Valerian Ruminski Explained

Valerian Ruminski
Birth Name:Martin Matthew Ruminski
Birth Place:Lackawanna, New York
Occupation:Opera singer (bass)
Years Active:1999 – present

Valerian Ruminski (born 1967) is an American operatic bass. He is also the founder and artistic director of Nickel City Opera, in Buffalo, New York.[1] [2]

Life and career

Named Martin Matthew Ruminski by his adoptive parents Mary and Valerian Ruminski, he was born in Lackawanna, New York and grew up in nearby Cheektowaga. As a child he sang in the St. Paul's Cathedral Men and Boys Choir. He later sang in the Canisius High School choir. He studied music at SUNY Buffalo where he graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1995 and went on to further study at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. While he was at AVA, he also did apprenticeships with Santa Fe Opera and Chautauqua Opera during the summers. Since the start of his career, he has performed under the first name "Valerian" as a tribute to his late father.[3] [4]

In 1999 Ruminski was signed by the New York City Opera to sing in Bizet's Carmen. After his audition, Beverly Sills singled him out for the 1999 Lincoln Center Martin Segal Award. The following year he received a Career Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation and won the $20,000 First Prize in the MacAllister Singing Competition. The judges at the MacAllister Competition were struck by the unusual pieces Ruminski chose to present—arias from Ambroise Thomas's little-known opera Le caïd and The Tempest, a baroque work attributed to Purcell.[5] [6] [7] [8] A scout from the Metropolitan Opera had heard Ruminski's performances at the NYCO and invited him to audition for the Met. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut on 17 January 2001 as Zuniga in Carmen. He later sang there as Gualtiero in I puritani (2006–2007) and Nikitich in Boris Godunov (2010–2011).[9] In the course of his operatic career, Ruminski has sung in many opera houses in the United States and Canada. Early in his career he also appeared in Israel with the New Israeli Opera and in Monaco with the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.[3]

Nickel City Opera

In 2004 Ruminski founded Nickel City Opera, a small opera company based in Buffalo, New York. After several years of fund-raising and a search for a sponsoring venue, the company's first production, The Barber of Seville, opened in 2009 at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda, a small city near Buffalo. Most of their productions have been staged at the Riviera Theatre, although they staged Puccini's Il Tabarro in 2011 on the decommissioned USS The Sullivans, docked at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park and the world premiere of SHOT! in 2016 at Shea's Theatre in downtown Buffalo. From 2017 the company also began touring their productions and concerts in the Buffalo metropolitan area.[10] [11]

Ruminski's performances in Nickel City Opera's productions have included Don Basilio in The Barber of Seville (2009), Colline in La bohème (2011), Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro (2015), and William McKinley in the world premiere of SHOT! (2016). Composed by Persis Vehar, SHOT! is based on events surrounding the assassination of President William McKinley who was shot in Buffalo in September 1901 while attending a reception at the Temple of Music. In addition to his performances, Ruminski has co-directed some of the company's productions and in 2014 also directed the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's production of Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle, featuring the glass sculptures of Dale Chihuly.[12] [13]

In 2017, Ruminski received Opera America's Bravo Service Award, whose recipients "promote opera in their communities and work tirelessly to ensure the highest possible artistic quality and community service."[14]

Roles and opera companies

Ruminski's opera performances have included, among others:

In concert and recital

Ruminski's concert and recital performances have included, among others:

Recordings

Ruminski's recordings include:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Buckley, Eileen (22 April 2004). "Opera Singer Valerian Ruminski Creates New Company". WBFO. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  2. http://nickelcityoperaco.com/about/ "About"
  3. O'Shea, Clare (Winter 2001). "Valerian Ruminski: An operatic life". UB Today. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  4. Vogel, Charity and Goldman, Mary Kunz (20 January 2002). "Buffalo's Opera Man is Making Some Noise". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  5. Smith, Whitney (28 August 28, 2000). "Operatic bass captures top MacAllister Award". The Indianapolis Star , p. 38. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  6. [Richard Tucker Music Foundation]
  7. Baxter, Robert (9 April 2000). "Something to Sing About", pp. 91–92. Courier-Post. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  8. [Lincoln Center]
  9. [Metropolitan Opera]
  10. Goldman, Mary Kunz (25 June 2009). "The booming voice behind Buffalo's new opera company".
  11. Goldman, Mary Kunz (24 June 2010). "Making opera cool in Buffalo; Valerian Ruminski believes his hip Nickel City troupe can succeed".The Buffalo News. Retrieved 29 October 2017 . The Buffalo News. Retrieved 29 October 2017 .
  12. Goldman, Mary Kunz (30 September 2014). "Bartok Builds Effects into the Music of Bluebeard". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 29 October 2017 .
  13. Buckley, Eileen (10 June 2016). "Nickel City’s original opera SHOT!". WBFO. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  14. Am-Pol Eagle (11 May 2017). "Ruminski receives Opera America award, NCO prepares Roadshow Opera". Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  15. Trotter, Herman (20 June 1999). "Valerian Ruminski Returns to His Hometown for a Pair of Recitals". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 31 October 2017 .
  16. Koopman, John (January 2003). "In Review: Detroit". Opera News. Retrieved 29 October 2017 .
  17. The Santa Fe New Mexican (19 July 2002). "Love in the Time of Opera", p. 94. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  18. Weiss, Ursula (23 June 2003). "Rossini's Ermione was brought to life in a new production by Dallas Opera—vivid, vibrant life". Opera Canada. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  19. Midgette, Anne (13 April 2004). "Long Buried, Rossini Work Rises to the Occasion". New York Times. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  20. Colombeau, Christian (January 2004). "Monte-Carlo: Aida". Forumopera. Retrieved 30 October 2017 .
  21. Roca, Octavio (2 November 2006). "Vigorous Verdi". Miami New Times. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  22. Todd, Richard (November 2005). "Romeo et Juliette". Opera Canada. Retrieved 30 October 2017 .
  23. Murray, Mike (23 February 2006). "Seattle Opera stages Mozart’s ‘Cosi fan tutte’". The Herald. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  24. Kozinn, Alann (30 April 2008). "Fast Times in Arcadia, via Handel". New York Times. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  25. Stabler, David (24 January 2008). "Flame-throwing Rodelinda". The Oregonian.
  26. Vallongo, Sally (9 November 2008). "Toledo Opera delivers well-balanced Rigoletto". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  27. Bradshaw, James (17 September 2009). "NAC's Zukerman says he's caught the opera bug". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  28. Marx, Wolfgang (14 November 2009). "Review: Macbeth". Irish Theatre Magazine. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  29. [Musikverein|Vienna Musikverein]
  30. Bingham, Ruth O. (13 February 2011). "Madness makes divine opera". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 29 October 2017 .
  31. Bingham, Ruth O. (12 February 2012). "Engaging, Strong Players Keep 'Don Pasquale' Lively". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 29 October 2017 .
  32. [Seattle Opera]
  33. Harris, Holly (22 December 2014). "Manitoba Opera". Opera Canada. Retrieved 29 October 2017 .
  34. [Opera America]
  35. Bonfield, Stephan (22 November 2015). "Calgary Opera's jewel Lakmé is a fine gem of a production". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  36. [Manitoba Opera]
  37. Ho, Elijah (14 November 2016). "‘Barber of Seville’ is a thriller of an opera in San Jose". The Mercury News. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  38. Kaptainis, Arthur (17 September 2017). "Subtle touches in Opéra de Montréal's traditional Tosca". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  39. Woodard, Josef (12 September 2000). "Bukowski's Sensitivity Emerges in Song". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  40. Kunz, Mary (6 December 2002). "Christmas Oratorio" The Buffalo News. Retrieved 29 October 2017 .
  41. https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/22/arts/music/music-listings.html "Music Listings"
  42. Buckley, Eileen (2 December 2005). "Opera Singer Comes Home to Sing with BPO". WBFO. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  43. Goldman, Mary Kunz (5 January 2010). "Our man in Honolulu". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 29 October 2017 .

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