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Nicholas Tamagna (born July 30, 1982) is an Italian-American countertenor notable for his interpretations of the works of Handel, among other baroque composers. He has performed with opera companies in Europe and the United States since he began his professional career in 2009.

Early life and education
Nicholas Tamagna was born in Carmel, New York in 1982, and grew up in Peekskill, New York in a close-knit Sicilian-American family. As a child, he studied piano and clarinet, and performed in musical theater in the Hudson Valley in school and with smaller semi-professional companies.

Tamagna entered University of North Carolina at Greensboro ("UNCG") in the autumn of 2000 where he studied piano music education, later adding a double major in voice. He later transfered to Manahattan School of Music and finally finished his BA/MA in Vocal Music at Hunter College in 2007.

Tamagna competed in several notable vocal competitions including the Richard Tucker Foundation Competition and the McCammon Voice Competition. In 2011 he was awarded first prize in the Nico Castel Mastersinger Competition.

Career
He officially began singing as a countertenor in 2009, and was engaged in his first professional role with Opera Memphis as Orfeo in Glück’s Orfeo ed Euridice (sung in English translation) and conducted by Michael Ching. Mr. Tamagna went on to sing for regional companies throughout the US including with Bel Cantanti Opera as Giulio Cesare in Handel's Giulio Cesare, as Prinz Orlofsky in Strauss's Die Fledermaus with Amore Opera, as Farnace in Mozart's Mitridate, Re di Ponto with Little Opera Theatre of New York, and Rodrigo in Handel's Rodrigo with operamission.

He made his Lincoln Center Debut as Alto Soloist with DCINY in Messiah Refreshed! at Avery Fischer Hall, which featured Handel's Messiah as controversially re-orchestrated by Leonard Salzedo for conductor Sir Thomas Beecham for the famous recording in 1959. Tamagna made his European debut in 2015 at the Händel-Festspiele at the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe, Germany as Oronte in Benjamin Lazar's production of Händel’s “Riccardo Primo” conducted by Michael Hofstetter (2014) and Paul Goodwin (reprise in 2015). From March till June 2015 he performed the role of Polinesso in Händel’s “Ariodante”, in a production from tenor/director Kobie van Rensburg with Theater Münster.

Tamagna has performed with French early music ensemble Le Poème Harmonique since 2014, when he joined the ensemble for Julien Lubeck and Cécile Roussat's production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas as the Spirit, featuring Vivica Genaux in the title role of Dido. This production was performed at Opéra de Haute-Normandie Rouen, Opéra Royal de Versailles, and in concert at the Bozar in Bruxelles, Belgium. Tamagna is featured in the filmed version of this production, which was released on DVD by Outhère Music on March 31, 2015.

Tamagna gave his Royal Opera House at Covent Garden debut singing the role of Hassan Razie in an opera, based on the controversial novel Cities of Salt by Abdul Rahman Munif, created by Syrian-Polish composer Zaid Jabri, Rosalind Morris, and Yvette Christiansë.

During the 2012/13 season he sang the title role in Philip Glass’ rarely performed opera “Akhnaten” with Indianapolis Opera and Indiana University, from which a filmed version was broadcast.

He is also a regular recitalist and concert singer 2015. He sang a program entitled “Schurken und Narren: Arien des 18. Jahrhunderts” in Münster; an exploration of evil and insane characters in baroque opera for male alto in Münster, Germany. With Philippe Maillard Productions English song for lute and countertenor entitled, “Ayres and Prayers” in Paris. He is also a frequently featured guest soloist on concerts with Christine Gevert’s prize-winning choir and ensemble Crescendo in the Berkshires, in programs exploring rarely performed gems of the baroque repertoire. Continuing in this vein of projects exploring the lesser known regions of the baroque world, he was also invited to perform concerts and record in North-Eastern Canada as part of a project to present previously unpublished sacred works of obscure Italian composers of the 17th century, spearheaded by Canadian ensemble !Sacabuche¡, led by Linda Pearse and produced by Christa Patton. The album will feature award-winning vocalists and a rarely heard consort of sackbuts with cornetto, violin, and continuo, and is scheduled for release in 2015 by ATMA Classique. Nicholas Tamagna is also co-founder of Concordian Dawn, a vocal trio specializing in medieval and early-renaissance music for alto, tenor, bass and harp with medieval specialist and harpist Christopher Preston Thompson.

Awards

 * 2011: Nico Castel Mastersinger Award

Roles in operas

 * Giulio Cesare, Giulio Cesare (Handel)
 * Oronte, Riccardo Primo (Handel)
 * Polinesso, Ariodante (Handel)
 * Hassan Razie, Cities of Salt (Zaid Jabri)@

@ Indicates a world premiere

Discography

 * Alto Soloist in Handel's Messiah with conductor Gordon Stewart and the Philipstown Philharmonia, released July 24, 2014, ASIN: B00N09W60U
 * Alto Soloist in ¡Sacabuche!'s debut album ¡Sacabuche! music direction by Linda Pearse, produced by Christa Patton and the ¡Sacabuche! Ensmeble, released September 11, 2015, Naxos Records ASIN: B00N09W60U
 * Spirit in Le Poème Harmonique's DVD recording of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, conducted by Vincent Dumestre, released March 31, 2015, Outhere