Bio
For over 25 years, actor and character tenor Brian Frutiger has appeared across the United States in over 100 roles in opera, operetta, music theater and theater. Since 2008 Brian has regularly returned to the Metropolitan Opera where he has appeared in such roles as Poisson (Adriana Lecouvreur), Scaramuccio (Ariadne auf Naxos), Benvolio (Romeo et Juliette), and several roles as a part of the Ensemble of William Kentridge's critically acclaimed production of Shostakovich’s The Nose.
In addition to his roles at The MET, Mr. Frutiger has sung many of the great character and spieltenor roles at opera houses across the United States. The 2019/2020 season sees company debuts with Dallas Opera (Monostatos), Atlanta Opera (2nd Jew), and Fort Worth Opera (Frosch). Other career highlights include El Remendado (Carmen) at San Francisco Opera; Guillot de Morfontaine in the EMMY award winning production of Manon at DMMO; Goro (Madama Butterfly) at Sarasota Opera, Opera Memphis and Opera Coeur d’Alene; Tanzmeister (Ariadne auf Naxos) at Sarasota Opera; Bardolfo (Falstaff) at Opera Omaha; Pang (Turandot) at DMMO, Connecticut Opera, Sacramento Opera, and Wichita Grand Opera; Abolitionist Tappan (Amistad) at Spoleto Festival USA; Don Basilio and Don Curzio (Le Nozze di Figaro) with Wichita Grand Opera; and Major General Stanley (The Pirates of Penzance) at Wichita Grand Opera.
A classically trained actor, Brian regularly returns to the professional theater. Most recently, Brian joined Penumbra Theatre as Chaucer in Adrienne Kennedy's play The Owl Answers. Other credits include Mitch Mahoney (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Mr. Sowerberry (Oliver!), and All Is Calm with Theater Latté Da in Minneapolis; Mr. Oscar and Robert Steele (Dessa Rose) with TheatreWorks in California; Metellus Cimber (Julius Caesar) with Shakespeare’s Motley Crew in Chicago; Jamie (My Fair Lady) and Anselmo (Man of La Mancha) with Music Theatre Wichita; and the ensemble of The Student Prince with Paper Mill Playhouse.
Equally at home on the concert stage Mr. Frutiger has appeared with the San Francisco Symphony as Le Troisième Messager in Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas, and Der Jüngling in Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri under the baton of Ingo Metzmacher. Brian has also appeared as Tenor Soloist with Fresno Philharmonic (Coronation Mass in C Major), Oratorio Society of Minnesota (Messiah, Esther, Mozart Requiem), St. Olaf College (Elijah), Wichita Choral Society (Messiah), San Francisco’s Old First Concerts (Brahms’ Ziguenerlieder), Normandale Lutheran (St. John Passion) and the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis (Magnificat). In addition, Brian has sung many of Bach’s liturgical cantatas.
A native Kansan, Mr. Frutiger has won several awards including a Kansas Cultural Trust Enabling Grant, 2nd Place at the Heinz Rehfuss Singing Actor Awards, and the Mann Fellowship. Mr. Frutiger has pursued doctoral studies at the University of Minnesota and holds degrees in music from Wichita State University and theater from Drake University. Mr. Frutiger was also honored to return to Wichita State University as a Distinguished Alumni speaker.