American countertenor Ryan Belongie is rapidly garnering critical acclaim for his “oft-astounding vocalism,” (San Francisco Classical Voice), "a remarkably warm, evenly produced voice whose supple phrasing included many an exquisite shade,” (Opera News) and musicianship that "brought wonderfully stylish singing.” (Chicago Tribune)   Ryan Belongie recently made his debuts with Lyric Opera of Chicago as the Mago in RINALDO conducted by Harry Bicket and Canadian Opera Company as Athamas in SEMELE.  He returned to Canadian Opera Company to cover Lychas in HERCULES and to San Francisco Opera to cover Armindo in PARTENOPE as well as debuting at Festival Napa Valley in the new opera ANGEL HEART alongside Frederica Von Stade.  Recent and upcoming operatic engagements include Ottone in L’INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA at Boston Baroque, FAIRY QUEEN with Chicago Opera Theater and Long Beach Opera, Ottone in AGRIPPINA with West Edge Opera, Pirro in LA CIRCE with Ars Minerva in San Francisco, and soloist in the Hart Institute for Women Conductors concert at The Dallas Opera.  Recent and upcoming concert engagements include CARMINA BURANA with Alabama Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Utah Symphony, MESSIAH with Lexington Philharmonic, QUICKENING with the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus, a Midwest tour of ST. JOHN PASSION with the Leipzig Baroque Orchestra, a return to Music of the Baroque for DETTINGEN TE DEUM conducted by Jane Glover, a return to the International Music Foundation of Chicago sing-a-long MESSIAH, and Haydn’s LORD NELSON MASS and Mozart's REQUIEM with the St. Cecilia Orchestra. ​ Past engagements include CARMINA BURANA with St. Louis Symphony, MESSIAH with Alabama Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, and Seattle Symphony, ST. MATTHEW PASSION with Utah Festival Opera and Grand Rapids Symphony, CHICHESTER PSALMS and BACH CANTATA 170 - VERGNÜGTE RUH with the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park, Ottone in L’INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA at West Edge Opera, Katte for the Metropolitan Opera's workshop of THE SORROWS OF FREDERICK by Scott Wheeler, and B MINOR MASS with the American Festival Chorus at Utah State University and Bach Institute at Valparaiso University. ​ Earlier career highlights include Oberon in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM with Wolf Trap Opera, Didymus in THEODORA with Opera Bergen, Norway, Arsamene in XERXES with both San Francisco Opera (cover) and with Alan Curtis at West Edge Opera, Lychas (cover) in HERCULES with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Gesualdo’s RESPONSORIA with Il Complesso Barocco in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, Bernstein's Missa Brevis with the Grant Park Music Festival, Purcell’s ODE TO ST. CECILIA, Spirit in DIDO AND AENEAS, and soloist in THE FAIRY QUEEN with Jane Glover at Music of the Baroque, and soloist with Alonzo King's LINES Ballet in Lyon, France. Mr. Belongie has been heard on Chicago’s classical music station WFMT in numerous performances with Music of the Baroque in addition to a solo recital on the network’s series, “Live from WFMT,” and has appeared on PBS across the United States in A Renaissance Christmas. ​ Mr. Belongie is a graduate of the prestigious Merola Opera Program (2009) and Adler Fellowship (2010, 2011) at San Francisco Opera. In addition to being a two-time winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Central Region and national semi-finalist (2009, 2010), he was the first place winner of the Igor Gorin Memorial Award (2012), the recipient of a career grant from the Metropolitan Opera (2013), a Shouse Career Grant (2010), two Richard F. Gold Career Grants (2009, 2010) from the Shoshana Foundation, and the Lola Fletcher Award from the American Opera Society of Chicago (2009).  Mr. Belongie is a graduate of the Vocal Honors Program at Northwestern University.