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Baritone Stephen Rushing: “Rushing has gained renown for his excellent, classically-trained voice.”; “Rushing’s well-modulated voice conveyed the character’s confusion as well as his determination”; and “An excellent Actor/Singer,” are what the reviewers are saying and writing about American baritone, Stephen Rushing.
Stephen Rushing’s opera and operetta appearances have led him to acclaimed performances with New Orleans Opera, Ohio Light Opera, Cleveland Opera, Tulane Summer Lyric in New Orleans, Springfield Regional Opera Company in Missouri, Jefferson Lyric Opera in New Orleans and Totales Theatre in Vienna, Austria. Mr. Rushing’s stage credits include Escamillo (Carmen), Silvio (Pagliacci), Germont (La Traviata), Schaunard (La Bohème), Guglielmo (Cosi fan Tutte), Peter (Hansel and Gretel), John in Lee Hoiby’s Summer and Smoke, the title role in Gianni Schicchi, Dancairo (Carmen), Yamadori (Madama Butterfly), Massacroft (The Chocolate Soldier), Dick Deadeye (H.M.S. Pinafore), Private Willis (Iolanthe), Cascada (The Merry Widow), Falke (Die Fledermaus) and even the comic triple roles of Al Donfonso, Papa Geno and Pasha Shaboom in P.D.Q. Bach’s The Abduction of Figaro.
Mr. Rushing gained national recognition as the first place winner in the Man's Solo Voice Division of the National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artist Auditions. He performed in recital at the United Nations under the auspices of NFMC, the only music organization included in the Official Roster of the United Nations and toured the United States presenting numerous solos recitals. In addition Mr. Rushing has appeared in concert with the Kansas Bach Choir, New Orleans Philharmonic, Reno Choral Society, Little Rock Chamber Singers, Wichita Choral Society, Baton Rouge Symphony, Des Moines Choral Society, Monroe Symphony (LA), Jefferson Performing Arts Society (New Orleans.), Acadiana Symphony, and Louisiana Symphonietta. Mr. Rushing has also toured overseas with solo appearances in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Austria. Mr. Rushing’s concert repertoire spans the history of music from Baroque works to world premieres including: Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s B-Minor Mass, Handel’s Messiah, Finzi’s In Terra Pax, Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Carissimi’s Jephte, Brahms’ Requiem and Constantinides’ Voices of the Millenniums.
Among Mr. Rushing’s many honors include the University of Kansas' Kathryn Langemede Nelson Award in Music given by the University of Kansas in Lawrence, the Merle Montgomery Opera Award given by the National Federation of Music Clubs, and the NFMC Baiz International Music Scholarship for study abroad. A native of Baton Rouge, Mr. Rushing received his undergraduate degree in music from Louisiana State University and continued his training at Drake University, Istituto Europeo in Florence, Italy and most recently The University of Kansas. In addition to his formal training, Mr. Rushing has had the opportunity to perform in master class for Gérard Souzay, Dalton Baldwin, Samuel Sanders, John Wustman, and Richard Woitach. Conductors and directors with whom he has worked include Anton Coppola, Robert Lyall, Stephen Lord, Dorothy Danner, Matthew Latta, and Nicholas Muni.
Most recently Stephen Rushing appeared as a guest artist with the Baton Rouge Symphony in the Messiah and in the role of Falke in a New Orleans production of Die Fledermaus. He recently sang Falke with Houston’s Opera in the Heights under the direction of Maestro William Weibel and returned to the concert stage with the Baton Rouge Symphony for a reprise of the Messiah.
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