Andrew Potter
Bass
Andrew Potter, bass, has garnered increasing demand across the country for his larger-than-life stage presence and voice to match. Of his recent performance in L’elisir d’amore, Opera Today hailed, “With his huge, all‐encompassing bass voice and precise comic timing he nearly stole the show.”
This season includes several important house debuts: joining Seattle Opera as Abimelech in Samson et Dalila and in their World Premiere of A Thousand Splendid Suns, as well as Portland Opera as Vodnik in Rusalka. Potter will join Livermore Valley Opera as Belcore in Elisir d’Amore, perform Scarpia in Indianapolis Opera’s Tosca, and return to both Opera Grand Rapids as The Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance and Pacific Opera Project for their unique take on Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte: Superflute. Potter’s burgeoning career only continues to grow next season as he makes his house debut at the Dallas Opera.
Calendar
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Mar 11
Seattle, WA
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Mar 26
Los Angeles, CA
Artist Bio
Andrew Potter, bass, has garnered increasing demand across the country for his larger-than-life stage presence and voice to match. Of his recent performance in L’elisir d’amore, Opera Today hailed, “With his huge, all‐encompassing bass voice and precise comic timing he nearly stole the show.”
This season includes several important house debuts: joining Seattle Opera as Abimelech in Samson et Dalila and in their World Premiere of A Thousand Splendid Suns, as well as Portland Opera as Vodnik in Rusalka. Potter will join Livermore Valley Opera as Belcore in Elisir d’Amore, perform Scarpia in Indianapolis Opera’s Tosca, and return to both Opera Grand Rapids as The Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance and Pacific Opera Project for their unique take on Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte: Superflute. Potter’s burgeoning career only continues to grow next season as he makes his house debut at the Dallas Opera.
Last season, Potter performed the roles of Simone in Gianni Schicchi for Tulsa Opera, Sarastro in The Magic Flute for Eugene Opera, Sparafucile in Rigoletto for Opera Orlando, Commendatore in Don Giovanni with Indianapolis Opera, and René in Iolanta with Pacific Opera Project. Concert engagements included Mozart’s Mass in C Major for Mid-Ohio Civic Opera, and Verdi’s Requiem for Michigan State University.
During the pandemic, Andrew was one of the lucky ones to be able to continue to perform: in addition to a series of virtual concerts, he joined Opera Santa Barbara in the title role of Don Pasquale, Pacific Opera Project as Sam in Trouble in Tahiti, and Southern Illinois Festival for Covid fan Tutte.
Previous engagements have included Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin with Livermore Valley Opera, Poo-Bah in Mikado with Opera Grand Rapids, Sulpice in Daughter of the Regiment and Dr. Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore with Winter Opera St. Louis, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Fallen Giant with American Lyric Opera, The Bonze in Madama Butterfly with St. Petersburg Opera, Hunding in Die Walküre, Fafner in Das Rheingold and Colline in La bohème with Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Vodnik in Rusalka with Steamboat Opera, Osmin in Die Entführung with Opera Orlando, Colline in La bohème with Anchorage Opera and Indianapolis Opera, his Tulsa Opera début as The King in The Little Prince, Sarastro in The Magic Flute and Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni with Pacific Opera Project, the role of Death in the world premiére of Rick Sowash’s Death and the Everyman, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, and Escamillo in Carmen with Mid-Ohio Opera, and Simone in Gianni Schicchi, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte and Ferrando in Il trovatore with Southern Illinois Music Festival.
Additionally, Andrew has performed across the country proficiently demonstrating the vocal power and sonority to sing such roles as Mephistopheles in Gounod’s Faust and Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, the range and physicality to perform buffo roles like Don Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, Don Magnifico in Cenerentola; and the flexibility and agility to sing challenging Handelian roles including Zoroastro in Orlando, Ariodate in Serse, and Argante in Rinaldo.
With years of studying under renowned teachers such as Rick Christman, Braeden Harris, and Kenneth Shaw; Andrew became a standout in mainstage roles at several of the nation’s most prestigious Young Artist programs such as Des Moines Metro Opera, St. Petersburg Emerging Artist Program, and the Tyler Young Artist Program.
Updated January 13, 2023
Video
“O, wie will ich triumphieren” from Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail
“Vecchia zimarra senti” from La bohème
“I’m a lonely man, Susannah” from Carlise Floyd’s Susannah
“Gremin’s Aria” from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin
“Come dal ciel precipita” from Verdi’s Macbeth
“Wie schön ist doch die Musik” from R. Strauss’ Die schweigsame Frau
“In diesen heil’gen Hallen” from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte
Pictures
Press
“...Andrew Potter’s Sarastro was everything one could wish..." – Opera Today
The Magic Flute – “Andrew Potter’s Sarastro was everything one could wish, his darkly sonorous, rolling bass the exact fit for his imposing music.”
“...here is a suggestion for every Don Giovanni production in the world: fly in Andrew Potter to play the Commendatore..." – Schmopera
Don Giovanni – “Here is a suggestion for every Don Giovanni production in the world: fly in Andrew Potter to play the Commendatore. It’s perfect casting, especially in the scene where he’s a statue that comes to life. His earthshaking basso is as big as his 6’10” frame. And when he enters in a smoke-filled, backlit haze you can understand why Giovanni, Leporello, and everyone in the audience, would be scared to death.”
"....a powerful bottomless bass voice..." – Broadway World
L’elisir d’amore – “Andrew Potter, as Dr. Dulcamara, is tall, tall, towering dramatically over the rest of the cast. He has a powerful bottomless bass voice. (One almost needs a bathysphere to follow him as he plunges that word “eccelente” down to the depths.) He also has wonderful comic gifts.”
"...his huge, oily, black, genuine bass shook the rafters..." – Town Times
Faust – “Like any good Liu in “Turandot” or Azucena in “Trovatore”, a great Mephistopheles will usually steal the show in any “Faust”. Towering at 6’10” and not the least bit creepy looking, Andrew Potter’s tour de force performance would stand tall on any of the biggest and best operatic stages in the world today. His huge, oily, black, genuine bass shook the rafters, and his sinister murder of Marguerite’s illegitimate baby (nice touch!) sent shivers down one’s spine. Any celebrity bass from this role’s glorious history would be so proud of him and his continuing in the grand manner they established!”
"...nearly stole the show...” – Opera Today
L’elisir d’amore – “Andrew Potter was the conceited army recruiter, Belcore, who thought he was God’s gift to women. With his huge, all‐encompassing bass voice and precise comic timing he nearly stole the show”