Eric Jurenas

Time Stands Still: A semi-staged love story in baroque lute song

FORCES: Countertenor/Soprano/Lute

“He is a countertenor with radiant timbre, admirable high-range technical security, with a natural intuition in approaching delicate emotions….he sparkles with Handel’s insane coloratura contrasted with beautiful shades of delicate emotion.”

— Kronen Zeitung

This program is structured for countertenor, soprano and lute/theorbo. The story follows two wanderers, dissatisfied with their current situation, mocking the prospect of a stable relationship. The countertenor, only singing in English, ridicules the idea of wooing a potential mate – it’s too much work! The soprano, only singing in French, doesn’t need a man – they’re fickle and end up being a disaster! The two occasionally meet for duets, only in Italian, as they embark through a story of discovery, heartbreak, and reconciliation. The lute player, always observing, but with one eye always fixed on the soprano, sometimes seems to have an ulterior motive. This recital, featured at the Innsbruck Early Music Festival, was also recorded and broadcast on a primetime television special on Austrian state TV.

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Biography

Praised by The New York Times for his “beautiful, well-supported tone and compelling expression,” American countertenor Eric Jurenas has been featured on some of the world’s largest and most reputable stages. His dedication to baroque-era music, newly-created works, and everything in between, has established him as an influential voice.

Highlights of the 2019/2020 season include new productions at Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Komische Oper Berlin, and two productions at the Wiener Staatsoper, including a starring role in the world premiere of Olga Neuwirth’s grand opera Orlando.

In 2018/19 Jurenas performed in Péter Eötvös’ Three Sisters at Oper Frankfurt, Handel’s Poro at the Komische Oper Berlin in a production by legendary stage director Harry Kupfer, an international tour of Handel’s Rinaldo with Jean-Christophe Spinosi and Ensemble Matheus, Handel’s Saul at the Göttingen Handel Festival, a new Barrie Kosky production of Handel’s Agrippina at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, and Handel’s Messiah with Boston Baroque and American Bach Soloists.

Recent operatic engagements include productions at the Wiener Staatsoper, Komische Oper Berlin, Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Theater an der Wien, Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, The Santa Fe Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera Philadelphia, The Glimmerglass Festival, and Opera Lafayette in works ranging from Handel’s Oreste, Vivaldi’s Catone in Utica, to Morrison’s Oscar, and Dorman’s Wahnfried. He was recently seen at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre in the Tony Award-nominated play Farinelli and the King as the Voice of Farinelli.

A frequent concert performer and recitalist, he has been featured in programs of varied repertoire. Highlights include a world premiere work by Aribert Reimann, Sinnig zwischen beyden Welten, with Daniel Barenboim at the piano at the Barenboim-Said-Akademie in Berlin, and the monodrama La dolce morte by Suzanne Farrin with International Contemporary Ensemble at the METLiveArts series at the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York City. The performance of this work was recently released on CD and digital download by New Focus Recordings. Recent solo recitals include a program of Purcell, Ravel, and Mahler at New York’s Lincoln Center, British Heroes – a program of Handel’s English repertoire with La Chapelle Harmonique – at the Palace of Versailles, and Zeit steht still – a program of English lute song – at the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music. A frequent performer of Handel and Bach, he has performed countless works with both modern symphony orchestras and baroque ensembles, including Boston Baroque, Colorado Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, American Bach Soloists, Harvard Baroque Orchestra, Juilliard 415, Dayton Philharmonic, and Colorado Bach Ensemble.

Eric has received awards from prestigious vocal competitions around the world, including an award from The Sullivan Foundation, 1st place in The Renata Tebaldi International Competition, 2nd place in the Corneille International Competition, 3rd place in the Cesti Competition for Baroque Opera, 1st place in the Handel Aria Competition, The International Competition -‘s-Hertogenbosch, 1st place in the Hal Leonard Online Vocal Competition, Dayton Opera Guild Competition, Kentucky Bach Choir Competition, and the Bel Canto Chorus of Milwaukee Competition. He is a proud recipient of a Novick Career Advancement Grant.

He received his Masters degree from The Juilliard School in New York City and his Bachelors from the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of Cincinnati.

He is a student of Dr. Robert White Jr., William McGraw, and George Gibson.