Originally from Denver, Colorado, Mark Van Arsdale received his vocal training from Northwestern University and Indiana University, as well as the Tanglewood and Opera Theatre of St. Louis young artist programs, before moving to France to become a Studio Artist with the Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg and the Academy of the Opéra Comique in Paris.

 

He made his debut as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at the 2009 Tanglewood Festival under the direction of James Levine. He regularly took over this role - recently in Ecuador and Hungary.

 

At the Opéra du Rhin in Strasbourg and Mulhouse, he sang such parts as Alberto (L’Occasione fa il Ladro), Ramiro (La Cenerentola), Ernesto (Don Pasquale), Geharnischter Mann and Priester then Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Nadir (Ali Baba by Cherubini), Bois-Rosé (Les Huguenots),  Borsa (Rigoletto), Marcellus (Hamlet), Federico (L’Amico Fritz), Le Brésilien (La Vie Parisienne),  Léodès (Pénélope by Fauré), Gastone (La Traviata) and the Second Jew (Salome).

 

He sang Tamino (Die Zauberflöte) in Reims, Nice, Mulhouse and in a touring production for the Open Air Opera Festival, Soliman from Zaïde in Rennes, Nantes and Besançon, Belmonte (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) at the Sédières Festival, Arturo from Lucia di Lammermoor at the Opéra de Tours and Toulon, Lurcanio (Ariodante) at the Landestheater in Salzburg, Saladin (Ali Baba by Lecocq) at the Opéra Comique in Paris and in Rouen, Adam (Paradise Reloaded by Eötvös) in Chemnitz, Achille (La Belle Hélène) at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Bois-Rosé and Tavannes (Les Huguenots) in Nice, Lucano / Liberto / Famigliari II / Soldato Pretoriano I from L'Incoronazione di Poppea in Nantes, Poisson from Adriana Lecouvreur and Toso for the world premiere of Fando et Lis by Benoît Menut in Saint-Etienne. He made his role-debut as Nadir from Les Pêcheurs de Perles at the Saint-Curé Festival and takes over this part in Clermont-Ferrand. He sang Roland from Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde by Hervé in Avignon and the title-role of Lully's Phaëton at the Opéra de Nice. He made his debut at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino singing the roles of Comus and Tircis from Acis et Galatée by Lully.

 

In the concert field, he sang Haendel’s Messiah (Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, Apollo Chorus of Chicago, and Lafayette Bach Chorale), Haydn’s Schöpfung (Ballet de l’Opéra du Rhin), Mozart’s Requiem (Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg) and C-Mass (Orchestre Symphonique de Saint-Etienne), Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Britten’s War Requiem (Indiana University Symphony and Chorus), Bach’s Magnificat and Johannes-Passion (Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra and Lafayette Bach Chorale), Britten’s Illuminations (Orchestre du Poitou-Charentes), Mozart's C-Mass, Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (Orchestre de Saint-Etienne), extracts from Gounod's Cinq Mars and Berlioz’ La Nonne Sanglante (Berlioz Festival in La Côte-Saint-André). He took part in a series of opera galas on tour with the Orchestre de Limoges and sang Rossini's Stabat Mater with the Orchestre Lamoureux (Paris).

 

During season 2023-2024, he takes part in 200 Motel - The Suite by Franck Zappa at the Nice Opera.