Updates
July 2024:
It gives me great pleasure to announce my return to the Metropolitan Opera in 2025 as Stubb in Jake Heggie's Moby Dick! I've known Jake since college and it's always a thrill to perform in one of his operas. I've had the luck to perform in this opera several times, and I'm excited to be part of it when it finally comes to the Met! June 2024:
As usual I've been remiss in my updates on this website! I'm happy to say that it's not for lack of things to report, but rather lack of time to report them! This last season saw me covering in two productions at San Francisco Opera in addition to finally making my Carnegie Hall début! Surprisingly, all of these milestones were with NEW operatic works! That in itself is somewhat of a milestone for me as I'm hardly a new music specialist! Of particular note were singing Uncle John in Ricky Ian Gordon's The Grapes of Wrath, and covering the role of the father-in-law in Kaija Saariaho's Innocence. Both pieces are powerful theater and it was a thrill to be involved! April 2023:
What a year. Actually, it's been 14 months since I've updated this website. When one is moving fast, it's hard to have time to reflect on what has happened or even anticipate what's to come. It's been a year of career highs, and personal lows. I apologize for my lack of updates. 2022 turned out to be one of my busiest career years ever. Back to back stints at the Metropolitan Opera covering the Marquis de Posa, first in French and then in Italian, potentially my last Germont for Toledo Opera, and the life changing world premiere of the Pulitzer Prize winning Omar at the Spoleto Festival. Balancing these highs were the loss of my mother during the run of Omar, and my uncle just a few months later. How does one encapsulate that kind of loss in a single paragraph? I don't think I'll really try. Suffice it to say that my mother and uncle were both major sources of inspiration in my life and career and that moving forward without them is just something I'll have to do. February 2022:
I'm so proud to announce that I'm going to be a part of the world premier of the new opera OMAR at the Spoleto Festival this Summer. OMAR is based on the autobiography of the enslaved man Omar ibn Said. The story of his remarkable life is a story that needs to be told. December 2021:
Well.... That was something! I'm sure we all have our own Pandemic stories and the break in my updates here probably doesn't need much explanation, but here's a quick recap. In mid March of 2020, the day after the final dress rehearsal of Eugene Opera's Production of Tosca, the governor locked the state down and we were all sent home. As the country woke up to the severity of the crisis, the cancelations began to come in, like dominos falling. I feel very fortunate that many of the companies I was contracted to sing with during the 2020 and 2021 seasons made an effort to reschedule or to pay at least a portion of the contract value. I'm so grateful to them. I continued teaching (remotely) for UC Davis, and in 2021 taught a semester for the California State University at Sacramento Music Department. In the Fall of 2021 it was finally time to get back to work. I'm grateful to the Piedmont Opera for giving me my first chance to perform on stage in nearly 18 months with their production of Gianni Schicchi! We performed unmasked to a small but VERY appreciative audience in downtown Winston Salem. It was my debut in that title role, and I will forever cherish the memories of those intimate performances. January 2020:
2019 brought a new chapter for me as I joined the music faculty of The University of California at Davis as a voice instructor. Working with voice students in a university setting has been a dream of mine, and the UCD Music Department has bent over backward to accommodate my busy performing schedule. April 2019: I'm tremendously excited to announce that I've joined the roster at ADA Artist Managment! I'm so looking forward to this new chapter in my career, and can't wait to see what lies ahead. Perhaps something in German? October 2018:
Rigoletto at North Carolina Opera was such a wonderful experience. Playing the sad jester was a career highlight for me and something I'll never forget. I'm happy to announce that this terrific company has decided to have me back again this season for Tosca, playing my favorite Baddie, Baron Scarpia! This "perfect" opera is great for first timers and veterans alike. Come on out and watch me get stabbed with a butter knife! January 2018:
Sometimes things have a way of working out. I've had a long relationship with Verdi's Rigoletto, having sung the feature role of Marullo numerous times, including at the Metropolitan Opera. I've also been offered the title role several times over the years, but due to conflicts I was never able to fit it into my schedule. Last year, I was ecstatic when Eugene Opera offered me the role, and then just as disappointed when they had to cancel the production. Just before I was to leave for Eugene to begin rehearsing Barber, I got a call from my agent. North Carolina Opera had lost their Rigoletto, and they wanted to know if I could step in! What a nice way to begin 2018! July 2017:
UPDATE!! Like a phoenix rising, Eugene Opera has pulled itself back from the brink and will present an opera this fall! Previously, I had mentioned upcoming performances of Rigoletto with this wonderful company, but financial concerns required the company to cancel that production. Lucky for me, after some amazing fundraising efforts, they decided to go ahead with a fall production but to switch over to Rossini's Barber of Seville instead! Time for me to dust off my shaving kit! February 2017:
So looking forward to Pittsburgh Opera's new production of Jake Heggie's Moby Dick! Happy to be able to portray the happy go lucky Stubb again, while returning to a wonderful company! More for February 2017:
The role debuts keep coming! Come join me at Opera Omaha for Puccini's Tosca! I really can't express how incredibly excited I am to finally have the chance to portray the Baddest of the Bad, Baron Scarpia! January 2017:
Mozart AND Verdi? Yes! So proud to be joining Opera San Jose for both Così fan tutte AND La traviata! This will be my role debut as Don Alfonso in Mozart's masterpiece; a role I've wanted to play since I was Guglielmo to the incomparable François Loup as Alfonso at the beginning of my career. It will be wonderful to revisit Papa Germont again as well! December 2016:
I'm very excited to have been asked to return to Eugene Opera for my role debut of Rigoletto! This is one I've been looking forward to for a long time. My thanks to this great company for giving me the opportunity! October 2015:
I'm happy to add Lucia di Lammermoor with Eugene Opera to my fall schedule! This will be my company debut in Eugene and will get me back to playing what I love best. Baddies! August 2015:
I'm so very thrilled to have been asked be part of the Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice, making my role debut as George in Carlisle Floyd's opera Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck's tragic tale of migrant ranch workers holds special significance for my family and I'm very grateful to be a part of this wonderful operatic adaptation. More information about this performance and this wonderful festival can be found here. February 2015:
I'm so very happy to announce that I'll be returning to LA Opera to sing the role of Stubb in Jake Heggie's wonderful opera Moby-Dick. This will be my second role in this terrific piece, having previously sung Captain Gardner when San Diego Opera presented Moby-Dick a few years ago. More information can be found here. February 2015:
I'm delighted to be making my debut with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra under the talented hand of Maestro Christian Baldini. The concert will include some of my favorite arias! More information and tickets can be found here. January 2015:
I'm very excited to announce that I will be singing the role of Roger Chillingworth in Colorado Opera's world premiere of The Scarlet Letter by Lori Laitman. This incredible production stars the wonderful Elizabeth Futral as Hester Prynne. Further information about this terrific piece and production can be found here. |