A noted interpreter of Mozart and bel canto repertoire as well as Benjamin Britten and many of today’s living composers, Keith Phares is regarded as one of his generation’s most versatile artists.
Recent engagements have included James Halligan in the premiere of Eric Sawyer’s The Garden of Martyrs; the title role in Der Kaiser von Atlantis in a joint production with Central City Opera and Colorado Symphony; Marcello in La bohème in his debut with Seattle Opera; The Father in the premiere of Gregory Spears’ Paul’s Case with UrbanArias, and Orin Mannon in Mourning Becomes Electra with Florida Grand Opera.
For his debut with Florentine Opera, he portrayed the title role in Elmer Gantry, prompting Opera News to write that “Keith Phares’s scrupulously rendered Elmer Gantry appears a strong contender for iconographic recognition. Beautifully vocalized and bursting with charismatic smarm (think Burt Lancaster with buttery legato), Phares’s achievement will prove a difficult act to follow.” A live recording of this performance is now available from Naxos records. Alongside Grammy awards for Best Contemporary Classical Composition and Best Engineering – Classical, it was been named Opera News’ #1 Opera Recording of 2011.
A graduate of the Juilliard Opera Center, he was a national winner of the 1998 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a finalist in the 1999 Eleanor McCollum Competition of the Houston Grand Opera. He also has been recognized with a Richard Gaddes Grant from the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the 2000 Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Juilliard School of Music.
This May, Keith Phares will return to the FGO stage in the role of John Sorel during our production of Menotti's The Consul. To see Keith Phares in Florida Grand Opera's gripping production of Menotti's The Consul from May 9-16, simply call FGO's Box Office at 800.741.1010 Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm, or order securely online at FGO.org.
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Keith, welcome back to Florida Grand Opera! Why don't you start by telling us how you first got bitten by the opera bug?
I started off playing trumpet in my school bands and I guess I was first bit by the theater bug while I was playing in the pit orchestra for my school musicals. When they announced what the musical would be for the following year, I picked up a recording to check out the trumpet part, but eventually started singing along (in private) while I was doing my homework, mowing the lawn, etc. I thought to myself “Well, this sounds pretty good."I wasn’t really motivated to do anything with it until I found out that these two super-cute girls I knew were planning on auditioning for the New Jersey All-Shore Chorus (this is a group from Monmouth and Ocean Counties). So, I got into that after discovering that I’d scored pretty high in the auditions (3rd among Basses and Baritones). However, nothing happened with the two girls and I was unenthusiastic about chorus, so I stuck with trumpet.
When we moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina during my senior year I inquired about participating in the pit orchestra for my high school musical. Turns out they didn’t have enough people for an orchestra, but that they needed men for the show. I auditioned and got the lead – Emile de Becque in South Pacific. I was hooked.
Soon after I began to look for similar opportunities, but it wasn’t until the summer before my junior year at University of Richmond that I began to pursue singing. I had a small role in The Secret Garden with the Hilton Head Playhouse, and there were several classically-trained singers in the cast that encouraged me to start taking voice lessons.
One thing led to another and I was accepted into the graduate voice programs at Juilliard (The Juilliard School), Manhattan School (Manhattan School of Music), New England (New England Conservatory), and Eastman (Eastman School of Music). The thing about opera, for me, is the emphasis on SINGING. It is singing at the highest level. The sound of an unamplified voice over an orchestra just did something to me. It’s hard to explain…
I adored the music I was playing on trumpet and still do, but I just didn’t have the chops to continue pursuing it. Singing came so easily to me, that it seemed like this was what I was supposed to do.
We think so, too, and we're glad to have you back performing with us. Speaking of which: Last year you made your FGO debut in the role of Orin Mannon in Mourning Becomes Electra. Can you describe to us what that experience was like?
My FGO debut was a pretty exhilarating experience… I’d gotten the call three weeks before the start of rehearsal. It was difficult music to learn partly because this role is higher than anything I’d ever sung (the score calls for either a High Baritone or a Heldentenor).It has a much higher tessitura than most baritone roles, topping out at high A, so my work was cut out for me. It was nerve wracking to say the least… kind of unchartered territory. But, I had a blast, and I’d love to sing the role again soon.
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| Phares as Orin Mannon in Mourning Becomes Electra |
In addition to Mourning Becomes Electra and The Consul, you’ve had a significant amount of experience singing roles in additional contemporary operas. Is there something in particular that attracts you to these types of roles/shows?
I love contemporary work because I feel it’s a clean slate for me. There’s typically no convention or performance practice to observe. Also, most modern pieces are in English, so I get my best shot at going out there and being myself. I can sing the text without any filters. |
| Phares in Paul's Case, via Barihunks |
How would you say that your role in The Consul compares to your role in Mourning Becomes Electra? In what ways are they similar and in what ways are they different?
Vocally, Orin Mannon and John Sorel are apples and oranges. The former is so high and lyrical, yet at times, florid. The latter is lower and more declamatory.Dramatically, I’ll probably take a similar approach unless the director has something else in mind. Typically, I just try to play the scene.
The big difference in this case is that Orin was mentally imbalanced and detached from reality and thus, his behavior was all over the place. John Sorel, as high as the stakes are, is a sane individual with a clear mission. That doesn’t really affect my approach. Sane or insane, I’m going to deliver the text with as much honesty as I can.
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| Phares in FGO's 2013 production of Levy's Mourning Becomes Electra |
Very interesting! How would you explain the plot of The Consul to a newcomer to the opera?
The plot of The Consul is pretty straightforward. It takes place in a totalitarian state. Magda’s husband, John, is a political dissident on the run. It has become too dangerous for them, so it’s decided that she will apply for a visa to leave the country with their child and John’s mother and, hopefully, meet him on the other side of the border after he is able to flee. Tragically, the brutality of the regime and insanity of the bureaucracy proves to be a force with which they cannot contend.For audience members who may be intimidated by “modern opera,” how would you describe the music?
I can honestly say to newcomers that MOST contemporary or “modern” opera I’ve performed is very tonal and lyrical, rhythmically more exciting and reminiscent of a lot of movie music, i.e. the music is always driving the drama.You don’t find as much music that is clearly glorifying the voice as you would find in Handel, Rossini, Verdi, or Puccini, but the drama, the theatricality of these pieces, particularly in The Consul, is often more compelling.
Yes, harmonically you might hear some sounds you’re not accustomed to, but there’s plenty of conventionally beautiful music and beautiful singing. Furthermore, the story is engaging. The subject matter is timely and the characters more relatable and identifiable. The Consul is still a totally relevant story because, unfortunately, there is still political oppression all over the world.
In your opinion, what are the top 3 reasons why South Florida audiences need to see The Consul?
Top three reasons to see The Consul:- It's a riveting night of theater.
- You'll see and hear the highest caliber of singing actors and instrumentalists.
- Live performance offers a visceral experience that cannot be reproduced on a screen.
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