David Cushing’s versatile bass-baritone range is effortlessly demonstrated in a variety of roles including recent appearances in the title roles of Don Pasquale and Le nozze di Figaro, Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette, and Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Of a recent performance, the Boston Herald exclaimed, “his portrayal of hoodwinked old Pasquale, filled with pathos and unself-conscious humor, was a revelation. He could easily specialize in Italian opera’s wealth of foolish-old-man roles and become the basso buffo of his generation.” Last season, Mr. Cushing performed the role of Commander in The Handmaid’s Tale with Boston Lyric Opera, Mr. Peachum in The Beggar’s Opera with Emmanuel Music, Colline in La bohème and Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra and Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Mobile Opera. Next he will perform as a soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with Savannah Philharmonic, performs the role of Archbishop in Henry VIII with Odyssey Opera, sings Bruckner’s Te Deum with Commonwealth Chorale, and is participating in a workshop for a new work with White Snake Projects.
Other recent engagements include performances in numerous productions with the Boston Lyric Opera, The Threepenny Opera, Angelotti in Tosca and Donald in The Nefarious, Immoral But Highly Profitable Enterprise of Mr. Burke & Mr. Hare; sang the title role of Don Pasquale with Bar Harbor Music Festival; performed Banquo in Macbeth and reprised the role of Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Tampa; created the role of Sun Tze in the world première of Rev. 23 with White Snake Projects; and sang Tiresias in Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex with Emmanuel Music. He also performed Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Boston Midsummer Opera and joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood for their production of La bohéme under Mo. Andris Nelsons.
Over the past few seasons, Mr. Cushing’s noted engagements have included Tom in Un ballo in maschera, Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte, Sparafucile/Count Monterone in Rigoletto, Leporello in Don Giovanni, and Frère Laurent/Duke in Roméo et Juliette with Opera Tampa; Police Officer in Der Rosenkavalier with Boston Symphony Orchestra; Commendatore/Masetto in Don Giovanni with the Bar Harbor Music Festival; as a soloist in Glass’s Symphony No. 5 with The Washington Chorus and Trinity Wall Street; his début in the role of George Wilson in John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby with Emmanuel Music at Jordan Hall and the Tanglewood Festival; and multiple roles with Opera Colorado including Nourabad in Les pêcheurs des perles, The Bonze in Madama Butterfly, Count Horn/Tom in Un ballo in maschera, and Dr. Grenvil in La traviata. Other notable engagements include Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte with Florentine Opera of Milwaukee; Leporello in Don Giovanni with Syracuse Opera; The Bonze in Madama Butterfly with Opera Theatre of St. Louis; Fifth Jew and Cappadocian in Salome with Michigan Opera Theatre; Colline in La bohème with Opera Columbus; Alidoro in La Cenerentola with Lake George Opera; Dr. Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera North; Mephistopheles in Faust with Baltimore Concert Opera; Montano in Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra’s production of Otello; Angelotti in Tosca with Mill City Summer Opera; Masetto in Don Giovanni with Florentine Opera of Milwaukee, Nashville Opera, Baltimore Concert Opera, Opera Colorado, and Opera New Jersey; and the leading role of Maometto in Rossini’s rarely performed opera L’assedio di corinto alongside renowned soprano Elizabeth Futral with the former Baltimore Opera. Additionally, he appeared in Opera Parallèle’s production of The Lighthouse. With Boston University’s Opera Institute performances included his début in the title role in Don Pasquale and Frère Laurence in Roméo et Juliette.
In his recent début at Symphony Hall as soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, the Boston Herald described his performance as “dynamite, with spine-tingling resonance.” He also sang Verdi’s Requiem with the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra and the Blizzard Voices concert with Boston Modern Opera Projects. Additionally, he has performed as the soloist in Händel’s Messiah, Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, the Brahms Requiem, Fauré Requiem, Mozart Requiem, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Beethoven’s Mass in C, Bruckner’s Te Deum, and Schubert’s Mass in G.