Artistic Director

Garrick Comeaux

Garrick Comeaux, Artistic Director

Garrick Comeaux currently serves as Director of the Early Music Ensemble of the University of Minnesota and adjunct professor at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Bass-baritone, Comeaux began his musical formation at an early age in piano studies, bass viol and cello as well as private voice lessons. Comeaux attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and sang under the direction of Paul J. Christensen, then dedicated his energies in vocal studies at Indiana University Music School in Bloomington. In 1981, he moved to Rome, Italy where his studies in voice continued at the Music Conservatories of Santa Cecilia in Rome and F. Morlacchi in Perugia, Italy.

In 1986, Comeaux won the vocal competition in chamber music at Amici della Musica, Roma and then took residence in Munich, Germany where he continued performing in various opera roles in theatres and concert halls of Bavaria. Until 1991, Comeaux participated in numerous productions of the Bayerischer Rundfunk Chor under the direction of Sir Colin Davis and sang in concerts and recordings conducted by directors such as Sawalish, Solti, Maazel, Sinopoli, Barenboim and Bernstein.

An interest in early baroque music began in the years spent in Germany, performing various works and oratories of Schütz, Buxtehude, Bach, Carissimi, Monteverdi and Purcell. Taking residence once again in Italy, Comeaux became a member of the Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel Choir) and Cantor in Vatican City from 1992 to 1994. He completed his Master Degree in Sacramental Theology at Sant’Anselmo University in 1996 with doctoral degree nearing completion.

Comeaux has worked extensively over the years with various early music groups in Italy and elsewhere on the European continent and has collaborated with many ensembles and directors. In 1996 he founded Consortium Carissimi in which early Roman baroque music is at the core for all concert, master-class, recording and publication activities. After 25 years of life in Europe, Comeaux now resides in Minnesota, closer to family. A stateside ensemble of the Consortium was established in 2007 and will continue to explore the larger works of early baroque music, carrying on the tradition that has been set forth by its Italian counterpart.