“As Roberto in Verdi's rarely heard 'Sicilian Vespers,' Catana was prominent enough to indicate that this is really a major, world-class voice”
– The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Baritone Sebastian Catana made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Schaunard in La bohème in 2003 under the baton of Daniel Oren. Since that time he has been heard in the house as Morales in Carmen , alongside Olga Borodina and Neil Shicoff and under the baton of James Levine, as Roberto in I vespri siciliani, Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, Kuligin in Kat'a Kabanova, Marullo in Verdi's Rigoletto and as Fiorello in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia.
Mr. Catana opened the 2006-2007 season at the Metropolitan Opera, where he was heard as Marullo, Schaunard, and in his role debut as Valentin in Faust for the Met in the Parks. In 2007-2008 he makes his debut in Bologna as Paolo in Simon Boccanegra, followed by his role debut as Conte di Luna in Il trovatore in Toledo, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Virginia Opera and his recording the role of Iago in Verdi’s Otello with the Oviedo Philarmonia conducted by Friedrich Haider on the Austrian label PHILARTIS. Future seasons’ engagements for Mr. Catana include Miller in Luisa Miller with the Teatro Regio in Torino and Germont in La traviata in Lausanne.
In addition to his many roles at the Metropolitan, Mr. Catana has most recently enjoyed success when he joined Eve Queler in an all Verdi Concert at Weill Recital Hall in New York singing arias and duets with Aprile Millo and Francisco Casanova, and performances of Marcello in La bohème at the Seattle Opera, which were followed by performances as the Count in Le nozze di Figaro at the Baltimore.
Mr. Catana made his operatic debut in April 2001 singing the role of Thore in Meyebeer's Les Huguenots at Carnegie Hall with the Opera Orchestra of New York. He returned to the same venue for his oratorio debut singing the Schubert Mass in G with the Manhattan Symphony during the 2003-2004 season. Other recent engagements for the young baritone include Rolando in Verdi's La battaglia di Legnano with the Opera Orchestra of New York in a special concert performance in Toluca, Mexico, Morales in Carmen with the Florentine Opera, Montano in Verdi's Otello with the Baltimore Opera, and the title role in Mozart's Don Giovanni with the Baltimore Opera Studio.
Sebastian Catana has participated in the young artist programs of Seattle Opera and Baltimore Opera, and has consequently been awarded prizes and awards in vocal competitions such as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, First Prize in the 2006 Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Voice Competition, Second Prize in the 2006 Loren L. Zachary Society National Vocal Competition, a career grant from the 2006 Elardo Foundation International Voice Competition, First Prize in the 2003 Opera Index Competition, First Prize in the 2004 New Jersey State Opera International Voice Competition, First Prize in the 2000 Connecticut Opera Competition, a grant from the Lee Schaenen Foundation and the Liederkranz Foundation.