American countertenor Jay Carter is quickly gaining recognition as one of the nation’s finest, lauded for his luminous tone and stylish interpretations especially in the music of Bach, Bernstein, Handel, Purcell and Vivaldi. Equally at home in the modern recital repertoire, he has gained acclaim for programs of modern classics typically outside the standard countertenor repertory by composers such as Quilter, Brahms, Britten, and Hahn. Carter is a featured soloist on recordings of Bach’s Magnificat in D, Mendelssohn’s Magnificat with the Yale Schola Cantorum, on Le Stagioni: Italian Virtuoso Madrigals with Gravitacion, and on Handel and Caldara Cantatas with the Kingsbury Ensemble.  

Carter made his Carnegie Hall debut in Messiah with Musica Sacra/Kent Tritle and also sang the North American Premiere of Tavener’s Lament for Jerusalem with the Choral Arts Society of Washington/Norman Scribner.  In the 2010-2011 season Carter will appear with  the Houston Symphony (Messiah), the Louisville Bach Society (Joshua), and the Choir of St. Thomas Church, NY (Bach's B minor Mass). 

Other recent repertoire includes Handel’s Saul, Bach’s Weinachts Oratorium and numerous cantatas, Bernstein’s Missa Brevis and Chichester Psalms, Caldara’s Medea in Corino, Vivaldi’s Nisi Dominus.  Carter has also appeared in a number of operatic roles, including Phoebus in Purcell's The Faerie Queene  and as the title role in Cavalli's Giasone.   He has worked with noted conductors including Simon Carrington, Arnold Epley, Paul Goodwin, Stephen Layton, Sir Philip Ledger CBE, Nicholas McGegan and Helmuth Rilling.

 In addition to concert performances and recitals, Mr. Carter is also increasingly in demand as a guest lecturer on countertenor technique and repertory, frequently offering unique interactive lecture-recitals and masterclasses. Mr. Carter received a Masters in Music from the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music, where he studied with James Taylor, Simon Carrington, and Judith Malafronte and was singled out for the Louise E. McClain scholarship. He received his undergraduate degree from William Jewell College where he studied voice with Arnold Epley. He was a 2008 regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He lives in Liberty, Missouri with his wife and two children, and enjoys fine cuisine and reading short stories as well as serving as Artist-in-residence at William Jewell College.

Carter is exclusively represented by Schwalbe and Partners