Aria from Around Here?

This Philly-bred opera star started off as ... an oboist?

by David Shengold

Eric Owens (CLICK IMAGES FOR LARGER VERSIONS)

Bass Eric Owens, 37, grew up in Mount Airy, attended Central High, Temple and Curtis — and has been conquering the world ever since, with appearances at major opera houses and orchestras all over North America and Europe. He's created tailor-made major roles in Elliot Goldenthal's Grendel (Los Angeles, 2006) and John Adams' Doctor Atomic (San Francisco, 2005); the latter will furnish his Metropolitan Opera debut next season. Starting in 2001, the Opera Company of Philadelphia has presented him in Mozart and Verdi leads; he returns for Vincenzo Bellini's great epic of love and war between Romans and Gauls, Norma, playing Oroveso, the priestly father of the title heroine (OCP favorite Christine Goerke).

City Paper: Why are there so many great singers from Philly?

Eric Owens: I don't know, maybe there's something in that Schuylkill water, man!

CP: Bellini is considered a "bel canto" composer. People always ask: Doesn't every opera require "beautiful singing"?

EO: I've done a few Bellini roles: Oroveso before (in London), Rodolfo in Sonnambula and Giorgio in I Puritani, in concert. "Bel canto" is associated with him, Rossini, Donizetti and early Verdi. There's a certain formula in how the scenes are constructed: recitative ["spoken" music], cavatina [slow song], cabaletta [fast song, sometimes with chorus]. But "bel canto" implies the long line, the breath support, making sure the vibrato continues throughout the phrase. Shaping the arc of the entire phrase is important, not just some part of it. That drives me crazy, when people just go for the loud high note and then forget about the rest of the aria. Excuse me, no, you've broken the line!

CP: As a bass, you do a lot of "authority guys"; ever want to do romantic roles or bad boys?

EO: Yeah, [I've played] fathers, priests and kings and that sort of thing. Bad boys? I did Mephistopheles in Faust in Houston, and Grendel [pictured] was sort of a bad-boy role. As far as romantic leads — hey, I play characters who were wishing they were! But I enjoy what I do; the music and drama for someone like Leporello [Don Giovanni's one-man entourage] and the complicated fathers are really satisfying. If something else came along, I'd certainly evaluate it.

CP: What are the challenges of creating totally new roles?

EO: It's really exciting to be involved on the ground floor, to interact with the composer — especially when they're writing it for you and want your input on range and tessitura [where the music lies in the voice]. Working with [director] Julie Taymor on Grendel was incredible. You can really put your stamp on things, since the audience doesn't come with any preconceived idea of how something should go, or have its favorite CD performance in its ear! John Adams' music is very challenging; the meter changes all the time — the same with Elliot. But once you've done due diligence, it's very satisfying.

CP: What do you do when you're not "being an opera singer"?

EO: I started out as an oboist; I just recently purchased an oboe and have been working on that. I'm a big spy novel guy. I went to a Flyers game the other night. ... We're on the road a lot, so here it's been great since it's my hometown and I have friends. Plus, the cast is people I've known awhile and we're having a really good time.

(d_shengold@citypaper.net)

Norma April 4-18, $7.50-$205, Opera Company of Philadelphia at the Academy of Music, 1420 Locust St., 215-893-1018, operaphilly.com