Tenor Charles Calotta is known for his luminous voice, refined musicianship, and compelling stage presence. Versatile across repertoire from Baroque to contemporary, he well known as a dynamic and engaging performer. In 2026, he joined Knoxville Opera as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, where Arts Knoxville wrote, “Tenor Charles Calotta was a marvelous Rinuccio, his vocal clarity establishing him as the romantic lead.” He appears as tenor soloist in The Liverpool Oratorio with the Eugene Concert Choir, returns to Union Avenue Opera as Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, and reprises the role of Laurie in Little Women with Tulsa Opera. In 2025, Charles sang Hiloha and Loksi’ Sipokni’ in the world premiere of Shell Shaker—the first opera in the Chickasaw language—with the Mt. Holyoke Symphony; Y-chromosome Adam and Pano in White Raven, Black Dove with White Snake Projects; Freddy Eynsford-Hill in My Fair Lady with Union Avenue Opera; Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Annapolis Opera; All is Calm at Opera Steamboat, and covered the role of Diego de la Vega in Héctor Armienta’s Zorro at Opera San Jose. In 2027, Calotta makes role and company debuts as Rodolfo in La bohème with Anchorage Opera and Annapolis Opera as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto.
In 2024 Charles was heard at Opera Neo as Grimoaldo in Rodelinda and Ferrando in Così fan tutte, a role he also sang with Opera Ithaca. He debuted Curzio in Le nozze di Figaro with Sacramento Opera and Laurie in Little Womenat Fort Worth Opera where the Dallas Morning News declared him ‘a most sympathetic Laurie…’ The talented tenor also sang his first Narraboth in Salome at National Sawdust. Notable performances include appearances with the Prague Summer Nights and Lyrique International de Belle-Île Festivals, Florida Grand Opera, Opera North, and the Maryland Opera Studio. His roles include Tamino in Die Zauberflöte and Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia,Nyman’s The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Gregory Spears’ Fellow Travelers and André Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire.
Recent highlights include performances as Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore with Opera Mobile, Spoletta in Tosca and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi with Florida Grand Opera, Orpheus in Orpheus in the Underworld with Opera Ithaca, and the title role in Mitridate, Re di Ponto at Opera Neo. He also made his recital debut with Lyric Fest in Philadelphia, showcasing early Italian music to great acclaim. Additional recent engagements include Ferrando in Così fan tutte with Opera North and Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Winter Harbor Music Festival.
Calotta’s concert credits include performances of the Saint-Saëns Requiem and Beethoven’s Mass in C with several orchestras. A native New Yorker, he has received several prestigious awards, including the Delene Laubenheim McClure Prize and the Michelson Collaborative Arts Award. Calotta holds degrees from Vanderbilt University and the University of Maryland.
