CCM welcomes tenor Jeffrey Springer to voice faculty

UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras has announced the appointment of Jeffrey Springer, DMA, as CCM's new Associate Professor of Voice. His faculty appointment officially begins on Aug. 15, 2025.

Springer has earned international acclaim for his powerful performances across Europe and North America, gracing stages such as the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Florida Grand Opera, Angers-Nantes Opéra, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Manitoba Opera, Deutsches Nationaltheater Mannheim, Oper Krefeld-Mönchengladbach, Staatsoper Saxony-Anhalt, National Touring Opera of the Netherlands, Opera Siam and Teatro de Navarra, among others. His commanding presence and vocal artistry have made him a sought-after artist with premier orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Houston Symphony, Grand Teton Music Festival, Florida Orchestra, Philharmonia Hungaria, Romanian State Symphony and the Bolshoi Opera Orchestra in Carnegie Hall. Notable recent engagements include Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn in Japan, Mahler's Eighth Symphony with the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and Carmina Burana with the Roanoke Symphony.

Springer's operatic repertoire showcases his versatility in demanding roles, including the title role in Samson et Dalila (Dublin International Opera Festival, San Francisco Opera), Tristan in Tristan und Isolde (Lyric Opera of Chicago, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis), Calaf in Turandot (Florida Grand Opera, Opera Lyra Ottawa, Theater Magdeburg), Don José in Carmen, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Otello in Verdi's Otello and over one hundred performances around the world of Manrico in Verdi's Il Trovatore. He also created the role of Sacco in the world premiere of Anton Coppola's Sacco and Vanzetti. He reprised it at the composer's 100th birthday celebration, which included the premiere of Coppola's ending to Puccini's Turandot, with Springer as Calaf. This historic event, conducted by the centenarian composer, was televised and recorded as a landmark in classical music.

Springer's international career began when he won the "José Carreras Prize for the Best Tenor Voice," awarded by the legendary tenor himself. This accolade led to his European debut, stepping in for Carreras in a televised performance of Verdi's Requiem with the Deutsche Oper Düsseldorf. Trained under the renowned Heldentenor James King, Springer was recognized as an Emerging Wagner Artist by Thomas Stewart, Evelyn Lear, and the Washington D.C. Wagner Society. His accolades include the Concours International de Chant de Festival Atlantique (Nantes, France), Third Prize at the Concours International de Chant (Toulouse, France), and grants from the Gerda Lissner Foundation and New York City Wagner Society. Springer's recordings include Jerre Tanner's Naupaka Floret with the Moravian Philharmonic for Vienna Modern Masters' Music from Six Continents Series.

Beyond performing, Springer is a dedicated educator and scholar. He holds a doctorate in voice performance. A frequent master teacher, adjudicator, and speaker, he shares his expertise on voice and opera, enriching the next generation of artists while maintaining a vibrant international career spanning over two decades.

"Dr. Springer’s distinguished performance career in opera and concert work, along with his proven record of teaching excellence, will be a wonderful addition to CCM’s prestigious Voice Department," said Jutras. "I am grateful to our search committee chair Daniel Weeks and committee members Quinn Patrick Ankrum, Gwendolyn Coleman, Amy Johnson, Elliot Madore, Brett Scott and Kenneth Shaw for their efforts with this successful search."

Featured image at top: A portrait of Jeffrey Springer. Photo/provided