Jeffrey Grayson Gates - KingBaritone Jeffrey Grayson Gates is a Texas native whose captivating, artful performances have won the admiration of audiences and critics throughout the United States. He was hailed by The Baltimore Sun as having “vocal spark” as well as a “thundering presence” by DC Metro Theater Arts for his recent performance as Don Giovanni at Lyric Opera Baltimore. Mr. Gates was a Regional Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in both in MidWest and MidAtlantic regions, a winner of the Vocal Arts DC Young Artists Competition, the Naftzger Young Artist Auditions, and the Stephen Dickson Encouragement Award. Mr. Gates received a Bachelor of Music degree from Oklahoma City University, studying under Dr. William Nield Christensen, and a Graduate Performance Diploma in Voice from the Peabody Conservatory, studying under William Sharp.
Among his widespread repertoire of operatic roles, performance highlights include: Don Giovanni, Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Mr. Gedge in Albert Herring, Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia, Germont and Baron Duphol in La Traviata, Happy in La Fanciulla del West, Frederic in Lakme, Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, Horace Tabor in The Ballad of Baby Doe, Eisenstein and Falke in Die Fledermaus, Count Homonay in The Gypsy Baron, Polonio/Primo Becchino in Amleto (Faccio), Rambaldo in La Rondine, Nick Shadow in The Rakes Progress, and Rev. Hale in The Crucible. He has previously performed as a young artist with Central City Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Saratoga, Kentucky Opera, and Light Opera Oklahoma. In addition to opera and musical theater, Mr. Gates has extensive experience on the concert stage performing with many orchestras throughout the United States. He has appeared as baritone soloist in Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Oklahoma City University Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem with the Richmond Symphony, Carmina Burana with the Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra, Fauré’s Requiem with Washington Master Chorale and Harford Choral Society, and Duruflé’s Requiem at Epiphany Episcopal Church. Mr. Gates has been featured as the baritone soloist in Händel’s Messiah with various other organizations throughout the United States, including the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra, York Symphony Orchestra, Harrisburg Choral Society and Harford Choral Society. He also performed a series of art song recitals with Vocal Arts DC, including a recital on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Jeffrey Grayson Gates currently resides in Baltimore, MD with his wife, soprano Courtney Kalbacker. For more information, please visit www.JeffreyGatesBaritone.com. |