Mark Delavan, a singer of “incisive vocal power and fierce theatrical acuity,” is sought after throughout the United States and Europe for the most demanding roles in the operatic repertoire. He regularly appears in the title roles of Der fliegende Holländer, Falstaff, and Rigoletto, and as Iago in Otello, Scarpia in Tosca, Jochanaan in Salome, Amonasro in Aida, and Wotan in Der Ring des Nibelungen. In addition, as a strong character actor on stages throughout the country, he has proved himself a crossover artist of immense skill, starring, to critical acclaim, as Phil Arkin in Milk and Honey with York Theatre Company.
This season, Delavan will sing Wotan in Pacific Opera Victoria’s Die Walküre, Jack Rance in North Carolina Opera’s La fanciulla del West, and Wotan in both Das Rheingold and Die Walküre with Dallas Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Fabio Luisi. Last season, Delavan returned to Maryland Lyric Opera to sing the title role in Falstaff and Iago in Otello, as well as the Dallas Opera to sing the Father in Hansel and Gretel. Delavan also sang the role of Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with New York City Opera and Abraham/Moses/Jeremiah in Weill’s The Road of Promise with Orchestra Miami.
Previous seasons’ engagements included the lead roles of Malignac in Die Kathrin with the Folks Operetta in Chicago and the title role in Der fliegende Holländer with Opera Maine, Scarpia in Tosca with Opera Naples, Posa in Don Carlos for Maryland Lyric Opera, as well as concert performances of Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Five Mystical Songs and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony for the Charleston Symphony. Delavan performed the roles of Michele/Alfio in Il tabarro/Cavalleria rusticana with Maryland Lyric Opera, Amfortas in Parsifal with Indiana University Opera Theater, and Jochanaan in Salome with the Dallas Symphony. 2020 and 2021 engagements were to include a return to the Metropolitan Opera for Tosca, Aida, Hansel and Gretel, and Rusalka, as well as performances as Telramund in Lohengrin with the Dallas Opera and Tonio in Pagliacci with Michigan Opera Theater. In the summer of 2021, Delavan joined the Glimmerglass Festival as the title role in Der fliegende Holländer for their concert entitled “Gods and Mortals,” and he returned to the Metropolitan Opera for Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
At the Metropolitan Opera, Mr. Delavan received critical acclaim for his interpretation of Wotan in Der Ring des Nibelungen under Maestro Fabio Luisi. At the venerated house, he has also performed the title roles of Simon Boccanegra and Nabucco and has appeared as Scarpia in Tosca, Amonasro in Aida, Tomsky in Pique Dame, Alfio in Cavalleria rusticana, Don Carlo in La forza del destino, Gianciotto in Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini, Gérard in a major revival of Andrea Chénier, and in recent productions of La fanciulla del West and Falstaff.
Internationally, Delavan has worked most frequently with the Deutsche Oper Berlin, in performances of Wotan in Der Ring des Nibelungen, as well as in stand-alone performances of Das Rheingold and Die Walküre led by Donald Runnicles, as Scarpia in Tosca, Jupiter in Die Liebe der Danae, Alfio/Tonio in the double-bill of Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci, and Iago in Otello. He débuted as Jochanaan in Salome at Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa under Fabio Luisi and went on to perform the role in productions with Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu and in concert with the Prague State Opera. He also has sung Jack Rance
in La fanciulla del West for Den Jyske Opera and Scarpia in Tosca with the Canadian Opera Company.
With the San Francisco Opera he created the role of Giovanni in the world premiere of Marco Tutino’s Two Women (La Ciociara) and has appeared as Scarpia in Tosca and Wotan in Die Walküre. With the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Delavan was most praised for his creation of the role of Snooks Brenner in the world premiere of William Bolcom’s A Wedding, directed by Robert Altman and conducted by Dennis Russell Davies. He has also appeared with the company as Amfortas in Parsifal, Alfio/Tonio in Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci, Scarpia in Tosca, Germont in La Traviata, Renato in Un ballo in Maschera, Robert Carsen’s staging of Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride (Louis Langrée conducting), and David McVicar’s production of Verdi’s Il trovatore (Bruno Bartoletti conducting).
Notable engagements in the US also include Don Carlo in La forza del destino at Washington National Opera, the title role in Der fliegende Holländer with Arizona Opera, the Four Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann at Palm Beach Opera, Jack Rance in La fanciulla del West for Michigan Opera Theatre, Iago in Otello for Opera Philadelphia, and the title roles in Rigoletto, Nabucco, and Falstaff, as well as Scarpia in Tosca for Pittsburgh Opera. He has made several appearances with Santa Fe Opera including Mandryka in a new production of Arabella and Jack Rance in La fanciulla del West, performed Amonasro in Aida for Atlanta Opera and at the Ravinia Festival with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under James Conlon, and performed Kurt Weill’s The Road of Promise with the Collegiate Chorale at Carnegie Hall and with the New York Choral Society in Mendelssohn’s St. Paul.
A popular performer with New York City Opera, Mr. Delavan has sung in numerous productions with the company, including the title roles in Der fliegende Holländer, Rigoletto, Macbeth, and Falstaff, as well as starring in the title role of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd to great critical acclaim. Mr. Delavan’s NYCO credits also include the roles of the four villains in Les contes d’Hoffman, Scarpia (telecast live on PBS for ‘Live from Lincoln Center’), Ezio in Attila, Escamillo in Carmen, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, the Duke of Nottingham in Roberto Devereux and in new productions of The Ballad of Baby Doe as Horace Tabor, Il trittico as Michele and Gianni Schicchi, and Salome.
Born in Princeton, New Jersey, Mr. Delavan earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Oral Roberts University. He was a Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions and an Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera.