Eric Ferring, Madeline Slettedahl and Quatuor Agate
Biography Eric Ferring, Madeline Slettedahl and Quatuor Agate
Eric Ferring
Emmy-winning, Billboard-charting American tenor Eric Ferring is known internationally as “a prodigiously gifted lyric tenor” (Opera News) for his “fine, gleaming tenor” (New York Classical Review), as well as for having “a beautifully round and warm timbre, expressive, and with great finesse” (Olyrix). His expertise ranges from early bel canto repertoire and the music of Handel and Mozart to the origination of contemporary operatic roles.
Eric Ferring made his anticipated Metropolitan Opera debut during the 2021-2022 season singing Pong in Turandot, followed by Tamino in The Magic Flute, Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor, a Royal Herald in Don Carlos, and covering Grimoaldo in Rodelinda. He made his debut at Santa Fe Opera, singing Fenton in Sir David McVicar’s new production of
Falstaff,as well as his Spoleto Festival (USA) debut in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. In the fall of 2022, Ferring released his solo debut album with pianist Madeline Slettedahl titled No Choice but Love: Songs of the LGBTQ+ Community with Lexicon Classics. His performance in Chicago Lyric Opera’s production of Pagliacci was nominated and won a 2022 Emmy Award. The 2022-2023 season includes a return to Opéra de Rouen and debuts with the Opéra de Paris as Lurcanio in Ariodante and the Opéra national du Rhin as Tamino. This season includes a return to Opéra de Rouen, debuts with Opéra de Lille, Haymarket Opera, and the Dubuque Symphony, as well as a world tour of Rodelinda with The English Concert.
Ferring’s numerous awards include top prizes at many competitions including the George London Foundation for Singers, Glyndebourne Opera Cup, Gerda Lissner Foundation International Voice Competition, American Opera Society of Chicago, the National Society of Arts and Letters, the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, as well as grants and awards from the Richard Tucker Foundation, Sullivan Foundation, Santa Fe Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
He is a native of Dubuque, Iowa and graduated from Drake University with his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and The Boston Conservatory with his Master of Music in Opera Performance. Ferring is a graduate of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center and the Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist Program.
Ferring is also the Project Curator for Lexicon Classics, Soloists Vice President at the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), and the Executive Director of the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago (CAIC).
This season, Mr. Ferring releases his second album, We have tomorrow, with his dear friend and collaborative pianist Madeline Slettedahl and string quartet, Quatuor Agate. This album will be released with DELOS on October 6. He makes his house and role debut as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at Opéra de Lille and role debut as Grimoaldo in Rodelinda in a world tour with The English Concert conducted by Harry Bicket. He will also debut with his hometown symphony, the Dubuque Symphony, and have house and role debuts with Haymarket Opera. Ferring will perform in Paris and Aix-en-Provence with the Insula Orchestra in a staged production of Mozart Requiem. Ferring makes a return to Florentine Opera in recital, to Opéra de Rouen Normandie for Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, and to the Tampa Oratorio Singers for Beethoven's Mass in C.
