Recent highlights for American tenor Erin Caves include his role debut as Siegfried in Wagner’s Götterdämmerung (March 2020, at Biwako Hall in Otsu, Japan) concluding Michael Hampe’s Ring Cycle under the baton of Ryusuke Numajiri and just released on DVD, and his theater debut at Teatro alla Scala as Walther in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg conducted by Daniele Gatti, with whom he sang Hans Schwalb in Mathis der Maler at Oper Zürich.
Erin Caves has earned a reputation for his dynamic interpretations of leading Wagner tenor roles such as Tristan in Tristan und Isolde, which he performed at Staatsoper Stuttgart, Opéra National de Bordeaux, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos Lisbon, Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, La Monnaie De Munt Brussels, and a prize winning performance at the Suntory Hall Tokyo. Other Wagner roles include: Parsifal at Vlaamse Opera, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos Lisbon and Coliseu Porto Ageas; Walther von Stolzing in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at Komische Oper Berlin and Staatstheater Kasssel; Erik in Der Fliegender Holländer at Staatsoper Stuttgart, Deutsches National Theater Weimar, Staatstheater Nürnberg, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Aalto Theater Essen and Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden. From Wagner’s Ring Cyle, Mr. Caves has also sung Siegmund in Die Walküre at Deutsches National Theater Weimar and Loge in Das Rheingold at Deutches National Theater Weimar, Nationale Reisopera, Aalto Theater Essen and Staatsoper Hannover. Both roles are featured on DVD by Arthaus.
The extremely voluminous Isolde by Heide Melton and the expressive, height-proof Tristan by Erin Caves complement each other brilliantly.
The hurricane of the premier audience’s applause for this couple was justified.
Other dramatic roles include: Florestan in Fidelio at Národní Divadlo Prague and Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and a production of the seldom performed Leonora in Weimar; Hermann in Pique Dame at Stuttgart Oper; Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos at Stuttgart Oper and Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf; Max in Der Freischütz at Staatstheater Nürnberg, Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Stuttgart Oper and Oper Zürich; the title role Les contes d’Hoffmann at Komische Oper Berlin, Staatstheater Kassel, Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Theater Magdeburg and Theater Winterthur; Alwa in Lulu at Theater Basel, Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Oper Graz and Aalto Theater Essen; Don José in Carmen at Oper Stuttgart and at the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid. At Teatro Real in Madrid, Erin Caves sang the roles of Emperador and Prestidigitador in the world-premiere of the opera El Público by composer Mauricio Sotelo and conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado, which included a command performance for the Spanish King and Queen.
To her side a Tristan of the format Erin Caves, a singer of highly respectable vocal performances.
One experienced a radiant, high-pitched, well-grounded Wagner tenor of considerable reserves.
Cave’s vocal portrayal is filled with emotions, his Tristan always revels, even during the energy-consuming feverish dreams in ‘melody’, his monologues are characterized by high musicality.
Each note was sung beautifully in the best articulation, not declaimed. In vocal consistency, the predestined singer explored his part nuanced in colorful individuality.
On the concert platform, highlights include Mahler´s Das Lied von der Erde with the Staatstheater Stuttgart, a piece he also performed under Ralf Weikert at the Kultur- und Kongresszentrum (KKL) Luzern and with conductor Vladimir Fedosejev at the Opernhaus Zürich. Erin Caves was also scheduled to sing this piece this summer (2020) at the Toblach Mahler Festival which was unfortunately cancelled due to Covid-19.
With the MDR Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Gewandhaus Leipzig, Erin Caves sang the tenor soloist in Bernstein’s Songfest. He sang the tenor soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with Het Gelders Orkest and Staatskapelle Weimar, and in Berlioz’s Te Deum with the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra. He sang 8 Romanze per Tenore e Orchestra (Verdi/Berio) with the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra Moscow and the Beethoven Orchester Bonn, both under the baton of Vladimir Fedoseyev and Schinitke’s Faust Cantata opus 167, “Seid nüchtern und wachet” with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio at the Salle Pleyel in Paris.
Erin Caves was raised in Stockton, California, and completed his musical studies at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, Yale University School of Music and The Juilliard School. Following his dream to sing in Europe, he apprenticed with Central City Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Glimmerglass Opera, Chautauqua Opera and began his European career at the Dutch International Opera Centrum in Amsterdam. After initially singing professionally as an award winning baritone and with the guidance of renown artists Mario Brell, Jean Cox, Anna Reynolds and Gregory Lamar, Mr. Caves made the change (Fachwechseln) to Heldentenor (hero tenor).
When Erin Caves gives Tristan, his brilliant role finish, his top is phenomenally radiant, bright and clear, his diction immaculate.