Randall Scarlata

The American baritone Randall Scarlata is known for his versatility; he has asserted that his repertoire spans five centuries and sixteen languages. Based in the Philadelphia area, Scarlata has performed all over the world and appeared on numerous recordings. He is especially known for performances of art song, both in mainstream and contemporary repertoires. Scarlata was born in Wayne, Pennsylvania, in 1969, and, unusually, has lived there or in nearby Philadelphia for most of his professional life. He attended the Eastman School of Music as an undergraduate, earning a Fulbright scholarship to continue his studies in Europe after graduating in 1992. Scarlata studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna from 1992 to 1994, also spending summers in France and working with baritone Gérard Souzay. Returning to the U.S., he enrolled at the Juilliard School, where he received a master's degree in 1998. Several summers studying and performing at Vermont's Marlboro Festival spread his name among performers of chamber music, and a 1999 first prize at the Young Concert Artists International Auditions launched his career in a promising way. Scarlata has collaborated with pianists including Jonathan Biss, Jeremy Denk, Gilbert Kalish, and Cameron Stowe, performing traditional German song repertory as well as contemporary music. He has performed with major orchestras, including the BBC Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, the Vienna Tonkünstler Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh and San Francisco Symphonies; and his chamber music credits include regular appearances at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Scarlata has appeared at most of the top music festivals of North America and Europe, including Chicago's Ravinia, the Gilmore Festival in Michigan, and the Salzburg, Spoleto, and Edinburgh Festivals. He has premiered music by contemporary composers including Thea Musgrave, Ned Rorem, Richard Danielpour, George Crumb, and Christopher Theofanidis, among others, and he has sought to champion contemporary music. Appearing on a wide variety of song, opera, and chamber music recordings, Scarlata released the song album Lineage in 2017, with pianist Laura Ward. He teamed with Kalish for a recording of Schubert's Die Winterreise, D. 911, on the Bridge label the following year. ~ James Manheim