Aaren Rivard, tenor, is praised for a “full and clear” sound. His 2018-19 season as an Artist in Residence with Opera Colorado included singing Basilio and Don Curzio in Le nozze di Figaro, Gastone in La traviata, Roméo in a touring production of Roméo et Juliette, and the Witch in a children’s production of Hansel and Gretel. He was also fortunate to cover the role of Alfredo in La Traviata. He joined Central City Opera in the summer as an ensemble member, as well as a selected singer for their new Encore performances.
Before spending the summer of 2018 with Des Moines Metro Opera as an Apprentice Artist, Aaren received his Master’s in Opera Performance at Wichita State University. While at Wichita State, Aaren studied with world renowned bass-baritones Alan Held and Sam Ramey. Roles performed with Wichita State include Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Bénédict in Béatrice et Bénédict, Tito in La clemenza di Tito, and Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro. Aaren was featured as the Tenor soloist with Wichita State’s performances of Handel’s Messiah, Stravinsky’s Les Noces, and Orff’s Carmina Burana.
Aaren received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Maine, where he studied with Ellen Chickering. He performed roles including Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus and Acis in Acis and Galatea, as well as a wide array of scenes and concerts spanning the entire classical canon. His proximity to Southern Maine allowed Aaren to perform multiple seasons with Opera Maine, including La fille du Regiment, Madama Butterfly, La Boheme, Rigoletto, and Tosca. Aaren was also a Young Artist with Opera Maine for their production of Gianni Schicchi, singing Amantio di Nicolao and covering Rinuccio.Other concerts include a series of Bach Cantatas with White Mountain Music Arts, Mozart’s Requiem and another concert of Handel’s Messiah with the University of Southern Maine, Whitbourn’s Magnificat with the Maine Choral Arts Society, and the musical premiere of Dan Sonenberg’s The Summer King. Aaren is also the recipient of multiple vocal awards, including the Naftzger Vocal Prize, the Barbara Littlefield Vocal Prize, and the Lillian Nordica Award.