Faculty Biography
Eric Rieger, Lecturer
Contact:
(585) 678-4250
erieger3@naz.edu
Departmental Responsibilities:
Applied Voice
Education:
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, MM
Eastman School of Music, BM (with distinction)
Biography:
Tenor Eric Rieger enjoys a reputation as a versatile and sensitive artist whose impressive international career has brought much critical acclaim. His first professional engagements led him to the Ohio Light Opera as Ralph Rackstraw (H.M.S. Pinafore) the Everyman Palace Theater (Cork, Ireland) as Camille de Rosillon (Die lustige Witwe), Citizens Theatre (Glasgow, Scotland) as Duca di Mantova (Rigoletto) and the Mozart and Friends Opera Festival (New Jersey) as Nemorino (L’Elisir d’Amore). Afterwards, he spent two years as a member of the International Opera Studio of the Zurich Opera (Switzerland), where he appeared in many small roles on the main stage as well as in studio productions as the title role in Britten’s Albert Herring, Giocondo in Rossini’s La Pietra del Paragone and Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni).
In the summer of 2003, the young tenor received much acclaim when he jumped in on short notice to sing the title role in Gazzaniga’s Don Giovanni at the Constance Chamber Opera (Germany). In autumn of 2003, he made his debut in Italy as Emerico in Carlo Coccia’s Clotilde at the Teatro Coccia in Novara. He appeared again in 2004 at the same theater as Conte d’Almaviva (Il Barbiere di Siviglia). While in Italy, he was invited to the Eurobottega in Treviso to study Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola) with Regina Resnik in preparation for a production at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna.
From 2004-2009 Mr. Rieger was engaged as the principle lyric tenor at the opera house in Trier, Germany. He had much success there as, among others, Nemorino (L’Elisir d’Amore), Lindoro (L’Italiana in Algeri), Belmonte (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Beppe in Donizetti’s Rita, Oronte in Handel’s Alcina, Caramello (Eine Nacht in Venedig), Chateauneuf (Zar und Zimmermann) and the title role in Rameau’s Dardanus.
Guest performances in Germany and Switzerland have led him to the opera houses of Regensburg (Ernesto in Don Pasquale), Kaiserslautern (Tonio in La Fille du Régiment), Bremerhaven (Kudrjáš in Kaťá Kabanová), Osnabrück (Steuermann in Der Fliegende Holländer), Nordhausen (Andrés/Cochenille/Frantz/ Pittichinaccio in Les Contes d’Hoffmann) Luzern (Stanislaus in Der Vogelhändler) and Basel (Cecco in Haydn’s Il Mondo della Luna).
Equally at home on the concert platform, Mr. Rieger has appeared with such notable orchestras as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Basel Sinfonietta (Switzerland), St. John’s Orchestra (London), Luxembourg Chamber Orchestra “Les Musiciens” and the Trier Philharmonic Orchestra. His frequent oratorio performances have included Handel’s Messiah, J.S. Bach’s Matthäus-Passion and Magnificat, Mozart’s Requiem, Rossini’s Messe Solennelle, Donizetti’s Requiem and Orff’s Carmina Burana among others. A passionate recitalist, he has been heard in the United States and Europe interpreting a vast array of song literature.
Mr. Rieger is the recipient of numerous awards including 2nd prize of the Clonter Opera Competition in England. He is a recipient of the Richard Wagner Society Stipend (Germany) and was named a “Samling Scholar” in the United Kingdom, entitling him to intense study with Sir Thomas Allen, Malcolm Martineau and others.
In addition to his busy performance career, Mr. Rieger is in demand as a voice teacher. He is currently an adjunct professor of voice at Nazareth College. Previously, he has served on the faculties of Settlement Music School (Philadelphia), Community Music School (Trappe, PA) and has maintained a private studio in Germany for several years. He is also an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. He has studied voice with such renowned teachers as Lee Cass, Dale Moore, Horst Günther, Neil Semer and Robert McIver.