Issachah Savage, tenor
Matthew Bachman, piano
Saturday, September 29, 2018 at 4:00 pm
Ticket: $50
The Steinway Series at Silo Hill kicks off its 3rd season with an afternoon of music and conversation with one of the opera world’s leading heldentenors—Issachah Savage, accompanied by pianist Matthew Bachman. The program, ranging from the iconic operatic arias of Verdi and Wagner to the songs of Copland and Barber, along with American Spirituals, reflects Issachah’s inspiring personal and professional journey.
Savage has that rarest of instruments: a large voice of melting beauty
Washington Post
A combination of power and finesse that is rare to observe.
San Francisco Chronicle
jaw dropping voice. . . has both impressive size and beauty and he acts with intense and genuine commitment. . . .stunning. . . the audience was on its feet cheering
Opera News
Issachah Savage
Photo: Kristin Hoebermann
Dramatic tenor Issachah Savage is garnering acclaim as a “heldentenor par excellence” with “trumpet-like, clear, open-throated, powerful” singing (San Francisco Examiner). Praised for his “impressive natural instrument” (Opera News), Issachah joined the roster of the Lyric Opera Chicago during the 2017-2018 season in Die Walküre as well as debuted at Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse. Recently, he made his role debut in Verdi’s Otello with Marco Parisotto conducting Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco. He also made his Los Angeles Opera debut as Narraboth in Salome conducted by James Conlon and was heard with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in Kurt Weill’s Lost in the Stars. Mr. Savage made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Don Riccardo in Verdi’s Ernani. He recently sang Siegmund in Die Walküre with the Canadian Opera Company under Johannes Debus to great critical acclaim and made his mainstage debut as Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos at Seattle Opera. He made his role debut in the title role of Rienzi with the National Philharmonic at Strathmore Hall. He also debuted at both Austin Lyric Opera and Houston Grand Opera as Radames in Aida.
On the concert stage, Issachah sang Verdi’s Messa da Requiem with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, as well as with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Boston Philharmonic. He performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 numerous times with various artists: Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Orchestre National de Bordeaux-Aquitaine under Paul Daniel. Other orchestral performances include the world premiere of Wynton Marsalis’s All Rise with Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic, and Gershwin’s Blue Monday with Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony.
Issachah has received a number of prestigious awards, recognition and career grants from institutions. As the winner of the 2014 Seattle International Wagner Competition, he earned the main, audience favorite, and orchestra favorite prizes. He was the grand prize winner in the 2012 Marcello Giordani International Competition, The tenor’s special talents were recognized early on by the Marian Anderson Society of Philadelphia, where he was honored as its very first Scholar Artist and then again in 2009 as a prize winner in their Classical Icon competition. He has received two first places prizes in the esteemed Liederkranz Foundation competition.
He possesses a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Morgan State University and a Master’s Degree in Opera Voice Performance from The Catholic University of America.
Matthew Bachman
Matthew Bachman, a solo and collaborative pianist, teacher, music adjudicator, piano technician, French horn player, and Steinway & Sons representative, is a gifted and multi-faceted musician. In 2006, he made his orchestral solo debut with the Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra performing Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, and later that year performed Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra and Choir. As an active chamber musician, Matthew is pianist with Trio Simpatico, a unique chamber group that performs rarely heard compositions for piano, clarinet, and French Horn. As an educator, Dr. Bachman maintains an active teaching studio of gifted young students, professionals, and adult enthusiasts in the greater Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area. In 2007, he served as Chair for the Peer Jury of the 2007 William Kapell International Piano Competition.
Dr. Bachman completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Maryland, College Park under the tutelage of Dr. Cleveland L. Page. Past teachers have included Reynaldo Reyes, Rebecca Jones Trout, Irinia Morozova of the Mannes School of Music, and Dr. Mikhail Volchok of the University of Maryland and formerly of Moscow Conservatory, as well as international pianist Andre Watts.
During a distinguished academic career, Bachman was a recipient of numerous awards and competitions: Homer Ulrich Honors Solo Performance Competition finalist, recipient of the Bernsen Award in Piano Performance, and first prizewinner in the MTNA Young Artists Solo Competition.
In addition to his studies in piano, Dr. Bachman holds a degree in French Horn Performance from the University of Maryland, where he studied with Gregory Miller. Other teachers include Peter Landgren and Dr. Richard Roberts.
Dr. Bachman is the representative for Steinway & Sons in the Greater Baltimore metropolitan region.
