Jay Carter

American countertenor Jay Carter has gained recognition as one of the nation’s finest. A frequent collaborator with period and modern ensembles, Carter is recognized as a leading interpreter of late Baroque repertoire and has been lauded for his luminous tone, stylish interpretations, and clarion delivery.

Though a specialist in the earlier repertoire, Carter has premiered modern works by John Tavener, Augusta Read Thomas, Chester Alwes, and Anthony Maglione. As an avid recitalist, he presents works from outside the standard countertenor repertory including works by Schumann, Poulenc, Wolf, and Howells.

In recent seasons, he has routinely appeared with acclaimed conductors Nicholas McGegan, Ton Koopman, John Butt, John Scott, and Matthew Halls. Highlights of recent seasons include his Lincoln Center debut with Maasaki Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan in Bach’s Weinachtsoratorium, Vivaldi opera arias and Gloria with Nicholas McGegan and the Saint Louis Symphony, and Bach’s Johannespassion with Daniel Hyde and the Choir of Men and Boys at St. Thomas Church. In addition to concert appearances, he has also served as a primary soloist with the Bach Virtuosi Festival in Portland, Maine alongside faculty artists from Juilliard, Eastman, and Yale. Carter has performed in the nation’s top concert halls, including Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Severance Hall (Cleveland), the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts (Kansas City), and Davies Symphony Hall (San Francisco).​

As a scholar and clinician, Carter frequently presents masterclasses and lecture-recitals for colleges, universities, and presenting organizations throughout the United States. He has more than a decade of experience in higher education, focusing intently on student-centered and career-centered studio work that is applicable to solo and ensemble work. ​

He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City’s prestigious Conservatory of Music and Dance. He also received a Masters in Music from the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music where he was a pupil of Simon Carrington, Judith Malafronte, and James Taylor. He received his undergraduate degree from William Jewell College, where he studied voice with Arnold Epley. Carter is on the faculty of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, where he teaches voice and leads Kantorei, Westminster’s early music chamber ensemble (follow Westminster Kantorei on Facebook). He also serves as Artistic Advisor for the Kansas City-based chamber choir Musica Vocale.