Morgan Smith Biography (2024)

American baritoneMorgan Smith is one of the most prolificperformers of modern operatic repertoire in the world. Known for his riveting dramatic portrayals and the power and beauty of his voice, Mr. Smith has been entrusted to create16roles in world premieres, including Starbuck in Jake Heggie's widely celebratedMoby-Dick.

Mr. Smith has also earned universal praise for performances in traditional repertoire, notably Scarpia(Tosca), Escamillo (Carmen), title role of Don Giovanni, Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Count Alamaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Four Villains (Les contes d’Hoffmann), and the title role of Eugene Onegin.

Morgan begins the 2019/20season fresh from twohighly successful role debuts with Cincinnati Opera: Musiklehrer (AriadneaufNaxos), and Earl Mannin the widely anticipated and greatly acclaimed premiere of Scott Davenport Richards' and David Cote's Blind Injustice.He revisitsthe role of Eugene Onegin with Livermore Valley Opera before headingto Seattle as soloist in Mozart's Requiemwith Seattle Symphony. Later this season, Morgan returns to Miami to sing one of his favorite roles withFloridaGrand Opera,Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), and debuts with the Atlanta Symphony as soloist in Ralph Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music, and J. S. Bach's Cantata 29.

Recent successes include Scarpia in Tosca with National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Herman in Ben Moore's Enemies, a Love Story with Kentucky Opera, Paul Jobs inThe (R)Evolution of Steve Jobs with Seattle Opera, Tadeusz in Weinberg's The Passenger with Israeli Opera, Joseph De Rocher in Dead Man Walking with Welsh National Opera,his title role debut of Eugene Onegin at Lyric Opera Kansas City, Sharpless in Madama Butterflyat Kentucky Opera and Opéra de Montréal; the reprise of his critically acclaimed Starbuck at Dallas Opera and LA Opera, Marcello in La bohème with Oper Leipzig and San Diego Opera. Mr. Smith performed Don Giovanni with Arizona Opera, Austin Opera, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He received rave reviews for his riveting portrayal of Joseph De Rocher in Dead Man Walking at Kentucky Opera and Opera on the Avalon in 2017.

Other performancesof note included Escamillo in Carmen at Vancouver Opera, Pittsburgh Opera and Fort Worth Opera and Beethoven’sNinth Symphony with Seattle Symphony. He joinedthe San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus at Davies Hall to revive the role of Manfred in Jake Heggie’s poignant For a Look or a Touch (another role he created).Mr. Smithstarred as Aaron in the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’sMorning Starat Cincinnati Opera, for which he won outstanding reviews. He sangAdam Brant in Mourning Becomes Electraat Florida Grand Opera;Tadeusz in The Passengerin the US premiere of David Pountney’s production at both Houston Grand Opera and Lincoln Center Festival; and Fritz in Die tote Stadtat Dallas Opera. Mr. Smithwas honored to sing the role of LieutenantAudebert in Silent Nightin Fort Worth Opera’s presentation of Kevin Puts’ Pulitzer Prize winning opera.

Morgan Smith made his European guest artist debut at the Berliner Staatsoper in 2011, performingMarcello in La bohème. Fully fluent in German, Mr. Smith joined Oper Leipzig in 2009 as a resident artist. Over the following four yearshe sang Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia,Billy in The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny,Papageno inDie Zauberflöte, Dr. Falkein Die Fledermaus,Leandre in The Love for Three Oranges,Whitelaw Savory in One Touch of Venus, Marcello in La bohème, andGuglielmo in Cosìfan tutte.

Further in contemporary repertoire, Morgan Smith created the role ofTed Steinertin Thomas Pasatieri’sFrau Margotin the world premiere at Fort Worth Opera, and on the recording (Albany Records); he covered Gerald Finley asRobert Oppenheimerin the world premiere of John Adams'Dr. Atomic, commissioned by San Francisco Opera; he sang the world premiere of Richard Cummings' Aspects of Hippolytuswith Hartford Symphony, and created the title role in the Tony Kushner/Maurice Sendak adaptation of Hans Krasa's children's opera,Brundibar(recorded by NAXOS).

A graduate of Columbia College at Columbia University and MannesCollege of Music in New York City, Morganbecame a Seattle Opera young artist (1999-2000)and in 2001 there made his professional debut asDonald in Billy Budd. A great favorite in Seattle, Mr. Smith has performed roles in12 other productions since that debut -- including Count Alamaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni (title role),Silvio in I Pagliacci,Riccardo in I Puritani, andPeter Niles in Mourning Becomes Electra.

A regular on the concert stage, Mr. Smith made his Dallas Symphony debut in Bach'sSt. Matthew Passion, and debuted with the San Antonio Symphony for the North American premiere ofVier Präludien und Ernste Gesänge, Detlef Glanert's orchestral adaptation of the beloved cycle by Brahms. Other concert repertoire includes Beethoven'sNinth Symphony;theRequiemsof Brahms, Fauré, Mozart and Duruflé; theMass in CMinorof Mozart and Mass in G Minor of Vaughan Williams; Bach’sB Minor Mass, numerous Cantatas, and WeihnachtsOratorium; Handel'sMessiahandL'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato; andHaydn'sThe CreationandLord Nelson Mass.

Morgan Smith Biography (2024)

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