Brian Mulligan

Baritone Brian Mulligan is noted for his vocal power, crisp diction, and large repertory. He performs standard roles in various languages and is often seen in contemporary works as well. Mulligan was born in Endicott, in New York state's Southern Tier, on September 20, 1978. His parents were first-generation Irish immigrants, and he holds dual American and Irish citizenship. Mulligan played Irish fiddle as a youth, but the musicals in which he performed at Union-Endicott High School were a stronger influence. A teacher suggested that Mulligan take voice lessons and introduced him to Todd Geer of the nearby Tri-Cities Opera company. Mulligan studied at Yale Univerity and the Juilliard School in New York, studying with Dale Moore, Beverley Peck Johnson, and W. Stephen Smith; he continued to study with Smith after graduating from Juilliard. While at the school, in 1998, he landed a coveted lead role at the Juilliard Opera Center in Mozart's Don Giovanni. Awards, including a Richard Tucker Career Grant, the George London Award, and a first prize at the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Vocal Competition, helped his growing career along. He gained experience in summer opera programs: five years at the Aspen Music Festival and School, two years at Wolf Trap Opera in suburban Washington, and one summer at Chicago's Ravinia Festival. In 2003, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut as The Watcher in Richard Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten. Mulligan went on to appearances at top opera houses in both the U.S. and Europe, such as the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the San Francisco Opera, and the Wiener Staatsoper in Austria. Mulligan has a repertory of more than 60 roles, including those in major contemporary operas such as John Adams' Nixon in China (Richard Nixon) and Paul Moravec's The Shining (Jack Torrance); he created the latter role in a Minnesota Opera production and earned wide critical acclaim. Mulligan is in demand for concert appearances and has been heard with the Cleveland Orchestra in Ralph Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony in Mahler's Das klagende Lied, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Mahler's Symphony No. 8 ("Symphony of a Thousand"), among others. He also performs art songs and made his recording debut in that field in 2017 with an album of songs by Dominick Argento on the Naxos label with pianist Timothy Long. He returned in 2019 with the song recital Old Fashioned, featuring classic American popular songs, and that year, he made his operatic recording debut in Puccini's Le Willis with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2022, once again backed by Long, he recorded the song cycle Alburnum by composer Gregory Spears for the Bright Shiny Things label.
© James Manheim /TiVo