With a striking vocal presence and captivating musical refinement, American tenor Zachary Wilder has established himself as a leading interpreter of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century repertoire, from Monteverdi to Mozart, while also embracing the works of the twentieth century such as Britten. His artistry and dramatic commitment have earned him invitations from some of the world’s most distinguished conductors and ensembles on both sides of the Atlantic. Embodying the fervor of sacred masterpieces as well as the opulence of opera, he is praised for a stage presence of rare intensity.
He collaborates regularly with renowned ensembles such as Pygmalion, L’Arpeggiata, Les Arts Florissants, Les Talens Lyriques, Le Concert d’Astrée, the Boston Early Music Festival, Bach Collegium Japan, the Monteverdi Choir & The English Baroque Soloists, the Handel & Haydn Society, the Nederlandse Bachvereniging, and the Nederlands Kamerkoor. Alongside his early-music work, he has appeared with leading symphony orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Saint Louis Symphony, expanding his repertoire into more recent centuries. Highlights include Vaughan Williams’s On Wenlock Edge, Britten’s Nocturne (Charlottesville Symphony), and the role of Mark in Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels (Festival Musica in Strasbourg and Philharmonie de Paris).
Recent seasons have been marked by major projects and close artistic partnerships with prominent conductors. With Francesco Corti, he toured extensively in Händel’s Radamisto with Il Pomo d’Oro, followed by stage productions at Drottningholm Opera (The Fairy Queen by Purcell in 2023 and Lully’s Armide in 2024), and a tour of Bach’s St Matthew Passion with the Freiburger Barockorchester.
Under Philippe Jaroussky, he sang the role of Erinda in Sartorio’s L’Orfeo at the Opéra de Montpellier and made his debut in the title role of Mozart’s Mitridate with Capella Cracoviensis. He is also a frequent guest of Christina Pluhar and L’Arpeggiata, performing Monteverdi but also Mozart, including Agenore in Il Re Pastore at the Salzburg Mozarteum and at Budapest’s Müpa.
With Raphaël Pichon and Pygmalion, he has sung Basilio in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, toured Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610, and appeared most recently in Romeo Castellucci’s production of Le lacrime di Eros (role of Pastore) at Dutch National Opera. In summer 2025, he appeared at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in Cavalli’s La Calisto (role of Linfea) with Ensemble Correspondances and Sébastien Daucé, directed by Jetske Mijnssen. He has also performed with the Gulbenkian Foundation Orchestra and Choir in Lisbon, singing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Mass in B minor under Martina Batič and Peter Dijkstra.
The 2025/2026 season promises to be equally exciting: Britten’s Serenade conducted by Osmo Vänskä; a European tour with Pygmalion (German sacred repertoire); Händel’s Alcina (role of Oronte, concert version) with Philippe Jaroussky and Ensemble Artaserse in Paris, Montpellier, and Barcelona; revivals of La Calisto (Paris, Nantes, Angers, Rennes); Mozart’s Requiem in Salzburg with Christina Pluhar; and Bach’s St Matthew Passion (as the Evangelist) with Masato Suzuki and the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo.
His discography includes more than forty recordings on prestigious labels such as Ricercar, CPO, Soli Deo Gloria, Harmonia Mundi, Glossa, Atma, La Música, and Aparté, under the direction of William Christie, John Eliot Gardiner, Masaaki Suzuki, Christophe Rousset, and Raphaël Pichon. His recital album Eternità d’amore (La Música) was widely acclaimed by the press. His first solo recording for Harmonia Mundi, Brooklyn Suite, will be released in early 2026.