Stephen Lancaster

Biography

Baritone Stephen Lancaster has been hailed as a 'fine storyteller' (American Record Guide), 'varied in tone and alive to feeling' (Fanfare Magazine), and has received the American Prize in Art Song and Oratorio. He performs a diverse repertoire spanning solo song, concert music, and ensemble work, with a commitment to new music and collaborative projects.

A frequent chamber musician, Lancaster has performed for the Gstaad New Year Music Festival, Festival Musique d’Uzerche, Musique dans le Grésivaudan, Les Grandes Heures de Saint-Emilion, Atlantic Music Festival, and Brooklyn Art Song Society. His recital for the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts series was broadcast live by WFMT Chicago.

Passionate about new music, Lancaster actively collaborates with composers, including premiering works by Thomas Enhco (Deux fables de Jean de la Fontaine) and Thomas Schuttenhelm (Seven Living Words for the HIV Positive). He premiered and recorded the role of Tallis in Robert Kyr's Earth Ritual with Conspirare and performed in Chris Thile's Attention! with the EXIGENCE vocal ensemble and the National Symphony Orchestra. His latest project is a visual album of J. Scott Brubacher's song cycle Gilgamesh, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

His discography includes the solo albums Le Menu des Mélodies with Martin Katz, Sacred Song with organist Kevin Vaughn, and Dichterliebe & Liederkreis, Op. 39 with Laure Colladant. As an ensemble singer, he records with the Grammy-winning vocal ensemble Conspirare, contributing to their Grammy-nominated album House of Belonging, and with EXIGENCE vocal ensemble on albums such as Wanting Memories and Black is Beautiful.

Lancaster has also performed at Carnegie Hall, Centro Cultural de Belém, the Chicago Cultural Center, and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and with ensembles including the South Bend Symphony, UMS Choral Union, and Holland Symphony. His concert repertoire spans the Fauré, Duruflé, and Brahms Requiems, Carmina Burana, The Bells, Belshazzar's Feast, Le bal masqué, An American Requiem, Messiah, as well as numerous cantatas by J.S. Bach and masses by Haydn and Mozart.

On the operatic stage, he has performed roles including Dancaïro in Carmen and Anthony in Sweeney Todd with Eugene Opera and Schaunard in La bohème with Arbor Opera Theater. He also created the role of Jaques in the world premiere of Roger Steptoe's As You Like It.

Born and raised in Canada with American roots and Puerto Rican heritage, Lancaster holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan and a Master of Music from Notre Dame. He also holds a Colleague Certificate from the American Guild of Organists and serves as organist for Sunnyside Presbyterian Church.

Stephen Lancaster joined the music faculty at the University of Notre Dame in 2007, where he teaches classical and musical theater singing styles to graduate and undergraduate voice students. His students have gone on to study at esteemed graduate and young artist programs across the country and to perform with organizations such as New York Philharmonic, Tanglewood Music Festival, Seraphic Fire, Apollo's Fire, Bach Collegium Japan, Border CrosSing, and True Concord Voices & Orchestra.