Thomas Goerz

Introduction




“Thomas Goerz, an old hand at the role of Leporello and in fine voice, was a constant delight. He delivered the catalogue aria with obvious relish for Donna Elivira’s distress. In Act II, when called upon to imitate his master, Goerz so accurately mimicked Okulitch’s voice the effect was uncanny.”
Opera News, Christopher Hoile

Biography



Dramatic integrity and vocal clarity are the enduring artistic hallmarks of bass-baritone Thomas Goerz.  His impressive variety of roles ranges from Leporello in DON GIOVANNI with Opera Ontario, to Owen Hart in the Canadian premiere of DEAD MAN WALKING with Calgary Opera. A very busy 2011-2012 season began in New York at the MET with two cover roles; Sulpice in LA FILLE DU REGIMENT, and Lord Krishna in SATYAGRAHA by Glass. After that he heads straight to Edmonton Opera for Pooh Bah in THE MIKADO, followed by Don Basilio in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA with Vancouver Opera, back to Edmonton for Rocco in FIDELIO and then over to Pacific Opera Victoria where he will play Banquo in MACBETH.  

The 2010-2011 season opened with three pivotal roles in the world premier of LILLIAN ALLING with Vancouver Opera, followed by Don Alfonso cover in COSI FAN TUTTE at the MET, and back to Vancouver Opera as Publio in LA CLEMENZA DI TITO. The 2009-2010 season included Opera Lyra Ottawa’s DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE as der Sprecher, Vancouver Opera’s NOZZE DI FIGARO as Bartolo, LA FILLE DU REGIMENT at the Met covering Sulpice, and Handel’s ISRAEL IN EGYPT for the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Recent additions to Mr. Goerz’s repertoire include Frère Laurent in ROMÉO ET JULIETTE with Opera Ontario and Don Estoban in Zemlinski’s rarely heard DER ZWERG with the American Symphony Orchestra under Leon Botstein at the Bard Festival in New York.  During the 2008-2009 season, he sang Quince in MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and Benoit/Alcindoro in LA BOHEME for the Canadian Opera Company, and debuted at the Wexford Festival as Tovey in THE MINES OF SULPHUR.

Mr. Goerz has been heard as Sulpice in LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT and Don Alfonso in COSÌ FAN TUTTE with Vancouver Opera, Nikitich in BORIS GODUNOV with the Canadian Opera Company, Raimondo in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR with Pacific Opera Victoria, and Tod in DER KAISER VON ATLANTIS with both the Canadian Opera Company, and Edmonton Opera.  

Performances in the United States include Papageno in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE and Masetto in DON GIOVANNI – both with Cincinnati Opera, Pooh Bah in THE MIKADO with Arizona Opera, the title role in THE MIKADO with Virginia Opera, Robin Oakapple in RUDDIGORE with Washington Opera, and Benoit/Alcindoro in LA BOHÈME with Glimmerglass Opera.

An accomplished oratorio singer, Thomas has been featured with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir in Beethoven’s MISSA SOLEMNIS, the Mozart REQUIEM, and Mendelssohn’s ST. PAUL.  He has sung Haydn’s DIE SCHÖPFUNG with the Taipei Symphony and with the Arcadia Chamber Orchestra at Izumi Hall in Osaka Japan.  His repertoire includes Handel’s MESSIAH, Bach’s MASS IN B MINOR, JOHANNES PASSION (Christus & arias), WEIHNACHTSORATORIUM, and MAGNIFICAT, with groups such as the Toronto Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, the Calgary Philharmonic, the Québec Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Vancouver Bach Choir, and the Grand Philharmonic Choir.  Mr. Goerz has also performed with the Japan Philharmonic at the Takefu International Music Festival under Chosei Komatsu. He made his debut with the Costa Rica Symphony singing the Mozart REQUIEM and can be heard on NAXOS’ recording of Bach Cantatas for Advent.

Several key roles at the Banff Summer Festival have marked Mr. Goerz’s continuing success and growth as a complete artist, starting with his personal favourite – Bottom in Britten’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM directed by the late Colin Graham, George III in EIGHT SONGS FOR A MAD KING by Maxwell Davies, and Ari Onassis in the Canadian premiere of JACKIE O directed by Nicholas Muni. 

Mr. Goerz’s range is further demonstrated in an extensive repertoire of operetta and musical theatre.  With Vancouver Opera he has performed Mr. Peachum in Weill’s THREEPENNY OPERA directed by Morris Panych.  His Gilbert & Sullivan roles now number 17 including Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. PINAFORE at Canada’s renowned Stratford Festival.  Thomas is well remembered as the villainous Inspector Javert in the original Canadian cast of LES MISERABLES at Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre.  He fought many windmills as Don Quixote in MAN OF LA MANCHA with Theatre Aquarius, and toured to Singapore and Hong Kong as M. Firmin in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

 

January 2012

 

Full Repertoire



Opera

Balfe Devil’s Hoof THE BOHEMIAN GIRL
Beethoven
Bennett
Rocco
Tovey
FIDELIO
MINES OF SULPHER
Bizet Zuniga

CARMEN

Britten Bottom/Quince
Noye
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
NOYE’S FLUDDE
Donizetti Don Pasquale
Sulpice
Belcore
DON PASQUALE
LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT
L’ELISIR D’AMORE
Estacio Sergei/Wyman/Jozef LILLIAN ALLING
Gounod Frére Laurent
Duke of Verona
ROMÉO ET JULIETTE
Handel Melisso
Achilla
Garibaldo
ALCINA
GIULIO CESARE
RODELINDA
Heggie Owen Hart DEAD MAN WALKING
Hoiby Stephano THE TEMPEST
Janáček Badger CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN
Giannini Baptista TAMING OF THE SHREW
Lortzing Von Bett ZAR UND ZIMMERMAN
Menotti Melchior AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS
Mozart Publio
Papageno/Der Sprecher
Don Alfonso
Dr. Bartolo
Masetto/Leporello
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO
DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE
COSI FAN TUTTE
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
DON GIOVANNI
Nicolai Ford THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR
Peters Merchant THE GOLDEN ASS
Puccini Colline/Benoit/Alcindoro LA BOHÈME
Rossini Dr. Bartolo/Don Basilio
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA
Strauss, R. Zweiter Soldat SALOME
Sullivan The Mikado/Pooh Bah
Robin Oakapple
Dick Deadeye
Don Alhambra
RUDDIGORE
HMS PINAFORE
THE GONDOLIERS
Ullmann Lautsprecher/Tod DER KAISER VON ATLANTIS
Verdi Baron Douphol LA TRAVIATA
Weber Hermit/Samiel DER FRIESCHÜTZ
Weill Mr. Peachum THREE PENNY OPERA
Wolf Ferrari Conte Gil IL SEGRETO DI SUSANNA

 

Contemporary Opera

Maxwell-Davies George III EIGHT SONGS FOR A MAD KING
Birtwhistle The Miller BOW DOWN
Beckwith, J. Det. Fry/Sgt. Hogan CRAZY TO KILL
Tremblay Gerda ST. CARMEN OF THE MAIN
Walcott Kicking Bear GHOST DANCE

 

Concert

Bach Matthäus Passion
Johannes Passion
Magnificat
Weinachtsoratorium
Berlioz l'Enfance du Christ
Beethoven Missa Solemnis
Handel Messiah
Haydn Die Schöpfung
Nelson Messe
Saul
Stabat Mater
Mendelssohn St. Paul
Mozart Requiem
Mass in C Minor
Walton/Sitwell Facade (Narration)
Vaughan Williams Fantasia/Christmas Carols

 

TRAINING & SCHOLARSHIPS

Opera Diploma (Honours)

University of Toronto

Voice Teachers

Louis Quilico, Leopold Simoneau, Patricia Kern

Professional Workshops

Joan Dornemann Master Class
Britten-Pears School (England)
Banff School of Fine Arts
Canada Opera Piccola
Brattleborough Music Centre (Bach Rep.)

Awards

1st Place - Toronto Metropolitan Opera Auditions, 1986
Canada Council Arts "B" Grant
Two Canada Council travel grants
Meriss Vetra Scholarship - University of Toronto
COC Opera Guild Scholarship

 

Operetta/Musical Theatre

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Firmin - Live Entertainment Corp. Hong Kong & Singapore tour
LES MISERABLES Javert - Royal Alexandra Theatre, Original Canadian cast D. Bate-Cond.,R. Alexander-Dir.
MAN OF LA MANCHA Don Quixote - Theatre Aquarius C. Cosins - Cond., P. Mandia – Dir.
RUDDIGORE Robin Oakapple - Washington Opera Malden - Cond., P.M. Shifter – Dir.
H.M.S. PINAFORE Dick Deadeye - Stratford Festival B. Carriere - Cond., B. Macdonald- Dir.
THE MIKADO Mikado - Virginia Opera
Pish Tush - Stratford Festival
Saunders – Cond., W. Theisen – Dir.
B. Carriere - Cond., B. Macdonald
PIRATES OF PENZANCE Pirate King Calgary Op, T. Pattersonm Cond. - Dir.


Engaged By

Aldeburgh Festival
American
Amadeus Choir
Arizona Opera
Banff Summer Arts Festival
Bard Summerscape Festival
Calgary Opera
Calgary Philharmonic
Canadian Opera Company
Cincinnati Opera
Edmonton Opera
Festival of the Sound
Glimmerglass Opera
Hamilton Philharmonic
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Livent
Lyric Opera of Kansas City
Metropolitain Opera, New York
National Arts Centre Orchestra, Ottawa
Opera Lyra, Ottawa
Opera in Concert, Toronto
Opera Ontario
Orchestre symphonique de Québec
Pacific Opera Victoria
Stratford Festival
Taipei Symphony Orchestra
Takefu International Festival
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
Vancouver Chamber Choir
Vancouver Opera
Virginia Opera
Washington Opera
Wexford Festival

Reviews



“It’s Canadian bass Thomas Goerz, as the cowardly, craven, prison warden, Rocco. Goerz, who gave a delightful comic performance as Pooh-Bah in Edmonton Opera’s Mikado earlier this year, is subtle and moving here, as a low-level official, corrupted by love of money, who rediscovers his humanity and redeems his soul, thanks to the moral example of his prospective son-in-law Fidelio — who is, of course, Leonore in disguise.”
Edmonton Journal  - Paula Simons

“Thomas Goerz, an old hand at the role of Leporello and in fine voice, was a constant delight. He delivered the catalogue aria with obvious relish for Donna Elvira’s distress. In Act II, when called upon to imitate his master, Goerz so accurately mimicked Okulitch’s voice the effect was uncanny”

Opera News, Christopher Hoile

“The nucleus of this production lies in the performances of Daniel Okulitch as Don Giovanni and Thomas Goerz as his trusty servant Leporello. The type of stage chemistry between Okulitch… and Kitchener native Goerz, is such a rare commodity in opera. In their staging, the all-important relationship between their characters is vividly depicted by substantial acting chops and vocal talent.”

Kitchener Record – Daniel Ariartnam

“In terms of creating a character, bass-baritone Thomas Goerz nearly steals the show with an empathetic and humorous portrayal of Papageno. Goerz is saddled with the majority of the libretto’s comedy but he carries it off skillfully. He blends slapstick physical humor with striking vocal clarity and makes it look easy.” Cincinnati Opera’s MAGIC FLUTE.

Cincinnati Enquirer - Kate Brauer

“A terrific casting choice was bass-baritone Thomas Goerz as Leporello.” (Opera Hamilton – DON GIOVANNI)

Classical 96 FM – Paula Citron

“Tom Goerz delivered a striking cameo as Owen Hart.” Calgary Opera ‘DEAD MAN WALKING’

The Globe and Mail – Robert Everett-Green

“Baritone Thomas Goerz also has a flexible voice which easily navigated the runs and rumblings of ‘The trumpet shall sound’. Goerz’s authority is a pleasure to experience and his ability to sound out over brass and tympani was thrilling.”

The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo) – Colleen Johnston

“Thomas Goerz almost aces the role of the kindly sergeant Sulpice despite his slight build; his instincts are good and his mellifluous bass-baritone is a lovely surprise in such a slender frame.”

The Vancouver Courier – Louise Phillips

“…The grave but penetrating bass of Tom Goerz was consistently impressive.”

Vancouver Symphony – Mahler Eighth

The National Post – Brian Hunt

“Thomas Goerz…an absolutely wonderful Rossini bass voice. His phrasing was fantastic and he just rolled up and down the scale with a secure coloratura. This is a Don Pasquale, this is a Dr. Bartolo. It’s all there and he has a secure coloratura…he was absolutely sparkling, plus it’s an exciting voice and a big voice.”

Opera in Concert’s ITALIAN GIRL IN ALGIERS

Classical 96 FM- Paula Citron