Guest ArtistsRod Gilfry, baritone
Rod Gilfry was born and raised in Southern California. He earned degrees from California State University Fullerton, and the University of Southern California. From 1987 to 1989 he was a member of the Frankfurt Opera ensemble, and from 1989 to 1994 he was a member of the Zurich Opera ensemble. The two-time Grammy® nominee, singer and actor has performed in all the world's music capitals. He is acclaimed world-wide in opera, musicals, recitals and cabaret.
Mr. Gilfry has created 12 leading roles in opera world premieres, most recently in the Brooklyn Academy of Music solo opera by David Lang, the loser; and at the Houston Grand Opera in Jake Heggie's It's a Wonderful Life. Other recent appearances include: Adelaide Festival (Brett Dean's Hamlet), Glyndebourne Festival (Hamlet world premiere), Metropolitan Opera (Thomas Adès’ The Exterminating Angel), Brooklyn Academy of Music (Matthew Aucoin's Crossing), Los Angeles Master Chorale (Beethoven’s Missa solemnis), Edinburgh Festival (Così fan tutte), American Repertory Theater Boston (Aucoin's Crossing world premiere), Zurich Opera (Rote Laterne world premiere), NYC Mostly Mozart Festival (Così fan tutte), San Francisco Symphony (The Tempest), Alabama Symphony (Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony), Vienna Volksoper (Kismet), New York City Opera (Anna Nicole), Aix-en-Provence Festival (Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte), Quebec City Festival (The Tempest), Los Angeles Philharmonic (Così fan tutte), London Royal Opera Covent Garden (Anna Nicole), Metropolitan Opera (The Merry Widow) and Milwaukee Symphony (Così fan tutte). Recent recordings include Mozart's Così fan tutte, Heggie's It's a Wonderful Life, Great Voices Sing John Denver, Matson's Cooperstown and Stucky's August 4th, 1964.
Mr. Gilfry’s upcoming appearances include a San Bernardino Symphony solo concert, Phoenix Symphony (Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem), CSU Fullerton Elijah, Los Angeles Opera (Crossing, the loser), Santa Fe Opera (Ariadne auf Naxos, Così fan tutte), Seoul (Così fan tutte), San Francisco Opera (It's a Wonderful Life) and Metropolitan Opera Dead Man Walking.
Rod Gilfry is an Associate Professor of Vocal Arts at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles.