Norman Garrett

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Norman Garrett
Born1981 or 1982
Occupationopera singer

Norman Garrett is an American bass baritone opera singer. He is best known for his performances in the role of Crown in the opera Porgy and Bess , which he has sung at the Glimmerglass Festival, Theater an der Wien in Vienna, the University of Michigan, Fort Worth Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera and Washington National Opera.

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Early life and education

Garrett was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1981 or 1982. [1] He earned his BM degree in voice from Texas Tech University [1] and his MM degree, also in voice, from the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music.[ citation needed ]

Career

Garrett won the George London Foundation Competition in 2014.[ citation needed ] In the early part of his career he performed with the Kentucky Opera and the Cincinnati Opera.[ when? ][ citation needed ] In the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program at Washington National Opera, he appeared in several roles.[ when? ][ citation needed ]

He appeared at the 64th Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland[ when? ] in the title role in Koanga (1904) by Frederick Delius.[ citation needed ]

Garrett sang the role of Jake in Porgy and Bess at the Lyric Opera of Chicago [ when? ] and debuted in the role of Jim at the Metropolitan Opera in 2019.[ citation needed ] He first appeared as Crown at Glimmerglass Festival's 2017 production of Porgy and Bess, where a review in Bachtrack said that he "was fully credible as Crown. ... Scary and exulting dark confidence, he justified the sway Crown held over [Bess]". [2] Thereafter, he sang the role at Theater an der Wien in Vienna, the University of Michigan, Fort Worth Opera, Washington National Opera [ citation needed ] and Des Moines Metro Opera. Of his performance in Des Moines, a reviewer for Opera Today wrote: "Norman Garret was a colossal Crown. Not only is he an imposing and (in context) dangerous physical specimen, his booming, brooding baritone perfectly communicated his deadly serious intentions. 'A Red-Headed Woman' was delivered with zesty menace." [3]

In 2018 in Des Moines, Garrett appeared in Flight by Jonathan Dove. [4] In 2019, he at the Munich Opera Festival he sang the role of Jim Larkens in Puccini's La fanciulla del West .[ citation needed ] In November 2022, he played Malcom X in X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X , the 1986 opera by Anthony Davis, at Opera Omaha.[ citation needed ] In June 2023 for his portrayal of Ned in Treemonisha by Scott Joplin, reimagined by composer Damien Sneed and librettist Karen Chilton at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, a review in Opera Today stated: "Mr. Garret’s polished baritone brought authority and aural pleasure to his key moments, none more so than in his definitive, beautifully controlled melismatic rendering of 'When Villains Ramble Far and Near', which almost stopped the show." [5] In 2024, in Tesori's Blue at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, he portrayed the Reverend. [6]

In the early part of his career, Garrett sang in concerts with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the Southwest Florida Symphony in Ft. Myers and with the Penn Symphony Orchestra.[ citation needed ] He has also been a recitalist with the Dolce Suono Ensemble.[ citation needed ] He was resident artist of Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts for one year.[ when? ][ citation needed ] He sang in Handel's Messiah in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada,[ citation needed ], Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the National Philharmonic Orchestra and in Phoenix,[ citation needed ] Orff's Carmina Burana at the Hollywood Bowl and in Toronto,[ citation needed ] Waltons Belshazzar’s Feast with the Phoenix Symphony [ citation needed ] and a Gershwin program with the Philadelphia Orchestra.[ citation needed ]

Recording

References

  1. 1 2 Chism, Olin (May 5, 2012). "Soprano from Spring wins voice competition". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. p. Z0. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  2. ↑ "Francesca Zambello’s Porgy and Bess successfully revived at Glimmerglass", Bachtrack, August 7, 2017
  3. ↑ "Des Moines' Porgy and Bess Marks a Milestone", Opera Today, July 2022
  4. ↑ "Flight Soars High in Des Moines", Opera Today, July 2018
  5. ↑ "Treemonisha 2.0 in Joplin’s Hometown", Opera Today, June 2023
  6. ↑ "Worthy cast and music buried by ramshackle libretto, heavy polemics in Lyric Opera's Blue", Chicago Classical Review, November 17, 2024
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