Franco Pomponi is critically acclaimed for his rich, expressive, beauty and powerful virility of voice, with a cultivated musical style and unmatched dramatic intensity, which has brought him to many of the world’s most prestigious opera houses and concert halls. Highly regarded for his intense dedication to the art he is quickly becoming one of finest interpreters of Verdi and the dramatic repertoire.
Franco received his training at the Juilliard Opera Center in New York City and awarded the DeRosa prize for excellence. After conservatory he joined the elite Lyric Opera of Chicago young artist program garnering critical praise as Germont La traviata, and Malatesta Don Pasquale. He made his New York City Opera debut as Escamillo Carmen and the following season was invited to The Metropolitan Opera as a member of the ensemble. At the Met he was responsible for the roles of Hamlet, Don Giovanni, Nick Shadow and Eugene Onégin, Robert and Ibn-Hakia in Iolanta, Schaunard La bohème and Count Dominick Arabella. After successes as Lescaut Manon Lescaut at Spoleto Festival USA, Count di Luna Il trovatore, Austin Lyric and Ernesto iI Pirata in Washington, he left for oversea
That next season Franco made his European debut in the title role of Hamlet at the Liceu in Barcelona. Hailed worldwide as one of the supreme interpreters of the role, he has performed Hamlet at La Monnaie, Brussels and, Opéra Marseille, winning Opéra magazine’s choice as “Opera of the Year”.
In Paris at Théâtre du Châtelet, Franco became a critical a sensation as Pentheus in The Bassarids of Henze, and has returned as Sweeney Todd, and Nixon Nixon in China televised on Mezzo. He made debuts at the Opéra Comique and the Royal Theatre Versailles as Arcalaüs Amadis de Gaule. Franco has championed new and rare works, notably Prospero The Tempest, Hungarian State Opera, Prince Metternich L’Aiglon, Lausanne, Frank The Postman Always Rings Twice, Boston and, Stanley A Streetcar Named Desire New Orleans.
Recent: Don Giovanni The Bolshoï, Moscow, Opéra Montpellier, Greek National Opera, Athens, Ford Falstaff, Santa Fe Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Toronto, Giorgio Germont La traviata, Grant Park Music Festival Chicago, Paolo Simon Boccanegra Grand Théâtre Genève, Jack Rance La fancifulla del West, Kentucky Opera, Marcello La bohème, Lausanne and Vichy, Enrico Lucia di Lammermoor, Opera Omaha, Eugene Onéginnew production Spoleto Festival USA. and Florida Grand Opera, Miami, Belcore L’elisir d’amore and Guglielmo Cosi fan tutte, Opéra national du Rhin, Strasbourg, Golaud Pelléas et Mélisande, Netherlands Reisopera, Hérode Hérodiade, Dorset, Valentin Faust Toulon, Zurga Les pêcheurs de perles new production with Javier Camerena at Opernhaus Zürich.
Franco’s Italian debut came at Teatro Massimo, Palermo as Nick Shadow The Rake’s Progress, returning as Fritz the Pierrot/Frank Die tote Stadt. For Teatro Lirico Cagliari he also jumped in on short notice as Johnny in Nino Rota’s Napoli Milionaria!
A celebrated Escamillo in Carmen, for Opéra Toulon, France, Boston, Miami, San Antonio, Los Angeles Opera and Les Musicians du Louvre-Grenoble in Bremen’s “Die Glocke”.
Last year the baritone made his Finnish National Opera debut as the “Quatre diables” Les Contes d’Hoffmann and will return this season as Escamillo. He was Don Giovanni Grand Théâtre de Genève and again as Pentheus in The Bassarids with Nagano and the Orquesta y Coro Nacional de España in Madrid. He made his Dallas Opera debut in their Verdi Gala performing arias and scenes from La traviata, La forza del destino and Rigoletto.
In 2020, he can be seen a.o. as Pangloss and Martin in Candide at Opera de Lausanne.
A beautiful recitalist Franco is known for his emotionally sensitive interpretations and his first solo CD recording of Schubert, Schumann and Brahms entitled Death is the Cool Night was the 2015 winner of HPR’s International Art Song Contest. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre Radio France, Detroit Symphony, Qatar Philharmonic, Les Musiciens Louvre Grenoble, Tokyo Symphony, and Orquesta y Coro Nacional de España.
For more information: www.francopomponi.com
Franco received his training at the Juilliard Opera Center in New York City and awarded the DeRosa prize for excellence. After conservatory he joined the elite Lyric Opera of Chicago young artist program garnering critical praise as Germont La traviata, and Malatesta Don Pasquale. He made his New York City Opera debut as Escamillo Carmen and the following season was invited to The Metropolitan Opera as a member of the ensemble. At the Met he was responsible for the roles of Hamlet, Don Giovanni, Nick Shadow and Eugene Onégin, Robert and Ibn-Hakia in Iolanta, Schaunard La bohème and Count Dominick Arabella. After successes as Lescaut Manon Lescaut at Spoleto Festival USA, Count di Luna Il trovatore, Austin Lyric and Ernesto iI Pirata in Washington, he left for oversea
That next season Franco made his European debut in the title role of Hamlet at the Liceu in Barcelona. Hailed worldwide as one of the supreme interpreters of the role, he has performed Hamlet at La Monnaie, Brussels and, Opéra Marseille, winning Opéra magazine’s choice as “Opera of the Year”.
In Paris at Théâtre du Châtelet, Franco became a critical a sensation as Pentheus in The Bassarids of Henze, and has returned as Sweeney Todd, and Nixon Nixon in China televised on Mezzo. He made debuts at the Opéra Comique and the Royal Theatre Versailles as Arcalaüs Amadis de Gaule. Franco has championed new and rare works, notably Prospero The Tempest, Hungarian State Opera, Prince Metternich L’Aiglon, Lausanne, Frank The Postman Always Rings Twice, Boston and, Stanley A Streetcar Named Desire New Orleans.
Recent: Don Giovanni The Bolshoï, Moscow, Opéra Montpellier, Greek National Opera, Athens, Ford Falstaff, Santa Fe Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Toronto, Giorgio Germont La traviata, Grant Park Music Festival Chicago, Paolo Simon Boccanegra Grand Théâtre Genève, Jack Rance La fancifulla del West, Kentucky Opera, Marcello La bohème, Lausanne and Vichy, Enrico Lucia di Lammermoor, Opera Omaha, Eugene Onéginnew production Spoleto Festival USA. and Florida Grand Opera, Miami, Belcore L’elisir d’amore and Guglielmo Cosi fan tutte, Opéra national du Rhin, Strasbourg, Golaud Pelléas et Mélisande, Netherlands Reisopera, Hérode Hérodiade, Dorset, Valentin Faust Toulon, Zurga Les pêcheurs de perles new production with Javier Camerena at Opernhaus Zürich.
Franco’s Italian debut came at Teatro Massimo, Palermo as Nick Shadow The Rake’s Progress, returning as Fritz the Pierrot/Frank Die tote Stadt. For Teatro Lirico Cagliari he also jumped in on short notice as Johnny in Nino Rota’s Napoli Milionaria!
A celebrated Escamillo in Carmen, for Opéra Toulon, France, Boston, Miami, San Antonio, Los Angeles Opera and Les Musicians du Louvre-Grenoble in Bremen’s “Die Glocke”.
Last year the baritone made his Finnish National Opera debut as the “Quatre diables” Les Contes d’Hoffmann and will return this season as Escamillo. He was Don Giovanni Grand Théâtre de Genève and again as Pentheus in The Bassarids with Nagano and the Orquesta y Coro Nacional de España in Madrid. He made his Dallas Opera debut in their Verdi Gala performing arias and scenes from La traviata, La forza del destino and Rigoletto.
In 2020, he can be seen a.o. as Pangloss and Martin in Candide at Opera de Lausanne.
A beautiful recitalist Franco is known for his emotionally sensitive interpretations and his first solo CD recording of Schubert, Schumann and Brahms entitled Death is the Cool Night was the 2015 winner of HPR’s International Art Song Contest. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre Radio France, Detroit Symphony, Qatar Philharmonic, Les Musiciens Louvre Grenoble, Tokyo Symphony, and Orquesta y Coro Nacional de España.
For more information: www.francopomponi.com