Damian Savarino

Bass Damian Savarino is quickly gaining attention as one of today’s most talented singers. With his rich voice, elegant musicality, and commanding acting ability, he is one of the most sought-after performers in opera and on the concert stage. He has appeared throughout the U.S. performing such roles as Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Colline in La Bohème, Zuniga in Carmen, Guglielmo in Cosí Fan Tutte, Angelotti/Jailor in Tosca, Étienne in Naughty Marietta, Pish-Tush in The Mikado, and Michael in I Do! I Do!.

While at Ohio Light Opera, he sang and recorded the roles of Colonel Lester in Victor Herbert’s Eileen and Lord Dramaleigh in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Utopia Limited for the Newport Classic Label, as well as performed roles in Patience, Eduard Künneke’s Der Vetter aus Dingsda, Romberg’s New Moon, and Camelot. With the Harrisburg Symphony, he has sung the roles of Baron Douphol/Dottore Grenvil in La Traviata, the Boatswain in HMS Pinafore, and Samuel in The Pirates of Penzance, where a critic commented, “Damian Savarino... contributed a rich voice and expert comic timing.”

With Teatro Grattacielo in NYC, Dr. Savarino has performed the roles of Rocco in I Gioielli della Madonna, L’uomo di legge in Il Re, Lo zio in I Compagnacci, Lucio Polo in La Nave, and Harìta in Sakùntala in venues such as the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center and NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. In a concert with Musica Sacra (NY) in Alice Tully Hall, he sang the role of the Father in Charpentier’s Filius Prodigus and the bass solos in Carissimi’s Vanitas Vanitatum. He has sung the bass solos in Mozart’s Requiem twice with Manhattan Concert Productions in Carnegie Hall, as well as with the Greenwich Choral Society, the Messiah College Choral Arts Society and the Harrisburg Symphony in a special 9/11 Memorial Concert. Also at Carnegie Hall, he has sung the bass solos in Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass with Distinguished Concerts International of New York. Dr. Savarino performed the role of Dr. Gibbs in Ned Rorem’s opera Our Town for its Washington DC premiere. Of this performance, a local critic reported, “Damian Savarino and Bridgid Eversole demonstrated such fine singing and acting as Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs that one wishes Rorem could expand their roles... Savarino’s rich, sonorous bass-baritone voice was the surprise of the evening for the audience members who, like me, missed him in L’elisir last year.” Another critic remarked that the “Standout performers... were Zachary Nelson as Mr. Webb and Damian Savarino as Dr. Frank Gibbs”.

Of his DC performance as Frére Laurent in Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette, a critic wrote, “Standouts in Friday’s cast include... Damian Savarino, whose divine bass infests Frére Laurent with villainous overtones. One realizes the priest is playing not only doctor but God with his sketchy plan to help the lovers escape judgement.”

Additional concert performances include Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra/Symphonic Choir and the Messiah College Choral Arts Society, Handel’s Messiah with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, Aaron Copland’s Old American Songs with the West Shore Symphony (PA), and Schubert’s Mass in G, as well as several concerts of Bach and Handel with the Handel & Haydn Society of Boston. During a trip to Greece, Dr. Savarino performed the bass solos in Mikis Theodorakis’ oratorio Canto General, based on texts by Pablo Neruda. As a finalist in the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition, critics touted he "polished off Figaro's First Act aria in splendid voice" and "proved to be a fine singer and excellent actor." From his recent performances in Camelot, a critic hailed him by saying "the songs of Camelot haven't sounded so sweet since Robert Goulet brought them to Broadway in 1960."

Dr. Savarino is also an active recitalist who has performed recitals in Berlin, Germany, Katerini, Greece, Ravanusa, Sicily as well as presented guest artist recitals at Penn. State University, Kutztown University and Gettysburg College. Having received his Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance degree from Catholic University of America, he is also a graduate of Ithaca College and the New England Conservatory of Music, where he worked and trained extensively with John Moriarty and Marc Astafan.