Praised for his “arrestingly vibrant” and “robust” baritone, Craig Verm has brought his riveting dramatic portrayals to stages around the world. Most recently, he received high praise for his performances of the title role in Billy Budd for Des Moines Metro Opera. John van Rhein of the Chicago Tribune said, “The strong baritone voice, strapping physique and winning stage presence of Craig Verm created a sympathetic Billy” and Opera Today said Verm “was every moment the star vocal and theatrical presence that galvanized the performance.” In the 2019-2020 season, he returns to Pittsburgh Opera in the title role in Don Giovanni, Riolobo in Florencia en el Amazonas and revisits the role of as Doug Hansen in Everest in a return to Austin Opera and in his London debut at the Barbican Centre. In the 2017-2018 season, Verm made an impressive debut as a last-minute substitute in the title role of Mozart’s Don Giovanni for The Dallas Opera. His performances received critical acclaim for “succeeding in the daunting assignment…with his own credible realization of the iconic character.” Additionally, that season he joined Opera Philadelphia for their inaugural festival, O17 in War Stories, a double-bill of Monteverdi’s Il combattimento di Tancredi and Lembit Beecher’s I Have No Stories To Tell You, a production he premiered in New York City with Gotham Chamber Opera. He also returned to Seattle Opera as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and Claudio in Beatrice et Benedict and revisited the role of Doug Hansen in Everest for his company debut with Lyric Opera of Kansas City. In the summer of 2018, he returned to The Santa Fe Opera as Haly in Italian Girl in Algiers.

Recent performances include The Santa Fe Opera as Sonora in Fanciulla del West along with Der Graf in Capriccio, performances for which he was praised for his “deep, velvet baritone {whose} featured moments leapt out from the crowd.” Additionally, he joined Arizona Opera for their 45th Anniversary Celebration alongside famed mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade. He returned to Pittsburgh Opera as Ping in Turandot, made his debut with Seattle Opera as Papageno in The Magic Flute, and sang Marcello with Knoxville Opera. In the most recent season, Mr. Verm was heard at Opera Philadelphia as Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, as Friedrich Bhaer in Little Women at Madison Opera, and sang Messiah with Rhode Island Philharmonic. In the 2018-2019 season, he returned to Pittsburgh Opera as Peter in Hansel and Gretel and Marcello in La bohème and returns to Austin Opera as Lt. Gordon in Silent Night. He also returned to Seattle Opera as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and Claudio in Beatrice et Benedict and revisited the role of Doug Hansen in Everest for his company debut with Lyric Opera of Kansas City.

Mr. Verm has made international debuts on stages including Lyric Opera of Chicago as Albert in Massenet’s Werther; Escamillo in Carmen at Teatro Municipal de Santiago, where he later returned as Billy Budd; at Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse as Sid in Albert Herring; as Ramiro in L’heure espagnole with the Nationale Reisopera in the Netherlands; and as Count Almaviva in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro at Seiji Ozawa’s Ongaku-juku Festival. Frequently sought after for new works, Mr. Verm created the role of Doug Hansen in Judy Talbot’s Everest at Dallas Opera, sang the title role of Elmer Gantry with Florentine Opera, and was heard as George in Of Mice and Men at Tulsa Opera. In the fall of 2017, he returns to Opera Philadelphia for War Stories, a production which pairs Monteverdi’s Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda with Lembit Beecher’s I have no stories to tell you. He returns to the double-bill as Tancredi and Daniel, roles he performed when the production premiered with Gotham Chamber Opera.