Guest ArtistsKevin Deas, bass-baritone

Kevin Deas has gained international renown as one of America’s leading bass-baritones. He is perhaps most acclaimed for his signature portrayal of the title role in Porgy and Bess, having performed it with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony and the symphonies of Atlanta, Baltimore, Calgary, Columbus, Detroit, Florida, Hartford, Houston, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Montreal, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Utah, and Vancouver, and at the Ravinia, Vail and Saratoga festivals.

Engagements during the 2016-17 season included Handel’s Messiah with the Houston Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic and National Cathedral; Vaughn Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem with the Richmond Symphony, Verdi’s Requiem with the Virginia Symphony, Puccini’s Messa di Gloria with the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with the Jacksonville Symphony, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with Baltimore Choral Arts, Mozart’s Requiem with VoxAmaDeus and Rachmaninoff’s The Bells with JoAnn Falletta at SUNY Potsdam.

Kevin Deas has recorded Wagner’s Die Meistersinger for Decca/London with the Chicago Symphony under the late Sir Georg Solti and Varèse's Ecuatorial with the ASKO Ensemble under the baton of Riccardo Chailly. Other releases include Bach's Mass in B minor and Handel's Acis and Galatea on Vox Classics; Dave Brubeck's To Hope! with the Cathedral Choral Society on the Telarc label; and Haydn's Die Schöpfung with the Virginia Symphony and Boston Baroque for Linn Records. June 2014 marked the release of Dvořák in America (Naxos), featuring Mr. Deas performing the world premiere recording of Dvořák’s Hiawatha Melodrama and Dvořák’s arrangement of “Goin’ Home” with the PostClassical Ensemble.