Background

Royal Academy of Music; University of Michigan

Scottish pianist Alan Darling has performed recitals throughout Europe, Canada and the United States, collaborating with artists such as Jamie Barton, Nicole Cabell, Brandon Jovanovich, Christiane Karg, Amanda Majeski, Susanna Phillips, Matthew Polenzani, Amber Wagner and Erin Wall. From 1993-2005 he performed more than fifty song recitals at Ravinia’s Steans Musical Institute. He has premiered new works for voice and piano by Christopher Berg, Tom Cipullo, Russell Platt and Scott Wheeler with the Mirror Visions Ensemble. Mr. Darling is the founder of the ensemble (no tiny birds), a group that is dedicated to re-thinking the presentation of art song recitals. He was an assistant conductor at Lyric Opera of Chicago for several seasons and worked closely with Maestro Bruno Bartoletti and Sir Andrew Davis.

Mr. Darling is dedicated to the education of young singers. He taught at Yale University from 1993 to 1998. He has been a faculty member of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center since 1999 and is a master teacher at San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program. Mr. Darling is a highly sought after private vocal coach and his clients sing at the world’s great opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala Milan, the Royal Opera House, London, the Vienna State Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Mr. Darling was educated at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, the Royal Academy of Music and the University of Michigan. He studied art song accompaniment with the renowned pianists Christoph Eschenbach, Martin Isepp, Graham Johnson and Martin Katz. He participated in summer programs at the Tanglewood Music Center and the Music Academy of the West. Mr. Darling also studied vocal repertoire with many of the world’s great singers, including Sir Thomas Allen, Elly Ameling, Victoria de los Angeles, Reri Grist, Marilyn Horne, Christa Ludwig, Hermann Prey, Peter Schreier, and Renata Scotto. 

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