(as Tom Rakewell, with David Kravitz as Nick Shadow. Photo by Julian Bullitt)
Charles Blandy has been praised as “unfailingly, tirelessly lyrical” (Boston Globe); “fearless” (New York Times); “a versatile tenor with agility, endless breath, and vigorous high notes” (Goldberg Early Music Magazine); and for his “clear, focused, gorgeous tenor voice” (Worcester Telegram and Gazette).
He made his Boston Symphony Orchestra/Carnegie Hall debut in 2024 in Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. He is a core member of Emmanuel Music, and regularly appears in their ongoing Bach Cantata series. With Emmanuel he performed at BachFest Leipzig; has sung the Evangelist in Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions, and lead roles in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio and The Magic Flute, and Handel’s Ariodante.
He has performed Bach’s B minor mass with Orchestra Iowa; the Apollo Chorus of Chicago; and the American Classical Orchestra (NYC) at Lincoln Center. He sang Handel’s Messiah with Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse, Vespers of 1610, L’Orfeo, and assorted madrigals with Boston Early Music Festival; Messiah and St. Matthew Passion with the American Bach Soloists (SF, CA). He has appeared with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, Music of the Baroque (Chicago), Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Charlotte Symphony.
He gave the US premiere of Gerald Barry’s Canada at the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music. With Boston Modern Orchestra Project he recorded Wuorinen’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories; and Virgil Thomson’s Four Saints in Three Acts. With Collage New Music he recorded Rodney Lister’s chamber song cycle Friendly Fire, and gave the US premiere of Rautavaara’s song cycle Die Liebenden.
A recitalist of wide repertoire, he has performed Schubert’s Schwanengesang at the Token Creek Festival (WI) and at Tufts University; Winterreise at Tufts; Auf dem Strom and Brahms songs with Boston Chamber Music Society; and songs of Finzi and Janacek’s Diary of One Who Disappeared at Monadnock Music (NH). He gave recitals of contemporary American songs in New York, Boston, London and Manchester UK, with Rodney Lister at the piano.
Charles Blandy is a member of Beyond Artists, a coalition that supports good causes through their work. He studied at Oberlin College, Indiana University, and Tanglewood Music Center. He is the product of a strong public school arts program in Troy NY.