A nuanced performer, Mr. Curran sings across the spectrum of bass roles, from gods and kings to murderers and fools. At home in the dramatically heavier roles of the mainstream repertoire, like Filippo in Don Carlo, Oroveso in Norma, Ramfis in Aida, and Sarastro in The Magic Flute, where his stately presence and “natural empathy as an actor” contribute to moving performances, he has also been recognized for his flair for both broad comedy, as in Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro, where he was hailed as a “natural grease paint comedian,” and more jaded comedic scoundrels like Don Alfonso in Cosi Fan Tutte, “with the voice of a poet.”

Other notable roles include Polonio (Polonius) in the modern-day premiere of Amleto (Hamlet) by Franco Faccio at Opera Southwest, Colline in La Bohème with Atlanta Opera, Timur in Turandot at St. Petersburg Opera in a performance praised as “stalwart and moving,” Ferrando in Il Trovatore and Raimondo in Lucia di Lammeroor, both with Baltimore Concert Opera, and Pistola in Falstaff with Opera Delaware.

Always eager for the adventure of performing new and more modern works, Mr. Curran sang the role of Terry in the widely acclaimed Breaking the Waves by Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, produced by Beth Morrison Projects in its New York Premiere at the Prototype Festival, Basil Hallward in Lowell Lieberman’s The Picture of Dorian Grey with Odyssey Opera, The Boatman in The Parkville Murders, a horror opera by Kamala Sankaram, and Thomas Betterton in the New York premiere of Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players and Spencer Coyle in Britten’s Owen Wingrave, both with Little Opera Theater of New York. He also had the distinct pleasure of performing the role of Inspector Watts in Séance on a Wet Afternoon, an opera by legendary Broadway composer, Stephen Schwartz, in a concert performance with American Opera Projects featuring Lauren Flanigan, as well as covering beloved Broadway star, Phillip Boykin, in the role with New York City Opera, where he also sang in their VOX Contemporary American Opera Lab in works by composers Michael Gordon and Paola Prestini.

As a resident singer in American Opera Projects’ Composers & the Voice program for three seasons, he was fortunate enough to sing music written specifically for his voice by many notable composers including Jack Perla, Gregory Spears, Clint Borzoni, Kristin Kuster, and Hannah Lash, among others, including David Claman, who recently composed a set of 5 songs for Mr. Curran. Additional performances in new works include The Player in Hershel Garfein’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, directed by the great Mark Morris, Sir Gromer Somer Joure in the premiere reading of The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle, a new comic opera by Martin Hennessey, and in the first reading of excerpts from The Wing Wherewith (later retitled The Nefarious, Immoral But Highly Profitable Enterprise of Mr. Burke & Mr. Hare), by composer Julian Grant and Pulitzer prize-winning librettist Mark Campbell. Always ready for a comic or irreverent outing, he created the role of aging German porn star Helmut Langeschlange in The Enchanted Organ: A Porn Opera by Gordon Beeferman. Mr. Curran was praised as “so good that one hopes the complete role will be more fully fleshed out.” 

Most recently, he sang the role of Pharoah in Avner Finberg’s final workshop of Exagoge, an opera/play/Passover Seder based on Exagoge of Ezekial, thought to be the earliest known Jewish play.

Mr. Curran is regularly featured as a soloist on the concert stage in works including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Handel’s Messiah, the Mozart, Verdi, Brahms, and Faure requiems, and many of the great works of Johann Sebastian Bach, including the B Minor Mass as Artist-in-Residence with the Long Island Choral Society. Mr. Curran has been lauded for particularly effective interpretations of Jesus in the Passions according to both St. John and St. Matthew. Of his performance in the Brahms’ German Requiem, one reviewer opined that Mr. Curran’s bold delivery “inspired or challenged” the choir which “found a strength that had been lacking. Curran's return in the penultimate movement ("For we have no permanent city, but we seek one to come") once again underscored his power to draw more musicality from the whole ensemble.”

Mr. Curran has recorded repertoire spanning from William Byrd to Arvo Pärt, including the Grammy nominated Tyberg Masses with South Dakota Chorale. He was honored to be chosen by composer Daron Hagen to sing Edwin Cheney in Shining Brow, an opera on the life of Frank Lloyd Wright, recorded for the Naxos label, live with the Buffalo Philharmonic under JoAnn Falletta. He was also the Bass Soloist on Viva Italia - Sacred Music In 17th Century Rome, including the world premiere recording of Missa Sancta Maria Magdalenae by Giovanni Felice Sances, recorded for Harmonia Mundi under Brian A Schmidt with the Mallarmé Chamber Players and the Washington Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble.

Born and raised in Princeton, NJ, Mr. Curran attended  Tulane University where he enjoyed singing in and, for some time, leading the acapella group, Green Envy, and performing in musical theater  an eye-opening experience which led him to transfer literally next door, to the very fine College of Music at Loyola University New Orleans., Graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Music, Mr. Curran went on to receive his Master’s degree at the prestigious Indiana University School of Music.