Andrew Wannigman
Fields of Study:
Voice Performance
Lauded for his “fine dramatic skill” and “engaging baritone” (Broadway World), Andrew Wannigman dazzled in his role debut as Marcello in La Boheme with Union Avenue Opera. “Andrew Wannigman as Marcello is delightful as the painter whose eyes are just as expressive as his voice (St. Louis Limelight).” Mr. Wannigman followed up that performance with another Puccini favorite, Madama Butterfly, where he made his role debut as Sharpless with Long Island Lyric Opera.With over forty opera and musical theatre roles in his young career, Mr. Wannigman is quickly garnering attention as a versatile singer-actor who is adept both vocally and dramatically in the wide-ranging baritone roles of opera, operetta, musical theatre and a champion of new works.
Mr. Wannigman’s upcoming performances in 2022 season include Danilo in The Merry Widow directed in her own adaptation by the esteemed Dottie Danner as a guest artist with Queens College, Ed Wall in Southeastern Premiere of Frances Pollock’s Stinney, the title role of Don Giovanni with Long Island Lyric Opera, Dandini in La Cenerentola with SAS Performing Arts and Albert in Werther with Barn Opera in Vermont. He will also premiere A Concordance of Leaves composed by Shanan Estreicher, a new wedding cantata for baritone soloist, choir and piano that will be recorded and made available through Naxos Music Library in 2023. Other recent highlights include All is Calm with Opera North, Marcello in La Boheme with KOR Productions and a concert of new works with Fresh Squeezed Opera in New York City. Additional unfortunate cancellations due to Covid-19: Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Long Island Lyric Opera and a return to Mill City Summer Opera to perform Monterone and the title role of Rigoletto.
Wannigman’s 2018-19 season highlights included a diverse set of works: Andrews in the world premiere of Stonewall with New York City Opera, a return to Escamillo for Peter Brooks’ abridged Carmen with City Lyric Opera, a role debut as Marcello in La Boheme with Union Avenue Opera, and Stanley in a New York premiere of Huang Ruo’s Bound with Fresh Squeezed Opera. Wannigman also collaborated with composer J. Mark Stambaugh for the premiere of his piece The Song of the Bow for baritone, harp, trumpets and drums in November.
Mr. Wannigman has performed with a number opera companies throughout the United States: New York City Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Mill City Summer Opera, Opera Louisiane, Tulsa Opera, Central City Opera, Opera New Jersey, Opera North, Union Avenue Opera, Painted Sky Opera, Long Island Lyric Opera, Skylark Opera, Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, Natchez Festival of Music, City Lyric Opera, American Lyric Theater and Boston Opera Collaborative.
An avid recitalist and concert performer, Mr. Wannigman recently performed the baritone solos in R. Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses with the Queens College Choral Society under Dr. James John. While at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City, he performed as the baritone soloist for Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, the baritone soloist for the Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio and The Seven Last Words of Christ by Théodore Dubois as well as performing a concert recital featuring popular arias and songs of Rossini, Mozart and Rodgers and Hammerstein as well as works of Bach, Schumann and Ravel. In 2015, he performed John Adams’ The Wound-Dresser in a rarely seen staged performance as well as a concert recital featuring Schumann’s Liederkreis, Op. 39, Finzi’s Let Us Garlands Bring and songs of Duparc, both with the University of Oklahoma.
Other concert performances include an alumni guest recital at Luther College as well as recitals in Boston, most notably at the acclaimed Jordan Hall. He has also been the soloist in masterworks such as Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Beethoven’s Mass in C, and Mozart’s Requiem.