Daniel Okulitch, Bass Baritone

“The production was unquestionably a triumph for Calgary-raised bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch as the convicted killer Joseph De Rocher.Physically a strong presence on stage, he was also able to handle the considerable vocal demands with remarkable strength and lyrical beauty.” —Opera Canada

The young Canadian bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch first came to national attention on Broadway as Schaunard in Baz Luhrmann's production of La bohème in 2002-03 - a role he repeated when the production traveled to Los Angeles the following year, for which he received the Ovation Award forBest Ensemble Performance from the Los Angeles Stage Alliance. He has since begun an international career with opera companies and orchestras throughout Europe and North America, and is lauded as much for his powerful stage presence and dramatic abilities as for his "focused, resonant bass-baritone that he wields with power and sensitivity" (New Jersey Star-Ledger). His signature roles show a dedication to both old and new works, including the title roles in Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro, Joseph DeRocher in Dead Man Walking and Olin Blitch in Susannah. "Okulitch was a dynamic and effective stage presence; he almost stopped the show the first time he strode on stage and sang his opening notes (...) by far the most developed and projecting singer in the cast." (Willa Conrad, New Jersey Star-Ledger).

Engagements in the 2008-2009 season include his debut at Los Angeles Opera as Seth Brundle in The Fly, his Teatro alla Scala debut as Theseus in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro for the Dallas Opera, Escamillo in Carmen in Vancouver, Swallow in Peter Grimes for his debut at the Washington National Opera, and the title role of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking in Ft. Worth. In 2009-2010 he will debut The New York City Opera in the title role of Don Giovanni, will return to the Vancouver Opera as Mozart’s Figaro and Calgary Opera as Frederick Bhaer in Little Women. In 2010-2011 he will return to the Los Angeles Opera as Figaro in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, and will create the role of Willy Wonka in the World Premiere of The Golden Ticket with Opera Theater of St. Louis.

In the 2007-2008 season, Mr. Okulitch made his role debut at the Michigan Opera Theater in Detroit in the title role of Le Nozze di Figaro, as Colline in La bohème in Vancouver, the world premiere of David Dichiera’s Cyrano de Bergerac in Detroit, and sang the title role in the world premiere of The Fly at the Opéra du Châtelet in Paris in a co-production with the LA Opera.

Mr. Okulitch opened the 2006-2007 season in the title role of Don Giovanni for Opera Ontario, which he repeated for the Hawaii Opera Theater. He was also heard in a gala concert with Manitoba Opera and performances as Inspector Gert Osterland in the world-premiere of Thomas Pasatieri’s opera Frau Margot at Fort Worth Opera.

Mr. Okulitch’s 2005-06 season began with Schaunard in La Boheme with Manitoba Opera, immediately followed by Schlemil in Les Contes d’Hoffmann at Dallas Opera, the critically acclaimed title role debut of Joseph De Rocher in Dead Man Walking at the Calgary Opera, Masetto with Vancouver Opera, and Blitch in Susannah with the Boheme Opera in New Jersey. He closed the season with his long-awaited role debut as Don Giovanni at the French festival Lyrique-en-Mer.

Daniel Okulitch’s 2004-05 season began with his return to San Francisco Opera as The Bosun in Billy Budd, followed by a recording of Chausson’s Le roi Arthus with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London, and by the roles of Fredrich Baeher in Little Women at Fort Worth Opera, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream with Utah Opera, Masetto in Don Giovanni with Opera de Marseille, and Laski in Chabrier’s Le roi malgré lui at Avery Fisher Hall with the American Symphony Orchestra.

Mr.Okulitch was a member of the San Francisco Opera Merola Program, andalso trained with the Cincinnati Opera as a Young Artist for twoseasons, and apprenticed with the Des Moines Metro Opera. In his young career, Mr. Okulitch has worked with many prominent conductors, including Eduardo Müller, Donald Runnicles, Sir Andrew Davis, and Placido Domingo among them.

Mr.Okulitch is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, including theSingers Development Foundation, First Prize from the George London Foundation in 2004, The Sullivan Foundation 2004, 2nd Prize from theLicia Albanese/Puccini Foundation Competition, First Prize from the Joyce Dutka Arts Foundation in 2004, a Grant from the SingersDevelopment Fund in 2003, 5th Prize in the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition in 2002, and was a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions in 2000 and 2001. He is a 2006 recipient of a Canada Council Grant for Professional Musicians and received the Andrew White Memorial Award and a Corbett Award while a student at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, where he received an Artist Diploma in Opera,after completing his BM and MM degrees in Voice and Opera respectively,from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He currently studies with Patricia McCaffrey.