In the 2022/23 season, baritone Xiaomeng Zhang debuts at Opéra National de Paris as Chou En-lai in Valentina Carracso’s new production of Nixon in China under Music Director Gustavo Dudamel. Following two seasons in Opernhaus Zürich’s elite Opernstudio – where his featured roles included Silvio (I pagliacci) under Paolo Carignani and Marullo (Rigoletto) under Karel Mark Chichon – Zhang returns this season for his first guest appearance as Ping in Sebastian Baumgarten’s new production of Turandot under Marc Albrecht. Future plans include debuts as Guglielmo (Così fan tutte) and Donner (Das Rheingold).
Hailed as “a miracle of vocal focus and controlled fury” as Conte Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro) at The Aspen Music Festival, further principal roles in Zhang’s repertoire include Belcore (L’elisir d’amore) for ARE Opera, Schaunard (La bohème) for the Chautauqua Music Festival, and the eponymous hero of Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia for Opera Columbus. During his studies at the Julliard School, Zhang debuted as Don Giovanni under Joseph Colaneri, along with Le Fauteuil/Arbre (L’enfant et les sortilèges), Kuligin (Katya Kabanova), Minksman (Flight), Giove (La Calisto) and Presto (Les mamelles de Tirésias).