Nmon Ford,
Baritone
(1996 - 1997)

Congratulations are in order for former resident artist NMON FORD who recently received three Grammys for his participation in the Naxos recording of William Bolcom's Songs of Innocence and of Experience. The CD garnered three Grammy's: Best Classical Recording, Best Choral Recording, and Best Contemporary Classical Composition. Other highlights of the 2005 - 2006 season include the role of Demetrius (A Midsummer Night's Dream) with Hamburg Opera in spring and fall of 2006. Mr. Ford will also appear as soloist in Orff's Carmina Burana with the New West Symphony and Mahler's Eighth Symphony with the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington D.C. under the direction of Leonard Slatkin.

During the 2004 - 2005 season, Mr. Ford appeared with former OSJ resident artist Thomas Truhitte to sing his first Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde with Virginia Opera. Other engagements that season included a recital with the Orchestra of St. Luke's at Carnegie Hall, Escamillo (Carmen) for the New West Symphony, the title role in Don Giovanni for the Spoleto Festival, and Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas) for the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston.

During the 2003 - 2004 season Mr. Ford appeared as Adam in Haydn's Creation with Los Angeles Philharmonic under Esa-Pekka Salonen -- one of the first concerts to be performed in the orchestra's newly completed Disney Concert Hall.  Other engagements include Bach's Cantata #205 with National Symphony Orchestra, La traviata at the Hollywood Bowl under John Mauceri, Mahler's Rückertlieder and Fauré's Requiem with Santa Barbara Symphony, a recital with Huntsville Chamber Music Society (under the auspices of the Marilyn Horne Foundation), a recital with Occidental College Cultural Arts Series in California, and Mahmoud in Adam's The Death of Klinghoffer with the Brooklyn Philharmonic under Robert Spano (at the Brooklyn Academy of Music). 

Other recent engagements include the role of Joseph in Berlioz' L'enfance du Christ with Los Angeles Philharmonic under Esa-Pekka Salonen, Walton's Belshazzar's Feast with Milwaukee Symphony, Bolcom's Song of Innocence and Experience with National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Leonard Slatkin, Mahler's 8th Symphony with Eugene Symphony, and a New Year's Eve gala concert with Santa Barbara Symphony.  Other appearances included recitals in New Jersey and Arkansas and a New York recital debut under the auspices of the Marilyn Horne Foundation.

2001 engagements included the role of Belcore (L’elisir d’amore) with San Francisco Opera, a performance of Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder with Burbank Chamber Orchestra, Escamillo in Opera Memphis and Utah Opera productions of Carmen, the four villains in Syracuse Opera’s Les Contes d’Hoffman, his debut performance at Spoleto Festival USA as Aeneas in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, in addition to solo recitals in California and Vermont.

During the 2000 season, Mr. Ford's engagements included performances with Virginia Opera, San Feliu de Guizols (Spain), Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, and Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra. He appeared as Escamillo in Carmen with Madison Opera, Amonasro in the concert version of Aida with San José Symphony and performed in Loew’s Visiting Artist Series in Santa Monica, California.

1999 - 2000 performances included Iago (Otello) for Virginia Opera, Amonasro (Aïda) for Syracuse Opera and Opera Memphis, Escamillo (Carmen) for Madison Opera and Belcore (L’elisir d’amore) for San Francisco Opera.  Concert engagements included Handel’s Messiah in Montreal as well as concerts and recitals with Southern California’s New West Symphony,  El Camino College, Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Carmel Music Society, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo in Panama City, and Cabrillo Music Festival.

After leaving Opera San José, Mr. Ford performed the role of High Priest of Dagon in Saint-Saens' Samson et Dalila with Opera Memphis, and Pantalon in Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges with Portland Opera. Concert engagements included performances of Carmina Burana and Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess with San José Symphony.

Mr. Ford recently released his first solo recording, The Sweetest Brilliance - Songs of Bolcom and Weinstein on the Three Things Records label.  He has also recorded Villa Lobos' Symphony #10 Amerindia on the Koch International Classics label.

Please visit Mr. Ford's website for more information:  http://www.nmonford.com/