Acclaimed for his commanding stage presence and inventive artistry, American bass-baritone Eric Owens has carved a unique place in the contemporary opera world as both a champion of new music and a powerful interpreter of classic works. He is equally at home in concert, recital and opera performances, bringing his powerful poise, expansive voice, and instinctive acting faculties to stages around the globe.

Mr. Owens enjoys a close association with John Adams, for whom he created the role of General Leslie Groves in the world premiere of Doctor Atomic at the San Francisco Opera and made his Metropolitan Opera debut during the 2008-09 season. He also created the role of the Storyteller in the world premiere of A Flowering Tree, and he has performed widely in Adams’s Nativity oratorio El Niño. He sang The Wound Dresser under the composer’s baton, both in a live broadcast from the BBC Proms and at Carnegie Hall.

Mr. Owens has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2003 Marian Anderson Award, a 1999 ARIA award, and first prizes in the Plácido Domingo Operalia Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition. A native of Philadelphia, he began his music training as a pianist at the age of six, followed by formal oboe study at age eleven. He studied voice while an undergraduate at Temple University and then as a graduate student at the Curtis Institute of Music. He serves on the boards of trustees of both the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and Astral Artistic Services.