Ethan herschenfeld biography

As an English major and pre-med student at Harvard, Ethan Herschenfeld never considered a career in opera. But his vocal talent and natural charisma on stage led him on a path of study and training that culminated in debuts with companies like the Florentine Opera, San Francisco Opera, and San Diego Opera, as well as performances in Avery Fisher and Carnegie halls.

This season, Herschenfeld takes his talent overseas in a string of debuts: Mephistopheles with Hong Kong Opera, Sarastro with Stuttgart Staatsoper, Sparafucile and Rocco with the New Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, and Ratcliffe in Billy Buddat Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa.

The New York Times singled out Herschenfeld’s “booming basso” and heralded him as, “a singer of imposing stature, impressive voice.” And Israel’s Yediot Ahronot called him, “a true creature of the stage,” for his portrayal of Osmin.

Fresh from his triumphant New York City Opera debut in Haroun and the Sea of Stories, he spoke with CS about his work