ANDREW POTTER
BASS
BIOGRAPHY
Bass Andrew Potter has garnered increasing demand across the country for his larger-than-life stage presence with a voice to match. Last season, Mr. Potter made his Florida Grand Opera début as Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, returned to Seattle Opera as Panthée in Les Troyens, took his Angelotti in Tosca to Richmond Symphony, joined Opera Omaha to sing the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, and joined the roster of The Metropolitan Opera to cover Sarastro in Simon McBurney's Die Zauberflöte. This season, he returns to The Metropolitan Opera to cover Timur in Turandot, and he débuts with Los Angeles Dream Orchestra to sing the same role in their semi-staged concert production of Turandot. In addition, he will return to Dallas Opera as the Hailer/Javelinot/Thierry in Dialogues of the Carmelities, début with New Orleans Opera as Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier, sing Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Nashville Opera, and return to Opera Omaha for his role début as Blitch in Susannah.
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The 2023-2024 season established Potter as one of the premier basses in the opera world today, with major house débuts at Dallas Opera as Angelotti in Tosca, Seattle Opera as Abimelech in Samson et Dalila and in their world premiere of A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Atlanta Opera as Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Portland Opera as Vodnik in Rusalka, Detroit Opera as Harašta in The Cunning Little Vixen, and Santa Fe Opera for both Der Rosenkavalier and the world premiere of The Righteous. Additionally, Potter joined the Fort Worth Symphony to cover Hunding in Act I of Die Walküre, Pacific Symphony as Colline in La bohème, I Filarmonici Columbus as Méphistophélès in Faust, and Houston Symphony as Second Soldier in Salome.
Previous engagements include Scarpia in Indianapolis Opera’s Tosca, Sarastro in The Magic Flute for Eugene Opera, Ferrnado in Il trovatore for Opera Santa Barbara, Vodnik in Rusalka for Wichita Grand Opera, Silva in Ernani for Southern Illinois Music Festival, Sparafucile in Rigoletto for Opera Orlando, Commendatore in Don Giovanni with Indianapolis Opera, Simone in Gianni Schicchi for Tulsa, Don Pizarro in Fidelio with Mid-Ohio Civic Opera, The Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance for Opera Grand Rapids, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore for Livermore Valley Opera, and several roles for Pacific Opera Project: Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, René in Iolanta, as well as Sarastro in their unique take on Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte: Superflute.
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 Minna Lindgren’s Mozart parody 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 The 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 aus dem Serail with Opera Orlando, Colline in La bohème with Anchorage Opera and Indianapolis Opera, The King in The Little Prince with Tulsa Opera, Sarastro in The Magic Flute and Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni with Pacific Opera Project, the role of Death in the world premiere 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. Concert engagements included Mozart's Mass in C Major for Mid-Ohio Civic Opera, and Verdi’s Requiem for Michigan State University.
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.
Current as of June 12, 2025
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
“...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.”
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“...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.”
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"....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.”
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"...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!”
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"...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”