Praised for the distinctive warmth of his voice, clear diction and exceptional musicianship, American baritone Keith Harris is quickly gaining recognition for his performances on both the operatic and concert stage. The 2009-2010 season began with his Carnegie Hall debut with the Manhattan Concert Productions in the world premiere of David N. Childs Requiem. Other season highlights include Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with The National Chorale at Avery Fisher Hall, the Distinguished Concerts International of New York in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Carmina Burana, and Alice Tully Hall debut with the Riverside Choral Society in Carmina Burana.   Mr. Harris will make his Metropolitan Opera debut in the new production of Verdi’s Don Carlo to open the 2010-2011 season. He will then sing the title role in Karsa’s Brundibar with the Pheonix Symphony and he will join the cast at the New York City Opera as Beclore in L’Elisir D’amore.

In 2006, Keith Harris made his European debut singing Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff with The Lyrique en Mer Festival in France. This inspired his return for the festival’s 2007 productions of Les contes d’Hoffmann and La Traviata. The 2007-2008 season included performances with The Texas Choral Director’s Association where he sang Vaughn Williams Five Mystical Songs, Te Deum by Mark Hayes and a world premiere of Morning Has Broken arranged by Bob Chilcott. Under the baton of Music Director James Bagwell, he performed In Terra Pax by Gerald Finzi with the Dessoff Choirs.

Mr. Harris has recently appeared with East Texas Symphony Orchestra for Handel’s Messiah, Argento’s Andrée Expedition with Pianist Kenneth Bozeman at the Emerson Series in Wisconsin, Stephen Paulus’ So Hallow’d Is the Time with the Greenwich Choral Society in Connecticut, Haydn's Heiligmesse and Ed Lojeski's Psalms of Passover with the New Jersey and Connecticut Choral Societies. Past concert performances include Kurt Weill Berliner Requiem, Duruflé’s Requiem, Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Dona Nobis Pacem by Vaughan Williams, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Mozart’s Requiem. Upcoming performances include Fauré Requiem with the New Jersey Choral Society.

Not a stranger to musical theater, Mr. Harris sang Billie Bigelow in Carousel for the Baltimore Dinner Theater this season. In the summer of 2007, he sang the roles of Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd and Pirate Bras Pique in Naughty Marietta with Light Opera Oklahoma. Tulsa World stated, “Harris gives Hope a stalwart air, thanks to a sturdy baritone.” The Lawton Constitution noted, “The deep voiced Keith Harris manages to out-Gastoned Gaston in his turn as the evil Governor, Pirate Bras Pique.”

Mr. Harris has appeared at the Seattle Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Holders Festival in Barbados, Nevada Opera, Opera of East Texas, El Paso Opera, Skagit Opera, Chelsea Opera in such roles as Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte, Silvio in Pagliacci, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Le Dancaïro, Escamillo and Moralés in Carmen, Sid in La fanciulla del West, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Athanaël in Thaïs and Dandini in La Cenerentola.

A vocal competition winner, his numerous honors and awards include first prize in the Seattle Region Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions, Opera Longview Vocal Competition in Texas, where he was named “Young Artist of the Year”, the Ellen Faull Gordon Northwest Vocal Competition, and the Ladies Musical Club Competition in Seattle. He holds a Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance from University of Washington and a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Lawrence University in Wisconsin.

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