William Bastian, Tenor and Lecturer

William Bastian, a Wisconsin native, began his professional singing career as a

countertenor (male alto), singing Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque Music. He holds

a Bachelors degree in Music Education from Milton College, Milton, WI, and a Masters

degree in Vocal Music Performance from the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee, and he

studied privately for a year with English countertenor, James Bowman.

Mr. Bastian began singing as a tenor in 1979, and now also performs Romantic and

Contemporary Music including art songs and opera. He has sung leading roles in 39

different operas and 75 different oratorio and symphonic works. In 1990, he founded

NOTE (the Northland Opera Theater Experience) which, for 8 years, presented an

opera annually in Duluth, MN. Besides appearing locally with the Duluth/Superior

Symphony, the Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, the Arrowhead Chorale, and LOON

(the Lyric Opera of the North), Mr. Bastian has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra,

the Milwaukee Symphony, the Erie Philharmonic, the Baltimore Symphony, the

Nashville Symphony, Kentucky Opera, the Skylight Theatre and Great Lakes Opera

(both in Milwaukee); the Huntsville Symphony; Boston Concert Opera, and the Boston

Early Music Festival Orchestra (with whom he can be heard on the CD "Mozart: the Last

Year" on the Denon label).

As a recitalist, Mr. Bastian performs numerous recitals every year. He has performed 27

different song cycles and extended vocal works. He has sung recitals of: Medieval

music; Renaissance lute songs with lutenist Edward Martin (a CD is available); Baroque

Cantatas; German lieder and French melodies; 20th century art songs by Ives, Britten

and others; Vaudeville/Tin Pan Alley Jazz; and music by Woody Guthrie, Robert

Johnson, and Pete Seeger.