Eric Ferring (Grimoaldo)

Emmy-winning, Billboard-charting American tenor Eric Ferring is known internationally as “a prodigiously gifted lyric tenor” (Opera News) for his “fine, gleaming tenor” (New York Classical Review), as well as for having “a beautifully round and warm timbre, expressive, and with great finesse” (Olyrix). His expertise ranges from early bel canto repertoire and the music of Handel and Mozart to the origination of contemporary operatic roles.

Eric Ferring made his anticipated Metropolitan Opera debut during the 2021–22 season singing Pong in Turandot, followed by Tamino in The Magic Flute, Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor, a Royal Herald in Don Carlos, and covering Grimoaldo in Rodelinda. He made his debut at Santa Fe Opera, singing Fenton in Sir David McVicar’s new production of Falstaff, as well as his Spoleto Festival (USA) debut in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. In the fall of 2022, Ferring released his solo debut album with pianist Madeline Slettedahl titled No Choice but Love: Songs of the LGBTQ+ Community with Lexicon Classics. His performance in Chicago Lyric Opera’s production of Pagliacci was nominated and won a 2022 Emmy Award. The 2022–23 season includes a return to Opéra de Rouen and debuts with the Opéra de Paris and the Opéra national du Rhin. This season includes a return to Opéra de Rouen, debuts with Opéra de Lille, Haymarket Opera, and the Dubuque Symphony, as well as the current world tour of Rodelinda with The English Concert.

Ferring’s numerous awards include top prizes at competitions including the George London Foundation for Singers, Glyndebourne Opera Cup, Gerda Lissner Foundation International Voice Competition, American Opera Society of Chicago, and the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, as well as grants and awards from the Richard Tucker Foundation, Sullivan Foundation, Santa Fe Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.

He is a native of Dubuque, Iowa and graduated from Drake University with his BM in vocal performance and the Boston Conservatory with his MM in opera performance. Ferring is a graduate of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center and the Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist Program.

Ferring is also Project Curator for Lexicon Classics, Soloists Vice President at the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), and Executive Director of the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago (CAIC). ericferring.com or @ericferring on Instagram.