A native of Saskatchewan, Canada, Chad Armstrong continues to receive acclaim as a distinct performer in productions throughout the United States and Europe. He delivers forcefully in title roles and champions supporting characters with memorable portrayals. Opera Online hailed his performance of the role of Sonora LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST with Dicapo Opera Theatre as "outstanding," pointing out his "strong stage presence, strong vocal delivery and natural acting abilities," and the Cape Cod Times said he possessed the "richest baritone voice in the cast." Opera News singled him out to note that his depiction of Ping TURANDOT was "particularly impressive" and he was invited to reprise selections of the role in celebration of Puccini's 150th birthday with the Opera Orchestra of New York under the baton of Maestro Francisco Bonnín in the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center. In 2011 Mr. Armstrong made his Italian debut as the title role in Luigi Dallapiccola's IL PRIGIONIERO, a challenging work which was well-received by the audiences of both the Teatro Comunale di Bologna and the Teatro Comunale di Modena. In 2012 he performed the role of John Sorel THE CONSUL with Dicapo Opera Theatre as well as Sharpless MADAMA BUTTERFLY with New Rochelle Opera and Tonio I PAGLIACCI with Western Plains Opera. This season Mr. Armstrong will be singing the title role in RIGOLETTO with Annapolis Opera, King Vortigem in MERLIN with The Hugo Kauder Society and STREET SCENE with Oklahoma Baptist.
A native of Saskatchewan, Canada, Chad Armstrong continues to receive acclaim as a distinct performer in productions throughout the United States and Europe. He delivers forcefully in title roles and champions supporting characters with memorable portrayals. Opera Online hailed his performance of the role of Sonora LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST with Dicapo Opera Theatre as "outstanding," pointing out his "strong stage presence, strong vocal delivery and natural acting abilities," and the Cape Cod Times said he possessed the "richest baritone voice in the cast." Opera News singled him out to note that his depiction of Ping TURANDOT was "particularly impressive" and he was invited to reprise selections of the role in celebration of Puccini's 150th birthday with the Opera Orchestra of New York under the baton of Maestro Francisco Bonnín in the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center. In 2011 Mr. Armstrong made his Italian debut as the title role in Luigi Dallapiccola's IL PRIGIONIERO, a challenging work which was well-received by the audiences of both the Teatro Comunale di Bologna and the Teatro Comunale di Modena. In 2012 he performed the role of John Sorel THE CONSUL with Dicapo Opera Theatre as well as Sharpless MADAMA BUTTERFLY with New Rochelle Opera and Tonio I PAGLIACCI with Western Plains Opera. This season Mr. Armstrong will be singing the title role in RIGOLETTO with Annapolis Opera, King Vortigem in MERLIN with The Hugo Kauder Society and STREET SCENE with Oklahoma Baptist.
As a winner of the 2009 Mezzo TV Festival and Competition in Szeged, Hungary, Mr. Armstrong made his debut with the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre, singing the role of John Donne in Marco Tutino's VITA. In addition to the performances in Ostrava, Czech Republic, the production was broadcast to over 40 countries from the final round of competition in Hungary.
Other engagements in New York City include performances of the roles of John Proctor THE CRUCIBLE, Lescaut MANON LESCAUT, Tom Carter in the January 2010 production of Thomas Pasatieri's HOTEL CASABLANCA, and Pope Pius IX in the world premiere of IL CASO MORTARA by Francesco Ciluffo. For his Mercutio ROMÉO ET JULIETTE with National Lyric Opera, the Cape Cod Gazette applauded him as "a standout...besides stage savvy and animated presence, the artist possessed one of the finest voices in the cast." Other successes in 2009 include the roles of Mr. Fox in the New York premiere of Tobias Picker's FANTASTIC MR. FOX, Silvio I PAGLIACCI, Taddeo L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI and Marcello LA BOHÈME. During the summer of 2010 Mr. Armstrong reprised the role of Ping TURANDOT with New Rochelle Opera.
A poised, thoughtful concert performer and recitalist, Mr. Armstrong has made several Carnegie Hall appearances, most notably in 2008 as Baritone Soloist in Beethoven Ninth Symphony. For a concert in New York City in March 2008, he prepared selections from rarely-performed works commissioned for the Metropolitan Opera during the 1920s and 30s with Maestro Stephen Osgood. Other concerts have included such works as Puccini Messa di Gloria and Christof Bergman Piazza Navona.
To date, Mr. Armstrong's varied repertory includes Schaunard and Guglielmo (Puccini), Masetto, Figaro and Simone (Mozart), Dulcamara, Don Alfonso, Hermann (Offenbach), Wagner (Gounod), Morales, Count Ceprano and Germont, with companies such as Little Opera Company of New Jersey, Oklahoma Opera Theater, Utah Festival Opera, Western Plains Opera, Opera Worcester, National Lyric Opera, Tulsa Opera and Operafest di Roma.
