Operatic Bass

Mark Hightower was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana but has lived in the greater Philadelphia area in Pennsylvania most his life. Mark sang as the bass soloist in rehearsal with the Philadelphia Orchestra for Beethoven’s 9th Symphony under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin alongside soloists such as Angel Blue, soprano as Ryan Speedo Green’s cover. This past season he was the Bass Soloist for the New Jersey Capital Philharmonic, the Wayne Oratorio Society, the Haverford-Bryn Mawr Chorale, the Wilmington Mastersingers, the Lansdale Choristers, the Reading Choral Society, and the Kutztown University Orchestra, performing works such as Haydn’s Creation, Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Beethoven’s Mass in C, Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, Mozart’s Vesperae solennes, Haydn’s Harmoniemesse in Bb and Haydn’s Theresienmesse in Bb. Hightower has also made his debut as the title role in Mendelssohn’s Elijah this spring.

Since leaving his 15 year teaching career in 2022, Mark sang the role of Hariadeno in Cavalli’s L’Ormindo at the Théâtre National Mohammed V in Rabat, Morocco, the role of Dr. Grenvil in Verdi’s La traviata with Opera Delaware and Opera Baltimore, and reprised the Beethoven 9th Symphony bass solos with the New Jersey Capital Philharmonic. He was Elijah with the Kutztown University Orchestra in collaboration with the Reading Choral Society. He has also recently enjoyed taking the opera stage as Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro and Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte at the Trentino Music Festival in Italy and as Frank in Die Fledermaus with Lyric Opera Studio Weimar in Germany. Hightower is looking forward to making his debut as Osmin in Mozart’s Die Entführung with the Jenaer Philharmonie in Jena, Germany this June, and as Coline in La Bohème with Opera Synergy in Cardiff, Wales this July. 

Performance Calendar

2023

3/17 @ 7:00 pm at Princeton University with Princeton Pro Musica Orchestra and Choir, Soloist for Mozart’s Requiem

11/4 & 11/5 @ 7:30pm at Wayne Presbyterian Church, Pennsylvania with the Wayne Oratorio Society, Soloist for world premiere of Dan Forrest’s new work Creation

8/26-9/1 @ 7:00 pm at Mon Amis Theater in Weimar, Germany with Lyric Opera Studio Weimar, Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte

7/30 @ 7:00 pm at Lutherkirche in Apolda, Germany with Lyric Opera Studio Weimar, Il Commendatore in Mozart’s Don Giovanni

7/29 @ 7:00 pm at Mon Amis Theater in Weimar, Germany with Lyric Opera Studio Weimar, Il Commendatore in Mozart’s Don Giovanni

7/28 @ 7:00 pm at Mühlhausen Untermarkt in Germany with Das Sommer Open-Air Mülhausen orchestra and Lyric Opera Studio Weimar, Il Commendatore in Mozart’s Don Giovanni

6/24 – 7/1 @ 9:00 pm at Friedrich-Schiller Universität in Jena, Germany with Hofoper Jena Orchestra and Choir, Osmin in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail

5/6 @ 3:00 pm at First and Central Presbyterian with The Wilmington Mastersingers, Soloist for Mozart’s Vesperae solennes and Haydn’s Theresienmesse in Bb

4/29 @ 7:30 pm at Trinity Lutheran Evangelical Church in Lansdale, Pennsylvania with the Upper Dublin Choristers, Soloist for Mozart’s Vesperae solennes and Haydn’s Harmoniemesse in Bb

4/22 – 4/23 @ 7:30 pm at Wayne Presbyterian Church with the Wayne Oratorio Society, Soloist for Beethoven’s Mass in C

4/2 @ 2:00 pm at Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware, Dr. Grenvil with Opera Delaware in Verdi’s La traviata

3/31 @ 7:00 pm at Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware, Dr. Grenvil with Opera Delaware in Verdi’s La traviata

3/24 & 3/26 @ 7:30 pm/3:00 pm at Stephens Hall, Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Grenvil with Opera Baltimore, in Verdi’s La traviata

2022

12/3 – 12/4 @ Wayne Presbyterian Church with the Wayne Oratorio Society, Soloist for Handel’s Messiah

12/9 – 12/11 with The Princeton Singers in Princeton, New Jersey

11/5 – 11/6 @ Wayne Presbyterian Church with the Wayne Oratorio Society, Soloist for Faure’s Requiem

10/22 – 10/23 with the New Jersey Capital Symphonic Orchestra, Soloist for Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9

10/15 & 10/16 with The Princeton Singers in Princeton, New Jersey

8/23 – 8/28 @ Kommunales Kino im mon ami with Lyric Opera Studio Weimar, Germany, Frank in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus

7/21 – 7/28 @ Auditorium Intercomunale with the Trentino Music Festival, Italy, Figaro in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro & Sarastro/Sprecher in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte

6/26 – 6/28 @ The Academy of the Vocal Arts, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro with Luke Housner’s summer opera workshop

6/23 @ 7:00 pm at Trinity Episcopal Church, Princeton New Jersey, Soloist with the Sebastians for Vivaldi’s Magnificat RV 610 and Bach’s Missa Brevis BWV 236

6/3 – 6/5 @ 2:00/7:00 pm at Verizon Hall in the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Soloist* with The Philadelphia Orchestra for Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9

5/21 @ 3:00 pm at 1st Presbyterian, Wilmington Delaware, Cover and Chorus with The Wilmington Mastersingers for Bach’s Auf Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir and Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai

5/4 @ 7:00 pm at Our Lady of Lourdes, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Soloist for Hummel’s Der Durchzug durchs Rote Meer

4/30 @ 7:30 pm at Lansdale Presbyterian Church, Lansdale Pennsylvania, Soloist with The Choristers for Bach’s Cantata 191 Gloria in excelcis Deo

4/24 @ 3:00 pm at Marshall Auditorium, Haverford College, Haverford Pennsylvania, Soloist for Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 & Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music

4/13 @ 8:00 pm at Verizon Hall, The Kimmel Center, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Chorus with Chanticleer and The Philadelphia Chorale for premiere of Nico Muhly’s Beauty of the Day

4/10 @ 7:00 pm at Art on Hulfish, Princeton New Jersey, Soloist with The Princeton Singers for concert For the Beauty of the Earth

3/11-3/13 @ 7:30/2:00 pm at Centennial Hall, The Haverford School, Haverford Pennsylvania, Conductor for Something Rotten

2/25 & 2/27 @ 7:30/2:00 pm at Copeland Hall, The Grand, Wilmington Delaware, Basilio* in The Barber of Seville with Opera Delaware

2/18 & 2/20 @ 7:30/2:00 pm at Stephens Hall, Towson University, Baltimore Maryland, Basilio* in The Barber of Seville with Baltimore Concert Opera