Bio
American tenor Gregory Schmidt combines a ringing Italianate sound with ease in the high tessitura of the Bel Canto repertoire; he is equally at home with Mozart and the French lyric repertoire. Signature roles include Edgardo, Almaviva, Don Ramiro, Don Ottavio, and Tamino.
Schmidt’s unusually beautiful voice and commanding stage presence have brought him consistent critical acclaim. “Gregory Schmidt [exhibits] bright and accurate sound, charged with genuine emotion…combining credible acting with elegant style” wrote Jess Anderson for Opera News. “Schmidt might be the finest tenor ever to tread the Skylight (Opera Theater) stage,” enthused Tom Strini of the Milwaukee Journal (Lucia di Lammermoor). “On top of that, he is a dashing, handsome fellow…Lucia could plausibly go mad over Schmidt’s Edgardo.” Critic Christopher Weimer wrote “Schmidt…cut a dashing figure on stage, acted very affectingly, and sang the entire role marvelously. His arias stood out for their musicianship.”
Upcoming engagements include Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola) with Madison Opera, Tonio (La Fille du Régiment) with Tulsa Opera, Tenor Soloist in Philip Glass’s Kepler with Spoleto Festival USA and Alonso (The Tempest by Thomas Adès) with Opéra du Québec. Mr. Schmidt is on the roster of the Metropolitan Opera, where he has covered the roles of Ernesto (Don Pasquale), Tamino (Magic Flute) and Flamand (Capriccio). This season he will cover the role of Iopas in Les Troyens. He will also cover David in Die Meistersinger with Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Recent engagements include Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor) and Almaviva (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) with Opera Tampa, under the baton of Maestro Anton Coppola; Nemorino (L’Elisir d’Amore) and Tebaldo (I Capuleti e i Montecchi) with Tulsa Opera; Camille (The Merry Widow) and Alfredo (La Traviata) with St. Petersburg Opera; Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola) with Fresno Grand Opera; and Ferrando (Così fan Tutte) with El Paso Opera.
Schmidt has performed Alfredo with St. Petersburg Opera, Tacoma Opera and Des Moines Metro Opera; Edgardo with Opera Tampa, El Paso Opera, Chattanooga Opera, Nevada Opera and Skylight Opera Theater; and Don Ottavio with Nashville Opera, Opera Carolina, Skylight Opera and Madison Opera.
Gregory Schmidt made his professional debut with Washington D. C. Opera in the role of Count Belfiore in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera, returning to the Kennedy Center stage the following season as Tamino. He apprenticed with Santa Fe Opera and was a Metropolitan Opera Audition National Finalist.