Valentin Vasiliu, baritone, is a native of Bucharest, Romania. Mr. Vasiliu graduated from the Music University of Bucharest, completing the Master Degree in vocal performance and pedagogy in 1991. He also studied for four semesters in the DMA program in voice performance at The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. He made his operatic debut with the role of Schaunard in Puccini’s “La Boheme” at the Romanian Opera in Cluj-Napoca in June of 1990. This was followed by a decade of appearances on the opera and symphony stages in Europe, the U.S. and the Far East. He performed regularly with the National Opera in Bucharest in roles such as Giorgio Germont in Verdi’s “La traviata,” Escamillo in Bizet’s “Carmen,” Sharpless in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” Schaunard in “La Boheme,” and Peter in Humperdinck’s “Hansel & Gretel.” With the Wiennerkammeroper, Mr. Vasiliu toured Japan, South Korea, and China performing the roles of Figaro in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” and Leporello in “Don Giovanni.” He made his company debut with the Washington Opera as Count Ceprano in Verdi’s “Rigoletto.”
The 2004/05 season started for Valentin in August with the role of Rigoletto in concert in Hudson, NY under the baton of maestro Anton Coppola continuing with Scarpia in „Tosca” with the New York National Opera in a tour in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut.
Recent performances for Mr. Vasiliu are in September 2011 with the National Opera in Bucharest as Telramund in Wagner’s “Lohengrin” (Enescu Festival), and an upcoming debut as Rigoletto on November 11, Telramund on December 3rd, and January 20th 2012 in Bucharest, than appearing in West Palm Beach Opera (Florida) “Madama Butterfly” production as Bonzo on December 16-19, 2011 .
In 2010 Mr. Vasiliu sang the role of Dulcamara in Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore,” with Opera Las Vegas, where he appeared in concert as a soloist in Rossini’s “Stabat Mater” and their Puccini 150th Anniversary Concerts during the 2008-2009 season. He sang the role of Vittelius in the Romanian Radio Symphony broadcast of Massenet’s “Herodiade” in 2009, and for the Palm Beach fundraising gala for cancer research. Between August 2006 and September 2008 Mr. Vasiliu held a full time teaching position as choir and strings orchestra teacher in public schools in Las Vegas, NV.
Twice in February 2006 he performed the role of Germont in Verdi’s “La traviata” in Waterbury, CT under the baton of Anton Coppola. Following in March an appearance as Sharpless in “Madama Butterfly” in Bucharest, Romania, and then returning on March 20, 2006 to Carnegie Hall to perform in the Mozart’s “Requiem” and Bruckner’s “Te Deum” after he previously appeared on June 12, 2005 at the same Carnegie Hall – Isaac Stern Auditorium, performing the Mozart “Requiem” and Baker’s “Requiem of Psalms” with New England Symphony.
For the 2003/04 season, Mr. Vasiliu appeared with the South Texas Symphony, performing Orff’s “Carmina Burana” as a last minute replacement for the baritone soloist. In September 2003 he performed the role of Don Pizarro in the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera’s production of Beethoven’s “Fidelio,” and then Puccini’s “Messa di Gloria” with the New Dominion Chorale in Alexandria, VA in November.
In December 2003, Valentin was busy with a concert of operatic arias with the Vermont Symphony in Burlington and the role of Carlo Gerard in the Bob Jones University 2004 production of Giordano’s “Andrea Chenier,” as well as Alfonso in Donizetti’s “La Favorita,” with Opera Belcanto in Washington D.C. In June, he played both Stalin and Kutuzow in the world premiere of “Raoul” at the Goethe Institute in New York.
During the 2001/02 season he was re-engaged by the National Opera in Bucharest to perform in their productions of Bizet’s “Les Pecheurs de Perles” as Nourabad, Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” as Leporello, Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Seviglia” as Dr. Bartolo, and in Bizet’s “Carmen” as Ecamillo. In addition, he sang the roles of Sacristan in Puccini’s “Tosca” and Yamadori in “Madama Butterfly,” the last of which he also presented at the Opera Festival in Miskolc, Hungary in June 2002.
Other engagements in recent seasons include Sacristan in “Tosca” with the Washington Opera, the Mozart “Requiem” with The Catholic University at the Kennedy Center, and the four villains in Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” with the Summer Opera Company. He was Raphael in Haydn’s “Creation” with both the Washington Chamber Symphony at Kennedy Center and New York’s Canterbury Choral Society. He sang Orff’s “Carmina Burana” with the Alexandria Symphony as well as the role of Antonio in “Le Nozze di Figaro,” with the Washington Opera at the Kennedy Center and Verdi’s “Requiem” with New Dominion Chorale.
Valentin Vasiliu speaks Romanian, English, Italian, French, and German fluently. He is a permanent resident of the U.S.
