Jason Abrams is a countertenor, that rare singer whose repertoire has long been limited to such early composers as Handel, Buxtehude and Telemann. Today the number of those who write for the countertenor has soared with solo and operatic works by major contemporary composers John Tavener, Michael Tippett, Philip Glass, Peter Maxwell Davies, John Adams and many lesser known. This month, he returns home to sing the role of the Sandman in Virginia Opera’s “Hansel and Gretel.”
Growing up in Auburn, N.Y., Abrams participated in the school choruses in the alto section, but when his voice changed, the teacher told him he would have to sing with the boys. When his family moved to Hampton Roads, Va., his high school teachers were equally perplexed about his vocal placement.
| Onstage |
| ‘Hansel and Gretel’ |
| Where: George Mason University Center for the Arts |
| When: 8 p.m. Dec. 2, 2 p.m. Dec. 4 |
| Info: $44 to $98 at 888-945-2468 or cfa.gmu.edu |
“Nobody knew quite what to do with me,” he said. “Even at James Madison University where I was a voice major, the voice teachers didn’t give me stage time, adding to my confusion. It wasn’t until I went to the University of Arizona for my master’s that I ran into someone with an answer. Bob Swenson, who now teaches at Eastman School of Music, was coaching me as a tenor when he asked me to sing up an octave. He immediately telephoned his wife and asked her to listen to me. She said I sounded like money in the bank.”
She was comparing his voice with that of David Daniels, America’s most acclaimed countertenor, who performs in opera houses and on concert stages worldwide. To plan his next move, Abrams took a year off, consulted Daniels and studied his recordings, then entered the New England Conservatory.
The upshot was receipt of major awards. Among them are the John Moriarty Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions New England Region, first place in both the Connecticut Opera Guild Competition and the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition in the Boston Region and the Starkey Young Artists Award from Central City Opera.
As a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, he sang Bach’s “Schlage Doch” with the Mark Morris Dance Company, Berio’s “Sinfonia” and Britten’s “Canticle IV: Journey of the Magi.” He has been a soloist with the Holy Trinity Bach Choir, the Waverly Consort, the Boston Civic Symphony, Central City Opera, Pittsburgh Opera Center, Boston Baroque, Connecticut Opera Theater and he sang the role of Oberon in Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Tanglewood.
“Of all the roles I’ve done, I especially like Oberon, an amazing role that lets the imagination run wild,” he said. “While at JMU, I hung around with the theater crowd and learned how to draw emotions from my own life experiences when I’m on stage. Today in opera, you need to act as well as sing, the whole package.”
Abrams looks forward to spending time with his family while performing in Norfolk, Richmond and Fairfax. During the rest of the year, he splits his time between New York and Europe where countertenor roles are prevalent.
“I think Virginia Opera’s idea of setting ‘Hansel and Gretel’ in the Appalachian Mountains instead of Germany is brilliant,” he said. “It’s a wonderful way of helping the audience relate to the story. There are several other surprises in the production, but I’ll not give them away.”
