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The Ithaca Journal has called Nicholas, “..vocally handsome and dashingly clad…” for his role of Apollo in L’orfeo and, “..solid and serviceable...” for his role of Tamino in Magic Flute with the Ithaca College Opera Theater.

 

Nicholas has performed the roles of Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi with Waffle Opera, Mayor Upfold in Britten’s Albert Herring with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Opera Theatre, and most recently Peter Quint in Opera Theater Unlimited’s production of Turn of the Screw. He has also performed the roles of Tamino in Mozart’s Magic Flute and Apollo in Monteverdi's L’orfeo with Ithaca College Opera Theatre.  Harmantzis has an affinity for Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas and has performed a number of the romantic tenor leads with the Cornell University Savoyards. His favorites include Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, and Richard Dauntless in Ruddigore. Nicholas’ partial roles include Male Chorus in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, Sam in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, Fritz in Offenbach’s La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein, and Vašek in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride.

 

Nicholas has a love for British art song and has programed and performed recitals around this rich repertoire.  He has performed some of Benjamin Britten’s most famous song cycles including On this Island, Michelangelo Sonnets, and Songs from the Chinese.  Other British works Nicholas has studied include Ivor Gurney’s Ludlow and Theme, Gerald Finzi’s A Young Man’s Exhortations, and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ On Wenlock Edge.

 

Harmantzis has had the opportunity to work with some of the leading coaches and clinicians in the country including Ann Baltz, Carol Webber, Johanna Meyers, and Paul Sperry. During his time at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Nicholas was selected to participate in the prestigious Martin Katz residency at the school.  Over the course of a week, he had the opportunity to coach as well as perform in a masterclass with the internationally renowned collaborative pianist.  In the summer of 2015 Nicholas attended the OperaWorks Advanced Artist Program in Northridge, CA.  Over the course of a month, he worked extensively with a number of nationally and international renowned acting teachers and singing coaches. 

 

A native of Middletown, PA, Nicholas began studying voice his freshman year of high school.  He participated in a number of choirs at the local, state, and national levels.  He was twice a member of the highly selective Pennsylvania Music Educators All-State Festival Chorus and successfully auditioned for the American Choral Directors Association All-Eastern and National Choirs in 2006, 2007, and 2008.  Along with his vocal accolades, Nicholas played the tenor saxophone in jazz band and the tuba in marching band.

 

Nicholas received a Master of Music Degree in Voice Performance from The San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Music Degree in Voice Performance from Ithaca College. He has studied privately with former Metropolitan Opera soprano Patricia Craig and soprano Deborah Montgomery-Cove.  While studying voice at Ithaca, he worked under the tutelage of San Francisco Opera staging director David Lefkowich, Mill City Summer Opera conductor Brian DeMaris, and Coaches Richard Montgomery and Blaise Bryski.  He currently resides in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia where he maintains a private voice studio.  Nicholas is currently studying Music Education at The University of the Arts on a full Presidential Fellowship. He will graduate in the Spring of 2020 with a M.A.T. in Music Education. Harmantzis is a 2018-2019 Resident Teaching Artist at Opera Philadelphia.