BIO

Lyric tenor Ross Hauck is a resident of Issaquah, Washington, where he lives with his wife, Laura, twin boys, Daniel and Benjamin, and baby girl Lillian Rose.

Hailed by the Seattle Times as “almost superhuman in musical effect”, Mr. Hauck maintains a busy and eclectic career, often specializing in both early and new music. This past year Mr. Hauck made debuts with the Phoenix Symphony, the Portland Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, Orchestra Kentucky, Les Voix Baroques, and released two recordings: “Messiah” with Apollo’s Fire(Avie Label), and the world premiere of composer Lori Laitman’s oratorio “Vedem”(Naxos Label). He was also featured in the American Handel Festival in Seattle, in both Handel’s “Esther”, and the world premiere of a one-man opera entitled “Man in the Mirror”. He was also recently heard in the title role of William Kentridge’s production of Il ritorno di Ulisse in Patria with Stephen Stubbs and Pacific Operaworks both in Seattle and San Francisco. Last season, Mr. Hauck made his debut with the Boston Early Music Festival in their production of L’incoronazione di Poppea, and sang the role of Tamino in Atlanta Ballet’s production of Magic Flute, a role he was hired to reprise at Sacramento Opera. Other recent opera work also includes Tacoma Opera, singing the roles of Belmonte and Count Almaviva, a role he has also sung at Sacramento Opera, Opera Idaho, and the Aspen Music Festival. Other highlights of opera work include originating and recording the role of Bonario in the world premiere opera Volpone by American composer John Musto, commissioned by Wolf Trap Opera Company, where he also sang the title role in the North American Premiere of Rameau’s Dardanus, Ernesto in Don Pasquale, and Lippo Fiorentino in Street Scene. He has also collaborated with American composer Libby Larsen singing the title role in her opera Dreaming Blue.

As a concert artist, Mr. Hauck is a regular with the Seattle Symphony, and has also sung with the National Symphony, Chicago Symphony as a member of the Steans Institute, and the Tanglewood symphony. A frequent performer of sacred music, Mr. Hauck’s recent engagements include Handel’s Messiah with the Portland Baroque Orchestra, Seattle Baroque, Dallas Bach Society, Helena Symphony, Bellevue Philharmonic, and in 2012, he will be revisiting Handel’s “Messiah” with the Seattle Symphony, and the Kansas City Symphony.  Other concert work includes Elijah with Seattle Pro Musica and the Modesto Symphony, evangelist in Bach’s St. John’s Passion with Choral Arts and Gonzaga University Choirs, and Beethoven’s 9th with the Portland Symphony.

On the recital stage, Mr. Hauck has been heard in recital with at Wolf Trap’s discovery series and the Southeastern Festival of Song. He appeared with Steven Blier and the New York Festival of Song in numerous recital performances of “A multitude of sins” as well as the company’s 15th anniversary Gala. Other recitals have been at the Dallas Art Museum, the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, The Tanglewood Music Festival, and the Schubert Club in Minneapolis. Has been the guest recitalist at various Universities and Colleges in the Northwest.

Mr. Hauck was a member of the prestigious Filene Center for American Artists at Wolf Trap for two seasons, where he was awarded the Wolf Trap Foundation Grant from the National Park for the performing arts. A recipient of awards from the Macallister Opera Competition, the New York Singing Teachers Association, the NATSAA competition, the Florida Grand Opera competition, Tanglewood Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, and other national organizations, he has received rave reviews in many publications including Opera News, the Washington Post, New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Seattle Times.

A distinguished alumnus of DePauw University(B.M.), and Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music(M.M. and Artist Diploma), Mr. Hauck is also a cellist and pianist, and began at age 3 with the Suzuki method of music instruction.  Because of this life-long exposure to music as a “mother tongue”, Mr. Hauck has developed a reputation as a consummate musician, and he has stepped in frequently to learn new roles and music on short notice.  Mr. Hauck is frequently noted for his expressive capabilities in delivering the text of a song.  Of his singing, the San Francisco Classical Voice and Opera News commented on, “an elevated and extraordinary range of subtle inflections. The singing was as nuanced as one would expect from a consummate art-song recitalist or bel canto specialist. ”  Mr. Hauck is an adjunct professor of voice at Seattle University and a contributing faculty member at Cornish College of the Arts.  Mr. Hauck is the son of music educators, and grew up in the church.  As such, his true passion is the intersection of fine arts and faith, and he is the co-founder and artistic director of the Sacred Music Foundation.  Through this organization and his own individual efforts, he maintains an active career in sacred music programming.  He is a frequent soloist and artist-in-residence at his home church, the First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue, and often provides sacred concerts at other churches, ministries, or christian colleges.