Brandon Cedel is a distinguished artist known for his versatile performances in opera and classical music. With a rich background in the performing arts, he has captivated audiences with his powerful voice and compelling stage presence. Recently, Cedel took on the role of Dan Brown in the world-premiere production of The Hours, a poignant opera by Kevin Puts, which showcased his ability to convey deep emotional narratives alongside renowned artists like Renée Fleming and Joyce DiDonato. His portrayal of Don Giovanni in Mozart's classic opera highlighted his talent for embodying complex characters, while his performance as A Levite in Handel's Solomon demonstrated his proficiency in baroque music. Looking ahead, Cedel is set to star as Dulcamara in the upcoming production of The Elixir of Love, a unique adaptation framed as a TV sitcom episode, promising to bring a fresh and engaging perspective to this beloved story. With a growing repertoire and a commitment to artistic excellence, Brandon Cedel continues to make significant contributions to the world of opera, captivating audiences with each performance.

Singer

Framed as a TV sitcom episode, this warm-hearted story of unrequited love unfolds with the arrival of a love potion salesman on a beautiful English country house estate staffed by Land Girls and locals.

The Elixir of Love

London Coliseum

Experience the awe-inspiring "The Creation - Music of the Baroque," a magnificent concert event that brings the story of the world's creation as depicted in the Book of Genesis to life through the power of music. Under the baton of esteemed Music Director Dame Jane Glover, the Music of the Baroque Chorus and Orchestra, along with a stellar cast of international opera stars including Joélle Harvey (soprano), Aaron Sheehan (tenor), and Brandon Cedel (baritone), will perform Haydn's timeless masterpiece, a work renowned for its imaginative scope and genius.

This not-to-be-missed event will take place on three special dates:
- Sunday, September 15, 2024, at 3:00 PM at the North Shore Center in Skokie.
- Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 7:30 PM at the Harris Theater in Chicago.
- Friday, September 20, 2024, at 5:00 PM, available On Demand.

Each performance promises to be a profound exploration of the creation narrative, rendered through Haydn's vivid musical pictures. Don't miss this opportunity to witness a spectacular interpretation of one of the most powerful stories ever told, led by the distinguished Dame Jane Glover and featuring a remarkable ensemble of voices and musicians.

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The Creation

Harris Theater

North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie

The creation of the world as told in the Book of Genesis springs to life through vivid musical pictures. Dame Jane Glover leads the Music of the Baroque Chorus, Orchestra, and internationally renowned opera stars Joélle Harvey, Aaron Sheehan, and Brandon Cedel in Haydn’s timeless work of boundless imagination and genius.

Music of the Baroque: Haydn – The Creation

North Shore Center for the Performing Arts

**Pelléas & Mélisande at Des Moines Metro Opera**

Join us for a mesmerizing journey into the heart of Impressionist opera with Claude Debussy's only completed opera, "Pelléas & Mélisande." This exquisitely nuanced masterpiece shimmers with the color and texture of a Monet painting, captivating audiences with its hypnotic score and a tale of forbidden love that blossoms in a dreamlike world. 

**Performance Dates & Times:**
- **Saturday, July 6 at 7:30 PM** - Best prices available
- **Friday, July 12 at 7:30 PM** - SOLD OUT
- **Wednesday, July 17 at 7:30 PM**
- **Sunday, July 21 at 2:00 PM** - SOLD OUT

**Venue:** The Lauridsen Opera Center, presented by the Des Moines Metro Opera. 

**Featuring:**
- **John Moore** as Pelléas, making a role debut
- **Sydney Mancasola** as Mélisande
- **Brandon Cedel** as Golaud, in his company debut
- Conducted by **Derrick Inouye**, in his company debut
- Directed by **Chas Rader-Shieber**, marking his seventh DMMO production

**About the Opera:**
Music and Libretto by Claude Debussy, adapted from Maurice Maeterlinck's play, "Pelléas & Mélisande" premiered on April 30, 1902, at Opéra-Comique, Paris. Sung in French with English supertitles, the opera runs approximately 3 hours and 10 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission. This production marks its company premiere at DMMO.

**The Story:**
Debussy's masterpiece unfolds a tale of tragic love between Pelléas and Mélisande, set against a backdrop of familial strife and ancient curses. Its music defies the traditional forms of opera, flowing directly from the drama and the words, creating an unparalleled emotional and auditory experience.

**Tickets:**
Tickets are available for purchase online. With limited performances, early booking is recommended to secure your seats for this rare and enchanting opera experience. For sold-out dates, please fill out the Ticket Request Form or call 515-209-3257 for potential availability.

Don't miss this opportunity to experience Debussy's "Pelléas & Mélisande," a production that promises to cast a spell of beauty and melancholy, leaving an indelible mark on your heart and memory.

Pelléas & Mélisande

Simpson College

Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Kevin Puts’s hit new opera, which played to sold-out audiences during its world-premiere production last season, triumphantly returns. The original trio of legendary divas—sopranos Renée Fleming and Kelli O’Hara and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato—reprise their celebrated portrayals of three women from different eras whose lives are connected through Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway. Bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen also returns as the dying author Richard, and Kensho Watanabe conducts Phelim McDermott’s gripping staging of this heart-wrenching drama, adapted from Michael Cunningham’s acclaimed novel and the Oscar-winning film it inspired.

The Hours

Lincoln Center

The Handel matinee concert by Harry Bicket and The English Concert is one of Carnegie Hall’s most popular annual traditions. Combining exquisite ensemble work, charismatic singers, and an irresistible penchant for theatricality, it’s the perfect way to experience Baroque opera and oratorio in the 21st century. In this anticipated event, hear the first full concert performance of Handel’s Rodelinda at Carnegie Hall in more than 50 years.

The English Concert

Carnegie Hall

Britain’s premier early-music ensemble returns in its annual season engagement, for a concert performance of Handel’s masterwork Rodelinda, with star soprano Lucy Crowe in the title role. Among the composer’s greatest achievements, Rodelinda is a story of enduring marital love that remains steadfast through every adversity. Crowe lends her clarion voice to the beloved arias “Ombre, piante” and “Ho perduto il caro sposo,” and riveting countertenor Iestyn Davies fills the shoes of Handel’s star castrato Senesino as the exiled husband Bertarido, with Eric Ferring cast as the lustful and vicious usurper Grimoaldo. The ensemble’s 2021 recording of Rodelinda with Crowe and Davies earned rave reviews across the board: Gramophone praised, “The singing is first-rate, while Harry Bicket has an unerring ear for pacing and instrumental color,” and BBC Music Magazine put it simply, “Harry Bicket has gifted us the best-ever recording of Rodelinda.”

The English Concert Handel’s Rodelinda

University of California, Berkeley

When young Angelina momentarily escapes her ungrateful stepfamily to attend a royal ball in disguise, she meets Prince Ramiro, who vows to find her after she disappears into the night. In this city-centric take on the Cinderella story, two familiar Boston neighborhoods set the stage where boy and girl meet and sweep each other off their feet. With its beautiful melodies and sparkling vocals, the magic of Rossini’s energetic score illuminates the heart of the story. Don’t miss BLO’s new production of La Cenerentola, conducted by David Angus and directed by Dawn M. Simmons in her opera debut.

La Cenerentola (Cinderella)

Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre

Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion speaks as urgently of compassion and hope today as it did 300 years ago—and when Music of the Baroque first performed it in 1974. One of the greatest creative achievements of all time, Bach wrote his masterpiece for two choruses, two orchestras, children’s chorus, and soloists. Dame Jane Glover conducts.

The St. Matthew Passion

Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion speaks as urgently of compassion and hope today as it did 300 years ago—and when Music of the Baroque first performed it in 1974. One of the greatest creative achievements of all time, Bach wrote his masterpiece for two choruses, two orchestras, children’s chorus, and soloists. Only subscribers are guaranteed seats for what will be one of the musical highlights of the year. Dame Jane Glover conducts.

They’re back! After an astonishing debut with Alcina in 2021, conductor Harry Bicket and his sensational orchestra, The English Concert, return with another dazzling baroque masterpiece performed in concert. This time, it’s Handel’s Solomon. 

A magnificent song of celebration (sung in English!), Solomon celebrates the famously wise king in action: as a devoted husband to his beloved queen (never mind the 699 other wives or the 300 concubines), as a sage dispenser of justice (remember the two mothers laying claiming to the same baby?) and as a lavishly welcoming host to the visiting Queen of Sheba.

Solomon

Los Angeles Music Center

Britain’s eminent early-music ensemble returns to Berkeley to perform Handel’s glorious Solomon (1748), based on Biblical stories of the great king’s wisdom and justice and the ushering of a golden age of peace, piety, and prosperity. Among the composer’s many brilliant English oratorios, Solomon stands out as an especially jubilant and sumptuous work, featuring a double chorus, stunning arias such as “Will the sun forget to streak,” and gorgeous orchestrations like the sprightly oboe-and-strings feature, “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.” The Swedish mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg, a beloved Baroque music diva, sings the title role. “Hallenberg’s exceptionally wide-ranging, ruby-color mezzo, with its serene legato and jaw-dropping coloratura, has inevitably made her a go-to artist” (The New York Times).

The murderous Don Giovanni deceives women with impunity, leaving destruction in his wake. This Don Juan is not just a rakish cad but someone much more sinister. Mozart and Da Ponte’s masterwork explores vengeance and unsatiable desire. Glamour, grit, and the glow of neon infuse this film noir production.

Don Giovanni

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Renée Fleming makes her highly anticipated return to the Met in the world-premiere production of Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Kevin Puts’s The Hours, adapted from Michael Cunningham’s acclaimed novel. Inspired by Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and made a household name by the Oscar-winning 2002 film version starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman, the powerful story concerns three women from different eras who each grapple with their inner demons and their roles in society. The exciting premiere radiates with star power, with Kelli O’Hara and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato joining Fleming as the opera’s trio of heroines. Phelim McDermott—who most recently wowed Met audiences with his staging of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten—directs this compelling drama, with Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin on the podium to conduct Puts’s poignant and powerful score.

In a cramped apartment, a man hunches over papers. At 52, Beethoven looks older—he is in constant pain, and rarely appears in public. He is poring over a copy of the popular poem “Ode to Joy” by Friedrich Schiller. His new symphony will be an ambitious, experimental, political work. It will be without precedent, written for orchestra, chorus, and soloists. Its joyful celebration of community will cross the globe. It will change music forever.

Beethoven's Ninth 

Enterprise Center

The legend of Faust has been retold in countless ways over the centuries, and while five versions are known to exist, Faust always sells his soul to the Devil for unlimited knowledge and a lifetime of worldly pleasure! Under the baton of Maestro Guillermo Figueroa, with choral direction by Carmen Flórez-Mansi, Hector Berlioz’ légende dramatique, La Damnation de Faust, is not to be missed! One of Berlioz’ most striking works, La Damnation de Faust was inspired by the composer’s reading of the first translation of Göethe’s Faust into French. Likely to sell out in advance, this grand season finale will showcase the full Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus plus an all-star cast of four seasoned soloists: mezzo-soprano Maire Therese Carmack, tenor Joseph Dennis, bass-baritone Brandon Cedel, and bass-baritone Christopher Humbert Jr.

Brandon Cedel

Bass-baritone

Events

Upcoming events

1 - 2 Mar, 2025

Beethoven's Ninth · St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

May 18, 2025

Faust · The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus

Past events

Nov 15 - Dec 5, 2024

The Elixir of Love · English National Opera

15 - 20 Sep, 2024

The Creation · Music of the Baroque

Future and recently performed repertoire

Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni by Mozart

Atlanta Opera

Garibaldo in Rodelinda by Handel

Carnegie Hall

Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande by Debussy

Des Moines Metro Opera

A Levite in Solomon by Handel

LA Opera

Dan Brown in The Hours by Puts

The Metropolitan Opera

Singer in The Creation by Haydn

Music of the Baroque

Dulcamara in The Elixir of Love by Donizetti

English National Opera

About

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