ARYEH NUSSBAUM COHEN
For Mr. Nussbaum Cohen's full press kit, contact his management here. Find all other publicity materials including a short biography and repertoire at the link below.
Acclaimed as a “young star” and “complete artist” by the New York Times and "extravagantly gifted... poised to redefine what’s possible for singers of this distinctive voice type” by the San Francisco Chronicle, American countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen is one of the classical vocal world's most promising rising stars.
He has been awarded by many major competitions, including the Grand Prize of the 2017 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a 2017 Sara Tucker Study Grant and 2022 Richard Tucker Career Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation, and a 2023 George and Nora London Foundation Award. His first commercial recording project - the world premiere recording of Kenneth Fuchs' Poems of Life with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by JoAnn Falletta - was honored with a 2019 GRAMMY® Award in the Best Classical Compendium category, which recognizes albums with multiple soloists and multiple works.
In the 2023-24 season, Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen returns to Glyndebourne to perform the title role of Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto in Sir David McVicar’s acclaimed production, led by Maestro Laurence Cummings – he sings the role of Sesto in the same opera for his debut at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma under the baton of Rinaldo Alessandrini – and he debuts at Deutsche Oper Berlin in the company premiere of Sir George Benjamin’s Written on Skin as First Angel/The Boy in Katie Mitchell’s original production. His vibrant concert schedule includes a worldwide tour of Handel’s Rodelinda with The English Concert conducted by Harry Bicket – including debuts at Carnegie Hall, LA Opera, Cal Performances, and in South Korea and China –Carmina Burana with Hans Graf and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, I Tre Controtenori at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Bach’s Magnificat with Cantata Collective under the direction of Nicholas McGegan, Bach’s solo alto cantatas Widerstehe doch der Sünde, BWV 54 and Ich habe genug, BWV 182 with Jeffrey Thomas leading the American Bach Soloists, and Bach’s Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen, BWV 66 and Easter Oratorio, BWV 249 with Jeannette Sorrell and Apollo’s Fire.
Highlights of recent opera seasons include his Metropolitan Opera debut as Rosencrantz in the Met and U.S. premieres of Brett Dean's Hamlet in the Neil Armfield production conducted by Nicholas Carter, his debut at Glyndebourne as Athamas in Adele Thomas' new production of Handel’s Semele, his Bayerische Staatsoper debut as Endimione in David Alden’s production of Cavalli’s La Calisto led by Christopher Moulds, performances as David in Axel Ranisch's new production of Handel’s Saul at the Komische Oper Berlin, and his debut at the Opernhaus Zürich in a world premiere ballet creation choreographed by Christian Spuck upon the music of Monteverdi’s Madrigals.
Recent role debuts also include Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Adelaide Festival in the acclaimed Neil Armfield production conducted by Paul Kildea, David in Barrie Kosky’s heralded production of Handel’s Saul at Houston Grand Opera conducted by Patrick Summers, Medoro in Handel's Orlando at San Francisco Opera under the baton of Christopher Moulds, and Ottone in Handel's Agrippina in staged performances with Ars Lyrica Houston conducted by Matthew Dirst.
On the concert stage, Aryeh made his Russian and role debuts in the title role of Handel's Giulio Cesare in Egitto with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra led by Christopher Moulds and he sang Prince Go-Go in Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra led by James Gaffigan at the Concertgebouw. He has appeared in Handel’s Jephtha under the direction of Dame Jane Glover with Music of the Baroque, as well as Handel’s Theodora with Richard Egarr and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. He has given performances of Handel’s Messiah with the San Francisco Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He gave his Australian recital debut under the auspices of the Adelaide Festival, bowed in a world premiere by choreographer Yuri Possokhov with the San Francisco Ballet, and recorded a program of Gluck, Handel, and Vivaldi for his first solo album with Jeffrey Thomas and the American Bach Soloists.
The New York City native became the first countertenor in the history of the Houston Grand Opera Studio during the 2017-18 season, and he was a member of San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Adler Fellowship program for 2018-19.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Aryeh is a graduate of the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera (2016) and the Wolf Trap Opera Studio (2017). His additional accolades include First Prize in the 2017 Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition and the 2017 Irvin Scherzer Award from the George London Foundation. He was First Prize Winner and Audience Choice Award recipient at the 2018 Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, winner of a 2019 William Matheus Sullivan Musical Foundation Award, and he was Third Prize Winner in the 2019 edition of Placido Domingo's Operalia.
Aryeh earned a Bachelor’s degree in History from Princeton University (with a concentration in Intellectual and Cultural History) and received academic certificates in Vocal Performance and Judaic Studies. During his senior year, he became the first singer in a decade to win the Princeton University Concerto Competition. Upon graduating, he was awarded the Isidore and Helen Sacks Memorial Prize for extraordinary achievement in the arts, granted each year by Princeton University to the student of greatest promise in the performance of classical music. In recent years, Aryeh has given masterclasses at the University of Michigan, Buffalo Philharmonic, and his alma mater, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of the Arts.
He currently resides in Northern California with his wife Abbi, and he serves as Western Region Soloist Representative on the board of the American Guild of Musical Artists, the union that represents America's operatic, dance, and choral artists.
Mr. Nussbaum Cohen is represented by Bill Palant/Étude Arts LLC. For full press kit materials and booking inquiries, please be in touch here. Other publicity materials can be downloaded as PDFs via the links below.
