songs of Lori Laitman and chamber music of Paul Moravec, the world premiere and recording of George Crumb's American Songbook, J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) in Vienna and Los Angeles, Wolf's Italienisches Liederbuch with soprano Hyunah Yu and pianist Ken Noda, Johannes Brahms' Requiem with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and performances at summer festivals such as Kingston, Kneisel Hall, Music at Menlo, Chamber Music Northwest, Saltbay, and Bridgehampton chamber music festivals. With soprano Jennifer Aylmer and pianist Laura Ward, he has programmed six different lecture recitals on the music of Tin Pan Alley. As guest artist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (a former member of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two), he recently performed songs from Schubert's last year with pianist Inon Barnatan and Schwanengesang with pianist Jonathan Biss, Die Schöne Müllerin with pianist Jeremy Denk at the Gardner Museum in Boston, Gustav Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and Dvorak's Gypsy Songs with conductor Sarah Hicks and the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, the world premiere of Mohammed Fairouz's Furia with the Borromeo String Quartet and the Imani Winds, music of Samuel Barber with the New World Symphony Orchestra, and recitals throughout the USA. Scarlata will be seen this season in Opera Lafayette's production of Gretry's Le Magnifique (to be recorded for Naxos) at the Kennedy Center and at Lincoln Center, and as Alwan in Mohammed Fairouz's opera, Sumeida's Song, with mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey.
Randall Scarlata lived in Wayne, Pennsylvania from 1991 to 2004. Since 2004, he makes his home in Philadelphia, where he is very active in the Philadelphia musical scene. He regularly collaborates with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Network for New Music, Orchestra 2001, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the wonderful art song recital project, Lyric Fest. He is a Sing for Hope artist, having been involved with the foundation for over 10 years.
Since 2003, Randall Scarlata serves as Assistan Professor at the College of Visual and Performing Arts at West Chester University. Since September 2011, he is Artist in Residence SUNY Stony Brook in New York, teaching voice, American Song Lit, French Song Literature. In addition, he has given master-classes at universities, conservatories and summer programs across the USA, Europe and the Far East. This summer, Scarlata will teach at the Vancouver International Song Institute, the European-American Musical Alliance at the Schola Cantorum in Paris, and at the Alpenkammermusik Festival in Liesing, Austria. His students have won top awards in national and international competitions, have participated in prestigious young artist programs, and currently sing at important venues in the USA and abroad. |
