Wannigman’s 2018-19 season highlights included a diverse set of works: Andrews in the world premiere of Stonewall with New York City Opera, a return to Escamillo for Peter Brooks’ abridged Carmen with City Lyric Opera, a role debut as Marcello in La Boheme with Union Avenue Opera, and Stanley in a New York premiere of Huang Ruo’s Bound with Fresh Squeezed Opera. Wannigman also collaborated with composer J. Mark Stambaugh for the premiere of his piece The Song of the Bow for baritone, harp, trumpets and drums in November.
In the fall of 2017, Mr. Wannigman made his New York City debut as the title role in The Barber of Seville with Amore Opera in New York City. He also premiered a cantata for baritone, horn, and piano based on the last voyage of Ulysses in Dante’s Inferno at the Manhattan School of Music in November by composer faculty member, J. Mark Stambaugh. Other engagements in 2018 include a return to the rarely heard Lee Hoiby opera, Summer and Smoke, as John Buchanan, Jr., his company debut with Natchez Festival of Music in the roles of Fredrik Egerman in A Little Night Music and Valentin in Faust in May as well as a return to Mill City Summer Opera in July for a role debut as Dancaïre in Carmen.
His other 2016-17 season credits include a pair of bel canto roles: Dandini in Cenerentola with Opéra Louisiane and Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale at the University of Oklahoma, where he completed his doctoral studies under renowned baritone Kim Josephson. He also debuted with Oklahoma City’s new opera company, Painted Sky Opera, as Mr. Gobineau and Pausanias in a double bill of Menotti’s The Medium and Chabrier’s An Incomplete Education.
In the 2015-16 season, Mr. Wannigman performed the title role in Eugene Onegin at the University of Oklahoma, for which he was praised as “tall, dark and imposing, not to mention detached and arrogant, but with a commanding voice, in the title role (The Oklahoman).” He also made his Tulsa Opera debut as Alvaro in Florencia en el Amazonas and returned later that season as Gandalf in The Hobbit with Tulsa Opera’s youth opera program.