Biography

American heldentenor Alec Carlson has been garnering attention and acclaim on the concert and operatic stages for his “powerful voice”. In 2021, Alec made his house and role debut as Max (Der Freischütz) with Opera Wrocławska. Alec recently partnered with Opera for Peace in a concert of Bel Canto repertoire under the baton of Maestro Dmitry Korchak with the Winter Bashmet Festival in Sochi, Russia. In the summer of 2019 he was a member of Santa Fe Opera’s prestigious Apprentice Artist program covering the role of Frederic in the World Premiere of Poul Ruders’ The Thirteenth Child. During that summer Alec was the recipient of the Richard Tucker Fund Award from Santa Fe Opera. Other awards and distinctions held include a grant from the Wagner Society of New York, the Richard and Kerry Stillwell Award in the 2019 Opera Index Vocal Competition, a 2019 regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and a Semi-Finalist in the 57th annual Tenor Viñas Competition in Barcelona. Alec has also received 2nd prizes in both the Brava! Opera Theater and James M. Collier Vocal Competition and the Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition, as well as receiving a grant from the Gerda Lissner Foundation. In September of 2023, Alec was the tenor soloist for Mahler’s 8th Symphony with The Estonian National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Neeme Järvi. The tenor will make his anticipated Wagnerian debut as Erik in Der fliegende Holländer with Teatro Municipal de Santiago in November of 2024. Alec is an Emerging Artist with Opera for Peace, and an alumnus of the Ryan Opera Center with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Wolf Trap Opera Studio, and the Houston Grand Opera Young Artist Vocal Academy. Alec holds a Bachelor of Arts from Luther College and a Masters of Music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.