Brandon Jovanovich

Praised by The Wall Street Journal for his “ardent, heroic tenor and strong acting,” Brandon Jovanovich is sought after by the world’s finest opera companies for his passionate stage portrayals of leading roles in French, Italian, German, and Slavic opera.

In the 2018/19 season, Brandon Jovanovich sings the roles of Enée in Sir David McVicar’s new production of Les Troyens, Florestan in Fidelio, and the Prince in Rusalka at the Wiener Staatsoper. He will also sing Dick Johnson in Andreas Dresen’s new production of La Fanciulla del West at the Bayerische Staatsoper, and will make his role debut in the title role of Parsifal at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He concludes the season as the Prince in Rusalka at San Francisco Opera.

In this current season, Brandon Jovanovich sang the title role of Lohengrin at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Siegmund in David Pountney’s new production of Die Walküre at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Don José in Carmen at Los Angeles Opera. He made his role debut as Dick Johnson in La Fanciulla del West at the Opernhaus Zürich, Sergei in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden debut, and both Froh and Siegmund in The Ring Cycle with San Francisco Opera. Closing out the 2017/18 season Jovanovich will sing Hermann in Pique Dame at the Salzburger Festspiele under the baton of Mariss Jansons.

The 2016/17 performance season saw Brandon make his house debut at the Wiener Staatsoper as Don Jose in Carmen, and return to the Lyric Opera of Chicago (Les troyens and Carmen) and The Metropolitan Opera (Rusalka). On the concert platform Mr. Jovanovich made his debut with the Hallé Orchestra, singing Schoenberg's Gurre-lieder under the baton of Sir Mark Elder. In July 2017 Brandon returned to Opernhaus Zürich in the title role of Wagner's Lohengrin. In August 2017 Brandon closed the 2016/17 season with an exciting house debut with The Salzburg Festival as Sergei in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.

Schedule highlights in Brandon Jovanovich's 2015/16 season included two roles debuts -- Tambourmajor in Wozzeck at Opernhaus Zürich and Walther in Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg at San Francisco Opera under the baton of Sir Mark Elder, plus a much-anticipated house debut with L'Opéra National de Paris in the same role under the baton of Philippe Jordan. The singer also returned to the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich as the Chevalier des Grieux in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut conducted by Asher Fisch, and as Don José in Bizet’s Carmen under the baton of Dan Ettinger. Mr. Jovanovich concluded the season with his house debut at Opera Australia as Don José in a new production of Carmen.

Mr. Jovanovich opened the 2014/15 season at San Francisco Opera as Sam in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah in a new production by Michael Cavanagh, followed by his return to the Metropolitan Opera as Sergei in Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk under the baton of James Conlon. Other operatic highlights of Mr. Jovanovich’s season included Walter in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s highly-anticipated production of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s The Passenger and a reprise of his acclaimed Florestan in Beethoven’s Fidelio at Opernhaus Zürich under the baton of Fabio Luisi. Orchestral engagements included Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony, both under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas, and in his Vienna debut performing Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass with the Czech Philarmonic Orchestra. Additionally he appear in concert performances of Fidelio with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony and made his New York Philharmonic debut in Verdi’s Requiem under the baton of Alan Gilbert.

Additional highlights of Mr. Jovanovich’s other recent seasons include the Prince in Sir David McVicar’s new production of Rusalka at Lyric Opera of Chicago; Don José in Carmen at LA Opera conducted by Plácido Domingo, The Dallas Opera conducted by Emmanuel Villaume, Opernhaus Zürich conducted by Vasily Petrenko, and in a new production at Houston Grand Opera; the title role of Lohengrin at San Francisco Opera conducted by Nicola Luisotti; Florestan in a new production of Fidelio by Andreas Homoki at Opernhaus Zürich, conducted by Fabio Luisi, and at the Verbier Festival under the baton of Marc Minkowski; Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly at LA Opera; the Chevalier des Grieux in Manon Lescaut at La Monnaie in Brussels; and Sergei in a new production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk with Opernhaus Zürich.

Recent concert work includes appearances with the Gürzenich-Orchester Köln under the baton of Markus Stenz, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Millennium Park series, and the title role in a concert production of Lohengrin at Festival International de Lanaudière conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Mr. Jovanovich made role debuts in Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen as Froh (Rheingold) and Siegmund (Die Walküre) with the San Francisco Opera in 2011 in the highly acclaimed production by Francesca Zambello, under the baton of Donald Runnicles, and his U.K. debut at the Glyndebourne Festival as Don José in David McVicar’s production of Carmen, conducted by Stéphane Denève. He later returned to Glyndebourne to sing the Prince in Dvořák’s Rusalka which was released as a live recording on Glyndebourne’s independent label.

Other career highlights include Les Contes d’Hoffmann at Teatro alla Scala; Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos with the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Boston Lyric Opera; Don José in Carmen with Deutsche Oper Berlin, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Bayerische Staatsoper, and the Metropolitan Opera; the title role in Don Carlos with Houston Grand Opera; the title role in Peter Grimes at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples; and Cavaradossi in Tosca with the Canadian Opera Company, Oper Köln, Seattle Opera, l’Opéra National de Bordeaux, de Vlaamse Opera, and the Bregenz Festival, which was featured in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace. Mr. Jovanovich’s Pinkerton has been seen at Santa Fe Opera, The Dallas Opera, New York City Opera, LA Opera, and San Francisco Opera, where it was broadcast in high-definition in movie theatres across the United States.

A native of Billings, MT, Brandon Jovanovich received his training at Northern Arizona University and Manhattan School of Music. He was the recipient of the 2007 Richard Tucker Award and was twice a New York City district winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He was a founding member of the Seattle Young Artists program and was a member of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice program, where he was given the Anna Case Mackay award Award. He won the Crawley Award from the Young Patronesses of the Opera/Florida Grand Opera Voice Competition and in 2004 he was given the prestigious ARIA Award.