David Cushing
Sir Tristan

As one of opera’s foremost emerging artists, David Cushing is earning sensational acclaim in his young career. His versatile bass-baritone range is effortlessly demonstrated in a variety of roles including most recent appearances as the title role in Don Pasquale, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Frère Laurence in Roméo et Juliette and Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Of a recent performance, the Boston Herald exclaimed, “his portrayal of hoodwinked old Pasquale, filled with pathos and unself-conscious humor, was a revelation. He could easily specialize in Italian opera’s wealth of foolish-old-man roles and become the basso buffo of his generation.” This season, Mr. Cushing performs Sarastro in The Magic Flute and Monterone in Rigoletto with Boston Lyric Opera, as well as the Speaker in The Magic Flute with Opera Tampa.

Over the past few seasons, Mr. Cushing’s noted engagements have included his debut in the role of George Wilson in John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby with Emmanuel Music at Jordan Hall and the Tanglewood Festival; Tom in Un Ballo in Maschera with Opera Tampa; Masetto in Don Giovanni, Nourabad in Les Pêcheurs des Perles, Bonze in Madama Butterfly, Count Horn/Tom in Un Ballo in Maschera and Dr. Grenvil in La traviata with Opera Colorado; Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte with Florentine Opera of Milwaukee; Leporello in Don Giovanni at the Syracuse Opera; Masetto in Don Giovanni with Florentine Opera of Milwaukee, Nashville Opera and Opera New Jersey; the Bonze in Madama Butterfly with Opera Theatre of St. Louis; Fifth Jew and Capadoccian in Salome with Michigan Opera Theatre; Colline in La bohème with Opera Columbus; Alidoro in La Cenerentola with Lake George Opera; Dr. Dulcamara in L’Elisir d’Amore, Masetto in Don Giovanni, and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera North; Mephistopheles in Faust with Baltimore Concert Opera; and the leading role of Maometto in Rossini’s rarely performed opera L’Assedio di Corinto alongside renowned soprano Elizabeth Futral with the former Baltimore Opera.

Mr. Cushing first debuted with Boston Lyric Opera in the role of Count Monterone in Rigoletto, and has returned in performances as Bonze in Madama Butterfly, Angelotti in Tosca, Palèmon in Thaïs, Truffaldino in Ariadne auf Naxos, Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Count Horn/Tom in Un Ballo in Maschera, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Arthur in The Lighthouse, Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and most recently, Adolfo in Musto’s The Inspector. With Boston University’s Opera Institute, performances included his as debut the title role in Don Pasquale and Frère Laurence in Roméo et Juliette.

In his recent Symphony Hall debut as soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the Boston Herald described his performance as “dynamite, with spine-tingling resonance.” Additionally, he has performed as the soloist in Händel’s Messiah, Dvorák’s Stabat Mater, the Brahms Requiem, Fauré Requiem, Mozart Requiem, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Beethoven’s Mass in C, Bruckner’s Te Deum and Schubert’s Mass in G.

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