Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen

Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, born in 1994 in Brooklyn, is a countertenor who became the first singer of his voice type in the history of the Houston Grand Opera Studio. Trained through San Francisco Opera's Merola and Adler programs and the Wolf Trap Opera Studio, he has been praised by the New York Times as a young star and by the San Francisco Chronicle for redefining the countertenor voice.

Pergolesi's Stabat Mater pairs soprano and alto in intimate, closely woven counterpoint, a part historically sung by a boy or a woman but increasingly taken by countertenors like Cohen for its darker, more vocally distinct color against the soprano line. His repertoire runs from Baroque devotional works to contemporary opera, and reviewers have singled out his tone as golden and unusually complete for the voice type. Expect a performance that leans into the emotional weight of the text, Mary's grief at the crucifixion, rather than treating the countertenor part as a historical curiosity or a purely decorative high voice.

Cohen was born in 1994 and raised in Brooklyn, where he sang in the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and the international Jewish youth choir HaZamir. He earned a history degree from Princeton University with certificates in vocal performance and Judaic studies, then became the first countertenor in the Houston Grand Opera Studio's history. He trained further through San Francisco Opera's Merola and Adler Fellowship programs and the Wolf Trap Opera Studio, and won the Grand Prize at the 2017 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. He now lives in Northern California with his wife and son and serves on the American Guild of Musical Artists board.