American baritone Ian Rucker recently completed his third and final season as an ensemble member with the Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. His recent appearances at the Lyric include The Foreman Jenufa and Raimbaud Le comte Ory, both of which he jumped in for as cover, as well as Man in Bar in Champion, and Moralés in Carmen. In the summer of 2025, he will perform as Schaunard in Puccini’s La bohème, as well as the title role in the world premiere of The Story of Billy Budd at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. Ian was recently a prize winner in the final of the highly acclaimed Neue Stimmen competition, and he sang the role of Diener IV in Strauss’ Capriccio at the 2024 Salzburg Festival.
Ian received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, under the instruction of baritone Kenneth J. Pereira. It was there that he performed roles such as Ernst Ludwig in Cabaret, Officer Lockstock in Urinetown, and the title roles in both Sweeney Todd and Don Giovanni. He received his Master of Music in Vocal Performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, studying with legendary soprano Carol Vaness. At IU, he performed multiple leading baritone roles, including Conte Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, and Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia.
Post-education credits include a summer spent at the Aspen Summer Music Festival as a Renée Fleming Artist, where he performed in weekly aria and scene masterclasses, including a public masterclass led by Renée Fleming herself. The following season was spent in West Palm Beach, Florida as an Apprentice Artist with Palm Beach Opera.
Ian's competition success includes First Prize in Tier II of the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition, Second Prize in the young artist tier of the James Alexander Vocal Competition with Mississippi Opera, and encouragement awards in both the Wisconsin and Georgia districts of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.
