Takaoki Onishi, Baritone http://www.takaokionishi.com/
Takaoki Onishi, baritone, is a native of Japan. He was the Inaugural First Prize winner of the IFAC-Juilliard singing Competition. The prize provided him full scholarship to attend The Juilliard School. Upon graduation, he joined the prestigious Ryan Opera Ensemble of lyric Opera of Chicago. He made his debut there as Father Arguedas in the World premiere of BEL CANTO (televised on PBS). He remained with the company for three years, singing many roles.
Each season, Mr. Onishi sings a wide variety of opera, concerts and recitals in the US, Japan and Europe.
He sang the title role in EUGENE ONEGIN at the Seiji Ozawa Festival, conducted by Fabio Luisi, and he made his Vienna debut at the Musikverein, in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. He made his debut with the NHK Symphony in FIDELIO and returned for their New Year’s Eve Gala. He has also sung several times at Carnegie Hall.
During the pandemic, he sang a wide variety of repertoire in Japan, including Argante in RINALDO (Bach Collegium), Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony, the Herald in LOHENGRIN, Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony, Ben in THE TELEPHONE and a tour of Beethoven’s 9th.
Future repertoire includes Brahms’ A German Requiem (conducted by Sebastian Weigle), Marcello in LA BOHEME, Kothner in DIE MEISTERSINGER and MESSIAH with Bach Collegium.
Mr. Onishi has won Top Prizes in many vocal competitions, including Opera Index, Gerda Lissner, Giulio Gari, and at the Premiere Opera International Competition, he received both First Prize and the special Dmitry Hvorostovsky Prize, in honor of that great singer.
Opera Repertoire
| Composer | Opera | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Bellini | I Puritani | Riccardo* |
| Bizet | Les Pêcheurs de Perles | Zurga* |
| Cimarosa | Il matrimonio segreto | Count Robinson |
| Donizetti | Roberto Devereux | Nottingham |
| Donizetti | Don Pasquale | Malatesta |
| Gluck | Iphigénie en Aulide | Agamemnon |
| Gounod | Faust | Valentin* |
| Gounod | Roméo et Juliette | Mercutio |
| Handel | Radamisto | Tiridate |
| Leoncavallo | I Pagliacci | Silvio* |
| Lopez | Father Arguedas | Bel Canto |
| Massenet | Cendrillon | Pandolfe |
| Mozart | Cosi fan tutte | Guglielmo |
| Mozart | Don Giovanni | Don Giovanni |
| Mozart | Don Giovanni | Masetto |
| Mozart | Le Nozze di Figaro | Count Almaviva |
| Puccini | La Boheme | Marcello* |
| Puccini | Turandot | Ping* |
| Rossini | La Cenerentola | Dandini |
| Rossini | La scala di seta | Blansac |
| Tchaikovsky | Eugene Onegin | Onegin |
| Verdi | Falstaff | Ford |
Concert Repertoire
| Composer | Composition | Role |
|---|---|---|
| J. S. Bach | St. Matthew Passion | Jesus |
| Beethoven | Symphony No. 9 | |
| Brahms | Ein Deutsches Requiem | |
| Handel | Messiah | |
| Haydn | Die Schöpfung | Adam, Raphael |
| Orff | Carmina Burana | |
| Schubert | Mass No. 2 in G | |
| Vaughan Williams | Hodie | |
| * In preparation |
Press Acclaim
http://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2015/12/Departments/Sound_Bites__Takaoki_Onishi.html
Mr. Onishi possesses a baritone voice of fine quality, capable of expressive lyricism or of vivid declamation; the role of Kullervo demands both, and the baritone sang forth with distinction.
Takaoki Onishi (Count) looked and moved very well, displaying elegeant legato and polished phrasing.
“Takaoki Onishi chosen as New Artist of the Month by Musical America Worldwide
http://www.musicalamerica.com/news/newsstory.cfm?archived=0&storyid=32040&categoryid=2 “
“Takaoki Onishi sang Jesus (Bach’s ST. MATTHEW PASSION) in a strong but pliant voice, as he did Onegin in Tchaikovsky’s EUGENE ONEGIN last month at Juilliard.”
“A handsome pair of male leads engaged audience sympathy. Takaoki Onishi (Onegin) commands a remarkably attractive bel canto baritone with impressive dynamic span.”
“Takaoki Onishi made the role of Masetto unusually vivid.”
In “LA SCALA DI SETA” the rich baritone Takaoki Onishi was impressive as Blansac.”
Top Prize-winner Takaoki Onishi sang Silvio’s aria from I PAGLIACCI with ardent tone, and he truly possesses a baritone of stellar quality.”
“His talent was unquestionable…displaying his ample lyric baritone.”
Onishi’s deep, smooth and tender voice, conveyed the poignancy of Thomas Hardy’s “Oxen,” turning centuries-old winter-season faith into transcendent human hope. Onishi’s account of George Herbert’s exultant “Pastoral” soared: it was operatic in its passionate scope and ineffably faith-filled, ending with a final line – “and my music shine” – that was huge and exquisite.- Jean Ballard Terepka
Baritone Takaoki Onishi performed a wide-ranging operatic concert to the audience’s delight. The baritone range of Mr. Onishi’s voice filled the hall and touched everyone in the audience; his stage presence was well beyond his youthful years. Sarasota is extremely fortunate to have Mr. Onishi perform at our glorious theater.
Media
"Ford's aria" from Finals of Premiere Opera Competiton, December 2018. (Followed by announcement of First Prize and Dmitry Hvorostovsly Prize, presented by Mrs. Hvorostovsky.)WQXR Greatest Young Singers
Takaoki Onishi, Jonathan Ware, Piano Largo al Factotum from Il barbiere di Siviglia, Rossini, IMA, July, 2013
Takaoki Onishi and Deanna Breiwick, Jonathan Ware, Piano, Pronta io son, Don Pasquale, Donizetti, IMA, July, 2013
Kuchinashi (Gardenia), Japanese song
Takaoki Onishi - Mahler's Songs of a Wayfarer
Juilliard Opera Presents 'Le nozze di Figaro'
López's BEL CANTO at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Gallery
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Takaoki Onishi pictured in the final dress rehearsal of Eugene Onegin at Lyric Opera of Chicago. -
Takaoki Onishi pictured in the final dress rehearsal of Eugene Onegin at Lyric Opera of Chicago with Ana MariaMartinez. -
Photo by Dario Acosta -
Photo by Simon Pauly -
Photo by Simon Pauly -
Photo by Simon Pauly -
From Opera News, Sound Bites -
Singing National Anthem at Arlington Park Racetrack (July 2016) -
Photo by Devon Cass -
Takaoki Onishi as Father Arguedas in the World premiere of "Bel Canto", Lyric Opera of Chicago. Photo by Todd Rosenberg -
Takaoki Onishi as Count Almaviva, Le Nozze di Figaro, Juilliard Opera Theater, 2015 Photo by Ken Howard -
Takaoki Onishi in the title role of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at the Juilliard School, 2014 -
Takaoki Onishi pictured with Placido Domingo between acts at the Metropolitan Opera's production of THE ENCHANTED ISLAND, 2014 -
Takaoki Onishi pictured with Hideki Matsui at a gala honoring the former New York Yankees Star, where Takaoki performed both the Japanese and American National Anthems. -
Takaoki Onishi pictured with Sir Richard Bonynge
Press Kit
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Bio