Thomas Muraco Pianist & Conductor

Maestro Thomas Muraco has earned international acclaim as both pianist and conductor through his unique combination of stylistic sensibility, artistic phrasing, consummate knowledge of the underlying poetry of music and technical virtuosity. As conductor of the Opera Repertoire Ensemble at Manhattan School of Music, Maestro Muraco has prepared and led performances of Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Lucia di Lammermoor, Lakmé, Luisa Miller, La Traviata, Rigoletto, Falstaff, Carmen, Faust, La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, Il Tabarro, Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica, Hänsel und Gretel, La Voix Humaine, and Dialogues des Carmélites. In 2019 he leads the ensemble in Les Pêcheurs de Perles. Maestro Muraco’s career as a conductor began as assistant to some of the best conductors of the 20th century: Leonard Bernstein, John Nelson, and James Conlon. He has since lead performances by companies in North America and Europe including: Carl Goldmark’s Merlin and Verdi’s Nabucco at Theater Bremen, Idomeneo at Opera McGill in Montreal, La Cenerentola at Opera San Jose, Lakmé with IVAI in Tel Aviv, and in 2015 Faust at Tri-Cities Opera. In addition to his busy performing schedule, Mr. Muraco is on the faculty at Manhattan School of Music where he conducts, coaches singers and trains pianists in the art of accompanying. In 2013 he was guest vocal coach at Santa Fe Opera and he is currently a faculty coach at the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices. In 2012 he was Music Director of a new summer program for opera singers in Siena, Italy. He has taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and has presented master classes for pianists and singers at the Aspen and Banff Music Festivals and at St. Louis Conservatory. He is chairman of the jury at the annual international vocal competition, “De Vive Voix”, in Vivonne, France. Mr. Muraco’s performances in major concert halls throughout North and Central America, Europe and Asia have reflected his command of a diverse repertoire remarkable for its range of musical styles, periods, and forms. He has been praised for his insightful interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, Brahms, Wolf, Debussy, Rachmaninov, Poulenc, and premieres of works by William Schuman and George Perle. He has performed at The White House, the Library of Congress, and at international music festivals in Aspen, Banff, Bermuda, Casals, Cincinnati, and Ravinia. In 2009 Thomas Muraco performed on the acclaimed recital tour with tenor Ben Heppner at La Scala, Dortmund Konzerthaus, Opéra National de Paris, Berlin Philharmonie, and the Barbican Centre in London. He has also collaborated with singers Adele Addison, John Aler, Martina Arroyo, Arleen Augér, John Cheek, Phyllis Curtin, Mary Dunleavy, Faith Esham, Maureen Forrester, Denyce Graves, Henry Herford, Ying Huang, Sumi Jo, Chris Merritt, Roberta Peters, Hermann Prey, Twyla Robinson, Jennie Tourel, Benita Valente, and Dolora Zajick, and with instrumentalists John Graham, Robert Mann, Arnold Steinhardt, Zara Nelsova, Ransom Wilson, Peter Winograd, and the American and Shanghai String Quartets. As a pianist, Mr. Muraco has recorded for the Serenus, CRI, and Musical Heritage labels, most recently in a program of music for viola and piano by Britten, Shostakovitch, Bergsma, and Shapey. He was featured on CBC Records accompanying contralto Maureen Forrester in a Liederabend by Brahms.

Thomas Muraco Conductor

Upcoming & Recently Conducted

Bizet Les Pêcheurs de Perles Manhattan School of Music 2019 Mozart Così fan tutte Manhattan School of Music 2018 Puccini Suor Angelica Manhattan School of Music 2017 Poulenc La Voix Humaine Manhattan School of Music 2017 Mozart Die Entführung aus dem Serail Manhattan School of Music 2016 Verdi Luisa Miller Manhattan School of Music 2015 Délibes Lakmé Manhattan School of Music 2015 Gounod Faust Tri-Cities Opera 2015 Puccini La Bohème Manhattan School of Music 2014 Bellini I Capuleti e i Montecchi Manhattan School of Music 2014 Humperdinck Hänsel und Gretel Manhattan School of Music 2013 Gounod Faust Manhattan School of Music 2013 Donizetti Lucia di Lammermoor Manhattan School of Music 2012 Verdi Falstaff Manhattan School of Music 2011 Verdi Rigoletto Manhattan School of Music 2010 Goldmark Merlin Theater Bremen 2008 Verdi Nabucco Theater Bremen 2007 Puccini Il Tabarro/Gianni Schicchi Manhattan School of Music 2007 Poulenc Dialogues des Carmélites Manhattan School of Music 2006 Mozart Don Giovanni Manhattan School of Music 2005 Mozart Idomeneo Opera McGill 2004 Puccini Madama Butterfly Manhattan School of Music 2004 Mozart Die Zauberflöte Manhattan School of Music 2003 Rossini La Cenerentola Opera San Jose 2002 Bizet Carmen Manhattan School of Music 2002 Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasileiras no.5 Manhattan School of Music 2001 Verdi La Traviata Manhattan School of Music 2001 Puccini La Bohème Manhattan School of Music 2000 Délibes Lakmé IVAI, Tel Aviv 2000

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Thomas Muraco Pianist & Conductor

Reviews “In der Bremer Aufführung spielen die Philharmoniker unter der exakten Leitung von Thomas Muraco unsichtbar hinter der Szene und unterstreichendamit das Primat der Gesangstimmen…”

WESER KOURIER “Muraco begleitete die Sängerin (Twyla Robinson) souverän und aufmerksam. Manchmal schlug er burschikose Töne an, zeigte sich aber auch mit ruhigen, stimmungsvollen Klängen vertraut…”

WESER KOURIER “[Hermann] Prey was very beautifully accompanied by Thomas Muraco, a man who not only shared his intimate knowledge of the songs and their meanings, but helped to gloss over the rough spots and highlight the best work; the kind of partner every singer dreams of. His efforts were appreciated.”

THE HERALD “[Hermann] Prey’s associate is ideal: Thomas Muraco, an American pianist (on the Cleveland Institute faculty), takes a delicate, gentle approach to the piano, with soft lustrous tone, articulating the figured Schubert accompaniments finely like lace, pointing up key notes in the Schumann with eloquence.”

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE “In all the songs, Thomas Muraco played with such perception that the imaginative, difficult, beautiful piano parts sounded as they always should, an equal partner to the voice. Certainly Ms. Forrester considered him an equal and the two performed in fine partnership.”

AKRON BEACON JOURNAL “Throughout the recital, Thomas Muraco at the piano gave Miss Forrester outstanding support, demonstrating his own artistry and virtuosity, yet at all times projecting as one with the singer.”

THE NEWS & COURIER, Charleston, SC “The virtuosity of accompanist Thomas Muraco was most evident here. Among his many virtues as a pianist, he has, in addition, fleetness of touch, the marvelous ability to float an accompaniment behind the singer without having it become airy and disembodied.”

THE SATURDAY PAPER, Worcester

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Thomas Muraco Pianist & Conductor

Reviews, cont’d “It was an unusually direct communication, even for Forrester, and her accompanist, in this as in all his work last night, displayed a sensitive range in his collaboration.”

TORONTO STAR “Forrester gave grippingly dramatic feel to each song... Piano accompanist Thomas Muraco deftly followed her every inflection, coloring the performance with a well-defined musical backdrop... Muraco's dynamic touch gave the piano harp like flow and gently rippling resonance.”

THE EDMONTON SUN “Thomas Muraco accompanied Miss Forrester with an impeccability and tranquillity that never allowed the tension to sag for an instant, and added color and dimension to the entire program.”

EDMONTON JOURNAL “Cheek, renowned Metropolitan Opera star, and the accomplished pianist Muraco were perfect partners, bringing sensitivity, insight and incredible artistry to this great musical drama Die Winterreise. Both were chillingly expressive, creating moods of recollection, rage and despair. Both maintained convincing emotional involvement throughout.”

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH “Muraco was an exemplary ensemble musician in the Schumann and later in the Brahms. He was the ideal partner, sharing the strings’ vision of the music and moving easily in and out of the spotlight as needed.”

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH “The excellent young American String Quartet, last year’s winners of the Naumburg Competition, were joined again by pianist Thomas Muraco. Their performance transcended the academic formalism of much of the writing. Unusually sensitive to phrasing and timbre. Muraco showed promise of being another Curzon.”

THE MUSIC JOURNAL “These works revealed the essential qualities of [John] Graham's performances with pianist Thomas Muraco... their collaboration soon conveyed a concise, deeply committed view of the pieces... Muraco offered finely detailed accompaniments.”

HOUSTON CHRONICLE

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Thomas Muraco Pianist & Conductor

Reviews, cont’d “The artist was the young Ransom Wilson... Thomas Muraco was the splendid pianist, who succeeded in blending his tone with Wilsons’ at every turn, evincing the same high degree of artistry as his soloist. Together, the two were unbeatable.”

THE ATLANTA JOURNAL “The pianist, Thomas Muraco, supported Miss Esham firmly without getting in her way for a moment. His work was especially brilliant in the Wolf and Perle songs, which demanded virtuosic technique.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES “Thomas Muraco was the strong, expressive pianist.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES “Joining the soprano [Faith Esham] was pianist Thomas Muraco, whose contributions transcended accompaniment by a large margin. Four Rachmaninov songs delighted with their florid pianism Muraco played with authority, bolstering Esham’s shadings of emotion.”

THE COURIER JOURNAL “Miss Esham’s soprano was earnest... one enjoyed Thomas Muraco’s song accompaniments, which showed a nice understanding of Slavonic music’s eccentric accents.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES “Thomas Muraco was the highly sympathetic, stylistically congenial accompanist.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES “...Thomas Muraco showed himself not only an accomplished pianist, but also an excellent accompanist, offering his considerable skills to support the singer in every measure. His playing of the difficult accompaniments in the Schubert, Brahms and Fauré songs deserve a special mention.”

ASHEVILLE CITIZEN TIMES

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Thomas Muraco Pianist & Conductor

Reviews, cont’d “Ms. Nelsova had a well balanced musical partnership available in the assistance of pianist Thomas Muraco, who matched her playing with the same sort of flair for the well turned phrase and sparkling technical passages.”

THE CLEVELAND PRESS “Faith Esham displays many strengths in recital and arch detachment that Poulenc’s music calls for. Her collaborator was pianist Thomas Muraco, whose deft and musical playing contributed unfailing pleasure all evening long.”

THE BALTIMORE SUN “Phyllis Curtin shared a recital of rare art songs... It was more than a recital. It was an object lesson, to the credit and the courage of a great soprano and a stunningly understanding accompanist in Thomas Muraco. The pair were superb.”

COLUMBUS DISPATCH “Thomas Muraco is simply one of the finest collaborative artists before the public today: his contributions were models of complete support and specific understanding they were songs without words.”

THE BOSTON GLOBE