“Crucial to that is the Evangelist, who narrates the Jesus story. Tenor Mark Schowalter is among the best I've heard (and my aural memory includes the great Peter Schreier with the New York Philharmonic in 1993). With a seemingly effortless vocal production, he consistently struck an ideal balance between the
declamatory storytelling aspect of his role and the
special kind of expression that only music can supply.”
– The Philadelphia Inquirer
The tenor Mark Schowalter - well known for his thoughtful interpretations and rich voice - is at home on both the concert and operatic stages. Mr. Schowalter has been privileged to sing with some of the world's finest conductors and their orchestras including James Levine (Metropolitan Opera, Munich Philharmonic), Seiji Ozawa (Boston Symphony and Saito Kinen Orchestra), Valery Gergiev (Metropolitan Opera), Mstislav Rostropovich (National Symphony), and Charles Dutoit (Montréal Symphony).
Currently in his ninth consecutive season at the Metropolitan Opera, Mr. Schowalter performs the role of Reverend McMillan in the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy. In the past Metropolitan Opera season he was heard in supporting roles in Der Rosenkavalier, I vespri Siciliani, Die Zauberflöte and Samson et Dalila. Mark Schowalter’s earlier seasons’ highlights in New York have included performances as Jaquino in Beethoven's Fidelio under the baton of James Levine, St. Brioche in Lehar's Die Lustige Witwe, Chaplitsky in Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame and roles in no less than four Strauss operas: Der Rosenkavalier, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Ariadne auf Naxos, and Elektra. Mr. Schowalter has also been seen in the 2003 PBS "The Metropolitan Opera Presents" telecast of Ariadne auf Naxos.
In addition to his Metropolitan Opera engagements, Mr. Schowalter's most recent opera engagements included an invitation by Seiji Ozawa to sing Bob Boles in Britten's Peter Grimes at the Saito Kinen Festival in Matsumoto, Japan and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, Italy. Peter Grimes is the opera he first sang with Mr. Ozawa at the Tanglewood Music Festival in its 50th anniversary production. Mr. Schowalter was also heard in Germany in Moses und Aaron with Mr. Levine and the Munich Philharmonic, and sang Lysander in the Florentine Opera's production of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, conducted by Stuart Bedford.
Mr. Schowalter's recent portrayal of Tassilo in Kalman's Countess Maritza continues a string of acclaimed leading role appearances with Minnesota's North Star Opera Company. Other roles there include Nemorino in Donizetti's L'elisir d’amore, Lindoro in Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri, Fritz in Offenbach's La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein, Barinkay in Strauss's Die Zigeunerbaron and Philippe in Romberg's New Moon.
Mr. Schowalter's performance of the Evangelist in Bach's Matthäus-Passion last season prompted the reviewer of The Philadelphia Inquirer to call him "among the best I've heard... with a seemingly effortless vocal production." Other concert performances include Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde with the Maverick Chamber Festival, Mozart's Requiem with William Eddins and the Minnesota Orchestra, Monteverdi's Vespers 1610 with Helmuth Rilling at the Oregon Bach Festival, and Bach's Johannes-Passion, Mozart's Bastien und Bastienne, and Vespers 1610 with Christopher Hogwood and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and National Symphony in Washington.