Steve Bryant has performed a broad range of early and modern music as a countertenor, mezzo soprano and haute contre. He has made a specialty of performing music written for castrati, having performed the title role in a concert version of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice and in a solo drama Voice of an Angel: A Castrato Remembers. Mr. Bryant was featured soloist with both the Choral Arts Northwest and the Pacific Northwest Chamber Chorus in Bernstein’s Choruses from The Lark. As music director of Sweet Corn Productions, he has produced and directed numerous concerts of early music featuring original instruments, and staged the Britten Festival in San Francisco. Mr. Bryant studied with former MGM contract opera artist Maria Greco, who, with Gigli, shared the highly reputed Rosati as a teacher.
Steve Bryant sings an excerpt from “Nachtelle” by Schubert.
Steve was guest soloist in a KPFA broadcast performance with
the University Chorus at the U. of California, Berkeley, under
Philip Brett, with piano by Jeffery Hollander, April 1989.
A wide range of works composed for countertenor, male alto, haute-contre, soprano falsettist, alto castrati, and high tenor. Emphasis on appropriate performance practice, including gestural elements.
Performance Highlights
Opera and Music Drama
Solo guest role in King Arthur, Cornish School of the Arts, Seattle.
Voice of an Angel: A Castrato Remembers by Demian. A one-man show depicting the life of an 18th-centry castrato through dramatic scenes and arias composed for castrati. Music by Mozart, Glück and Haydn. Won Directors Festival “Best of the Week,” Seattle. March 1986
Orféo in a concert version of Glück’s Orféo ed Euridice, Old First Concerts, San Francisco.
Pastore in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo under Philip Brett and Nunzio in Landi’s Il Sant’Alessio under Alan Curtis at the University of California (Berkeley), and appearances in medieval music dramas, Athens, Georgia.
Oratorio
The Lark by Bernstein
Featured soloist in Bernstein’s Choruses. Presented by Choral Arts Northwest. Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Seattle; Mary Baker Russell Music Center, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma. October 1995.
The Lark by Bernstein
Presented by the Pacific Northwest Chamber Chorus in Basically Bernstein. University Temple Church, Seattle. May & June 1997.
Judas Maccabaeus by Handel
Seattle Pro Musica.
Mass in D by Haydn
Steve was alto soloist with the Masterworks Chorale, in Berkeley and Palo Alto.
Bach Cantata 106
Steve was alto soloist with Max von Egmond and Josquin Des Prés works with Jantina Noorman, at the Castle Hill Music Festival. Ipswich, Massachusetts.
Vocal Chamber Music
Stabat Mater
Steve sings solos and duets with Anders Marshall (soprano) singing Scarlatti’s Salve Regina in A minor, as well as Vivaldi and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. An Early Music Guild/Sweet Corn Production, with Jane Harty, organ; Kim Zabelle and Olga Gussow, violins; Stephen Creswell, viola; and Claire Garabedian, violoncello. Seattle. November 1999.
Schubertiade
Part of the Arts West 1997-98 Concert Series presented 3 Men and a Soprano — the voices of Steve Bryant, Linda Strandberg, Vernon Nicodemus, Andrew Childs with pianist Jane Harty. The Seattle Symphony Chamber Players were also on the program. Seattle. October 1997.
Poetry in Song
An ArtsWest presentation featuring 3 Men and a Soprano — the voices of Steve Bryant, Linda Strandberg, Vernon Nicodemus, Andrew Childs. Pianists were Jane Harty and Tatiana Keylin. Poems set to music by Haydn, Britten, Brahms, Schostakovich and Rossini. Saint John the Baptist Church, Seattle. November 1996.
3 CounterTenors Celebrate Purcell
Directed by Steve Bryant. Presented by the Early Music Guild of Seattle. Countertenors Steve Bryant, David Stutz and Dean Seuss perform John Blow’s masterful Ode on the Death of Henry Purcell and songs, duets and trios of Purcell in honor of the tricentenary of Purcell’s death. Seattle Baroque Orchestra Artistic Director Byron Schenkman accompanies with an ensemble of Baroque instruments. Central Lutheran Church, Seattle. November 1995.
Sweet Corn Concert Series
Directed by Steve Bryant, and assited by Demian. Classical and popular tunes featured the voices of Steve Bryant, Ed Christian, Brad Curtis, Yvonne DeCoursey, Demian, Randi Ravitts, with keyboard by Steve Bryant and Howard Hoyt. First Christian Church, Seattle. Monthly series from February to April 1986.
Scaredy-Kate and the Monsters -or- How to Pay the Rent book by Demian
Steve Bryant directed the music written by Josef Haydn. Featured the singing voices of Gregg Carder, Demian, Betty Gaskill, Peter Kechley, Charles Sherwood and Kay Shirey. Instrumentalists included Steve Bryant, Doug Hjelm, Fred Inman, Peggy Monroe and James West. February 1986.
The Art of the Castrati
Steve was soloist in Britten’s duet and trio canticles performed in The Britten Festival (founded by Mr. Bryant) at Old First Church. San Francisco.
Baroque Music for Voices
Steve was director and soloist for a series of eight concerts accompanied by original instruments. Monteverdi, Purcell, Bach, Handel, Blow, 17th-century Italian composers.
Steve Bryant was soloist for three concerts for male trio (ATB). Couperin motets, English madrigals, early English motets.
Steve was guest soloist in a KPFA broadcast performance of Schubert’s Nachthelle with the University Chorus at University of California, Berkeley, under Philip Brett.
Other Professional Appearances
Soloist with professional men and boys choir at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco.
Soloist for many performances at churches at All Saints, San Francisco, and St. Thomas, Medina, Wash.
Soloist in King Arthur by Henry Purcell. Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle. March 1996
Soloist in Haydn’s Arianna a Naxos Shoreline Community College. Washington. October 1995
Soloist in Come Ye Sons of Art by Henry Percell. University of Washington’s University Chorus and Orchestra. Meany Hall, Seattle. March 1986
Commissioned with Demian to write music and lyrics for the children’s play Davy Jones Locker. Co-created instrumental audio tape for performances. World Mother Goose, Seattle. March 1986
A Concert for Children, directed and sung by Steve Bryant. Medina Church, Belleview, Washington.
Motets of Couperin and Purcell. San Francisco
Love Songs in the 18th Century Manner. San Francisco
As director of Baroque Music for Voices in San Francisco, Steve Bryant presented a concert series featuring 17th and 18th century music with original instruments. Spotlighted was the music of François Couperin, John Dunstable, John Blow, Henry Purcell, Baroque church music, 18th Century Italian Chamber Music, German sacred Christmas music and the music of the castrati.
Vocal Training
Numerous sessions with Maria Greco, who shared with Gigli the teacher Rosati.
Early music vocal coaching from Andrea von Ramm and Max van Egmond.
Eighteenth-century acting and gesture with Dene Barnett.
Ensemble coaching with Alan Curtis, Philip Brett, and John Fenstermaker.
