Ryan Allen

Ryan Allen is an American bass singer known for his operatic character roles. He debuted at the Metropolitan Opera [cite web |url= http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/frame.htm
title= Metopera Database: |pages= Keyword Search: Ryan Allen; performance date, January 23, 1993|accessdate= 2008-02-13 |author= The Metropolitan Opera Archives |authorlink= Metropolitan Opera] in 1993 as Hans Foltz in "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" by Richard Wagner. The singer has performed professionally in all 50 states, appeared with numerous American opera companies, and sung as a soloist in Russia, Israel, Poland, Norway and Sweden. Coming to Opera from the field of acting, the bass's repertoire favors roles with character development and stage movement. These roles range from the comic Don Basilio [cite web
author = Elyse Sommer
title = A Curtain Up Opera Review, Il Barbiere di Siviglia
publisher = Curtain Up
url = http://www.curtainup.com/barberseville.html
date = July 5, 1999
accessdate = 2008-08-06 ] in "Il barbiere di Siviglia" by Gioacchino Rossini to the pathetic Candy ["Bleak story of shattered men makes edgy opera," D.T. Baker, Edmonton Journal, B6.] in "Of Mice and Men" by Carlisle Floyd. Mr. Allen has also appeared as an oratorio soloist with various symphony orchestras and oratorio societies. In 1989 he debuted at Carnegie Hall, singing the bass solos in Mozart's "Requiem". [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE6DF123CF932A35755C0A96F948260 NYTimes.com, Review/Music, 10 Choruses From Across the Nation] ]

Mr. Allen is a lyric bass capable of singing the deepest pitches composed in opera. He has performed the role of Seneca [ [http://milwaukeesfs.livejournal.com/117244.html milwaukeesfs: University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Opera, "The Coronation of Poppea." ] ] in "L'incoronazione de Poppea" by Monteverdi, which requires a low D. [ [http://www.dutchdivas.net/highC.html Dutch Divas - the high C ] ] He has also established himself as a versatile singer by performing not only in opera and oratorio, but also in the musical theater field (Judge Turpin in "Sweeney Todd") ["Indianola, IA," Derek M. Mills, Opera News, December 9, 1995, p. 56.] and the operetta field in Gilbert and Sullivan roles, such as the title character in "The Mikado". ["'Mikado' opera is delightfully absurd," David Stabler, The Oregonian, May 15, 2000, Entertainment Section, p. 1.] Further versatility was demonstrated in the musical style of Kurt Weill, when he sang "A Kurt Weill Cabaret" with the late Martha Schlamme. ["Schlamme and company do justice to Weill's genius," Arden Anderson Broeking, Darien News-Review, March 8, 1984, p. 10.] He has participated in several world premieres, including "Holy Blood and Crescent Moon" by Stewart Copeland with the Cleveland Opera, and "The Cask of Amontillado" by Russell Currie [The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell, 2004. Copyright: Macmillian Publishers Limited, 1980] at Golden Fleece, Ltd. in New York City. "Caliban", a monodrama by Russell Currie using the words of the character Caliban from Shakespeare's "The Tempest," was written for and dedicated to him. Ryan Allen can be heard as Elviro on a 1994 recording of Handel's "Xerxes" (Koch Schwann) and seen as Betto on a video of "Gianni Schicchi" (Metropolitan Opera Guild). He graduated with a B.A. in English from Austin College in Sherman, Texas and an M.M. from the University of Texas at Austin. The bass lives in the Greater New York vicinity in Edgewater, NJ.

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External links

* [http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041003/ART10/41003001/-1/ART Ryan Allen as Don Basilio in "The Barber of Seville"]
* [http://www.operajaponica.org/archives/america/americaletterpast04b.htm Ryan Allen as Don Magnifico in "La Cenerentola"]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9907E0D71238F932A25754C0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all Ryan Allen as the Stage Manager in "Six Characters in Search of an Author"]
* [http://www.frequencybox.com/portfolio/atlantaopera/2001/artists_AtruC.htm Ryan Allen at FrequencyBox.com]
* [http://www.perfomania.com/ryan_allen Ryan Allen at Performania.com]