American bass Raymond Aceto has established an important presence among the world’s leading opera companies and symphony orchestras. His performances continue to gather both popular and critical acclaim. Of his performance as Baron Scarpia, The Houston Chronicle hailed, “Raymond Aceto oozes suave villainy as the evil Baron Scarpia, his voice a dark rumble of menace and lust as he plots to destroy Cavaradossi and conquer Tosca…intelligent characterization distinguishes Aceto’s Scarpia as more than a cartoon villain. Commanding in voice and presence, implacable in his lust for Tosca, he is nonetheless subtle in his calculations. It’s his smiling ease that confirms how dangerous he is.” The 2019-2020 season begins at the Opera de Montréal with Fidelio (Rocco) conducted by Yannick Nezet-Seguin. Mr. Aceto then returns to the Metropolitan Opera with Madama Butterfly (Bonze) and The Queen of Spades (Sourin). Next is Joan of Arc (Archbishop) at the New Orleans Opera followed by Rigoletto (Sparafucile) at the Florida Grand Opera. In the summer of 2020, Mr. Aceto will be appearing at the Glimmerglass Opera in Don Giovanni (Leporello) and Die Feen by Wagner (King). The 2018-2019 season began with Les Pêcheur de Perles (Nourabad) at the Metropolitan Opera. Mr. Aceto then continued at the MET in January in performances of Carmen (Zuniga). March brought Faust (Mephistopheles) with Washington National Opera in Francesca Zambello’s renowned production. In concert, Mr. Aceto performed the Beethoven 9th Symphony with the Louisiana Philharmonic and Las Vegas Philharmonic. Mr. Aceto is well-known at leading opera houses around the world. He has appeared frequently with the Metropolitan Opera, most recently as Zaccaria in Nabucco, the King in Aida, and Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni, and Sparafucile in Rigoletto. His debut with Lyric Opera of Chicago was as the High Priest in Nabucco, and he has since appeared with that company as Banquo in Macbeth, Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Fafner in Das Rheingold and Siegfried, the Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila, Nourabad in Les pêcheurs de perles, Alaska Wolf Joe in Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Ramfis in Aida, Comte des Grieux in Massenet’s Manon, and Varlam in Boris Godunov. Mr. Aceto made his debut with San Francisco Opera as Monterone in Rigoletto and later returned as Banquo in Macbeth, the King in Aida, and Timur in Turandot. He regularly appears with Houston Grand Opera, including performances as Scarpia in Tosca, Seneca in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra, Pimen in Boris Godunov, Escamillo in Carmen, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, as well as Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni. Mr. Aceto has appeared frequently with The Dallas Opera in roles including Leporello in Don Giovanni, Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Monterone in Rigoletto, Colline in La bohème, Fafner and Fasolt in Das Rheingold, Walter in Luisa Miller, and Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte. His first performances of Rocco in Fidelio were with the Canadian Opera Company, and he returned there for the world premiere of Randolph Peter’s The Golden Ass and as Daland in Der fliegende Holländer. He reprised the role of Sparafucile for his debuts with L’Opéra de Montréal and the Santa Fe Opera. Mr. Aceto returned to Santa Fe Opera as Scarpia in Tosca and the Archbishop in King Roger. He has also appeared in leading roles with the opera companies of Seattle, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Boston, Colorado, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, and Cleveland, as well as the opera festivals in St. Louis and Spoleto (USA). Mr. Aceto is also in demand as a concert artist, and highlights of his recent engagements include appearances with the Cleveland Orchestra under the baton of Franz Welser-Möst in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Méphistophélès in Faust, Beethoven’s Mass in C Major led by Leonard Slatkin, performances of Verdi’s Requiem, and Zuniga in a concert presentation of Carmen; the San Francisco Symphony in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, as well as performances by Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, and Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortileges; the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and in Salome at Tanglewood under Seiji Ozawa; the Minnesota Orchestra as Rocco in Fidelio and in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9; the Colorado Symphony in Verdi’s Requiem; the Nashville Symphony in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8; the Tucson Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis; the St. Louis Symphony in a concert presentation of Carmen; the Dallas Symphony as Méphistophélès in La Damnation de Faust and Verdi’s Requiem; and he has also performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in Toronto and at the Hollywood Bowl. Mr. Aceto first performed the title role in Boito’s Mefistofele with Boston’s Chorus Pro Musica, and in 1996 he was the featured bass soloist with the Festival International de Lanaudière for a televised performance of scenes from Faust, Mefistofele, and La damnation de Faust. He made his Alice Tully Hall debut as Balthazar in a concert performance of Donizetti’s La Favorite with L’Opéra Français de New York, and his Carnegie Hall debut as Andrea Cornaro in Caterina Cornaro with the Opera Orchestra of New York. A graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Young Artist’s Development Program, the Ohio-born bass has appeared frequently with the company since his debut as the Jailer in Tosca during the 1992-1993 season. In 1995 and 1996, Mr. Aceto was awarded Richard Tucker Foundation Career Grants, and in 1994 he was a recipient of a Sullivan Foundation Award. In 1996, he traveled to Japan for performances and a recording of The Rake’s Progress with Seiji Ozawa conducting. Mr. Aceto can also be heard in the role of Capellio in Teldec’s recording of I Capuleti e i Montecchi.