BRETT SPRAGUE
Tenor

Known for his fearless dramatic instinct, crystalline upper register, and emotional depth, American tenor Brett Sprague is emerging as a compelling presence in repertoire that bridges lyrical expression and dramatic vocal power. Now based in Karlsruhe, Germany, he is praised for incisive portrayals of psychologically complex roles that demand both vocal stamina and interpretive nuance. Critics have described his voice as warmly timbred and beautifully cultivated, noting his remarkable fusion of lyric sensitivity and heroic strength. He is charting a natural evolution from lyric repertoire toward the large-scale Romantic and dramatic tenor repertoire.

He began the 2025/26 season with his house debut at Luzerner Theater as Peter Grimes, as part of the world renowned Lucerne Festival, a role critics called tailor-made for his voice and temperament. Reviews hailed his portrayal as a flawless combination of “dramatic force and tenor lyricism of ravishing beauty” with “boundless vocal resources and commanding presence,” drawing comparisons to the  At the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, his season includes debuts as Chevalier de la Force (Dialogues des Carmélites) and Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), as well as returns to Lenski (Eugene Onegin) and Il Duca (Rigoletto). Concert highlights include Carmina Burana with the Oslo Philharmonic, Faust et Hélène with the Badische Staatskapelle, and On Wenlock Edge with the Philharmonisches Orchester Erfurt.

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In the 2024/25 season, Mr. Sprague joined the ensemble of the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, opening with the role of Mark in Ethel Smyth’s The Wreckers in a landmark production by Keith Warner to great critical acclaim, where he was praised for his “very beautiful timbre and a technique that allows him to deliver both long, powerful, and well-sustained notes and passages with flawless legato” drawing comparisons to the vocal requirements of Tristan. Other roles that season included Lenski, Alfred, Ferrando, and the title role in the German premiere of Jonathan Dove’s Itch, where he was hailed as “a budding heldentenor delivering a magnificent performance.”As a concert soloist, he returned to the Croatian National Theater in Rijeka for an operatic gala featuring works by Bizet, Janáček, and Britten, and presented a solo recital of 20th-century English song in Karlsruhe.

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In 2023/24, he debuted at Semperoper Dresden in the title role of Les contes d'Hoffmann and completed his final season as an ensemble member at Theater Erfurt with a season of defining debuts: the title role in Peter Grimes and Loge in Das Rheingold (both in Erfurt and at the Croatian National Theater in Rijeka). Concert appearances included Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings with Pascal Deuber and the Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen, Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, and a recital of Britten vocal works.
 

Earlier seasons at Erfurt showcased Mr. Sprague’s emergence as a true Jugendlicher Heldentenor. His title role in Felix Weingartner’s Orestes was praised as a “powerful heldentenor with a finely controlled palette of vocal colors” meeting the "Siegfried-level demands with unwavering stamina and control." In Erfurt, he also debuted roles such as Hoffmann, Ismaele, Néoclès, and The Visitor in works ranging from Offenbach and Verdi to Glass and Rossini.

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He made his German debut in 2019/20 as Lord Barrat in Henze’s Der junge Lord at Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, followed by Pedrillo in Die Entführung aus dem Serail at the Thüringer Schlossfestspiele. That same season, he began performing as a sought-after concert soloist across Europe, with recent highlights including Carmina Burana with the National Philharmonic of Poland, Göteborgs Symfoniker, and Tampere Filharmonia, as well as Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.
 

Before relocating to Europe, he appeared widely throughout the United States in both contemporary and standard repertoire, performing with Opera Colorado, Indianapolis Opera, and Chautauqua Opera, among others, in roles including Don José, Tamino, Il Duca di Mantua, and Laurie (Little Women).

A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music (M.M.) and Chapman University (B.M.), Mr. Sprague is a prizewinner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Seattle Opera Guild, CareerBridges, Anita Cerquetti Competition, and Joan Taub Ades Vocal Competition.