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The first winner of Classical Singer International Vocal Competition (2004), American countertenor Mark Crayton is being hailed by critics and audiences for the pure beauty of his voice, his expressive and insightful interpretations, and his natural musicality.
 
Mark Crayton performs on concert stages and in opera houses throughout the United States and Europe, and his extensive repertoire includes a wide variety of works. Mark Crayton created the role of the First Minstrel in The Holland Festival’s production of Peter Onnes’ opera/theatre piece Pantagruel et Gargantua. This role was specifically written for Mark Crayton.  In 2003, Mark Crayton was invited by the composer Philip Glass and the Tony Award director Mary Zimmerman to sing in the world premiere performances of Glass’ opera Galileo Galilei in Chicago, New York City and London. Soon thereafter, Mr Crayton was chosen by composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb to sing the role of Louis Perch in their new musical, The Visit, starring Chita Rivera, at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre; discussions are now under way for a possible New York production as well as a production in Washington, DC.  The 2006-07 season began for Mark Crayton with a New York City appearance on The Phoenix Concert Series featuring new music for two countertenors and piano, with colleagues Daniel Gundlach and James Janssen. Subsequently, Mr Crayton was heard in concert with fortepianist James Janssen for Ars Musica Chicago at the DePaul University Art Museum. Later in the season, Mr Crayton made his debut with the Seattle Opera as Tolomeo in Handel’s Giulio Cesare - the same opera in which Mark Crayton made his San Diego Opera debut in 2006. Highlights of this season’s appearances include a return to the Phillips Collection in a recital of Italian secular cantatas, a return to Raleigh/Durham to sing G F Handel’s Messiah at the Duke Chapel, a recital/masterclass at Butler University, Messiah with the Chicago Chorale, Carmina Burana with the Fargo-Morehead Symphony, Chichester Psalms with the Sheboygan Symphony, as well as masterclasses in London.

Besides his operatic and orchestral engagements, the recital repertoire continues to be very important to Mark Crayton.  Since his recital debut at the Ravinia Music Festival in 1995, he has been regularly heard in recital frequently with fortepianist and harpsichordist James Janssen.  Their successful collaborations have included recitals at New York’s Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and a live studio broadcast by Chicago’s classical radio station WFMT that was also transmitted via the Internet, plus performances in Washington, DC (The Phillips Collection) and in Amsterdam, London and Chicago. IN addition, Mr Crayton has been a guest soloist with the Chicago-based chamber ensemble Haydn by the Lake which performs music of the late 18th and early 19th centuries on period instruments.     

Highlights from recent seasons include Mr Crayton’s performances with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, a recital debut on Chicago’s acclaimed Jewel Box Series in 2003, several recital engagements at The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, Handel’s Jephtha with the Choral Society of Durham & the Orchestra Pro Cantores, and a return to venues in Chicago, London and Amsterdam with a recital program celebrating new music written specifically for Crayton by composers David W Solomons, Ronald William Hill and Gregory Peebles. Mark Crayton happily returned in this recital to Chicago’s Jewel Box Series this past April. This concert was simulcast on Chicago’s WFMT as well as streamed on the Internet and on cable worldwide.

In 2002, Mark Crayton made his debut at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall when he sang Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms with the National Chorale; Mark Crayton has developed quite a reputation for his interpretation of Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms which he has performed 154 times. Performance 155 happens this spring with the Sheboygan Symphony. Crayton has soloed in the music of G Gabrieli, D Buxtehude, G F Handel (including Messiah and Alcina), and J S Bach (including the Hohe Messe, St Matthew Passion, and Magnificat) during several appearances with Chicago’s Music of the Baroque. For the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Mark Crayton covered the role of Armindo in Handel’s Partenope.

Mark Crayton is regularly heard in the concert and oratorio repertoire. Previous engagements have included his debut at the Kennedy Center with Maestro Stephen Simon and the Washington Chamber Symphony singing Purcell’s Ode on St. Cecilia’s Day.  Mr Crayton has also been the guest soloist with the Concord Ensemble and he has made his debut at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall singing Handel’s Messiah with the Apollo Chorus of Chicago under the direction of Steven Alltop.  Other highlights from past seasons include his role as Bacchus in Alexandre Goehr’s critically acclaimed Arianna for the Opera Theatre of St Louis, performances as Amore in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea and as Ericlea in Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria with Music of the Baroque, and his Carnegie Hall performances as the alto soloist in Bach’s Magnificat and in Mozart’s Regina Coeli.

A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, Mark Crayton attended Butler University and the University of Tennessee as well as the Akademie voor Oude Muziek Amsterdam (Academy of Ancient Music Amsterdam). He has studied with Sharon Beckendorf Searles, Nina Belavin Kor and the renowned baritone, Max van Egmond. Currently, Mark Crayton studies with soprano Judith Haddon.

On a CD for the Centaur label, the beauty of Mark Crayton’s voice, with the Chicago Baroque Ensemble, can be heard singing songs by Phillipp Heinrich Erlebach.