Keith Phares
Baritone
New England First Place Winner, 1998
National Council Winner, 1998	review

Noted by the press for his dashingly attractive stage presence, commanding vocal authority, and creamy, warm baritone voice, Keith Phares is acclaimed both on the opera and concert stage as one of today’s most versatile artists.

During the 2006-07 season Keith Phares returns to New York City Opera to sing Fritz in the company’s pioneering Frank Corsaro production of Die Tote Stadt, joins Arizona Opera as Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro in a new production by the celebrated British baritone Sir Thomas Allen, bows as Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos with Utah Symphony & Opera, and reprises his distinguished portrayal of Maurice Bendrix in Jake Heggie’s The End of the Affair with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Mr. Phares also joins British composer-conductor Thomas Adès and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Gerald Barry’s The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit.

In the past season Keith Phares bowed at New York City Opera as The Pilot in the Francesa Zambello production of The Little Prince, sang Escamillo in Carmen with Arizona Opera, and debuted at the Dallas Opera in Ariadne auf Naxos. He also performed the roles of Chou-En Lai in Portland Opera’s presentation of Nixon in China, Danilo in The Merry Widow in a return engagement at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Masetto in the acclaimed Günter Krämer production of Don Giovanni at the Spoletto Festival USA, and Sebastian in the North American premiere of Thomas Adès’ The Tempest presented by the Santa Fe Opera in a new production by Jonathan Kent and conducted by Alan Gilbert.

Operatic highlights of recent seasons include a Metropolitan Opera debut, under the baton of James Levine, in the French triple-bill Parade, Billy Budd at Washington National Opera, Sweeney Todd, Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria, and Die Tote Stadt at New York City Opera, Don Pasquale, La Cenerentola, and The Mikado for Arizona Opera, Faust and Cold Sassy Tree with Utah Symphony & Opera, Beatrice and Benedict at Santa Fe Opera, The End of the Affair at Madison Opera, and Così fan tutte, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and The Little Prince at Boston Lyric Opera. With the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, he has been seen as Charles Lindbergh in Loss of Eden by Cary John Franklin and as Pip in Miss Havisham’s Fire by Dominick Argento.

Concert highlights include Béatrice et Bénèdict with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Sir Colin Davis, Candide with the San Francisco Symphony and Patrick Summers, and a program of Rogers and Hammerstein songs with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. He also has been honored to be affiliated for many seasons with the Marilyn Horne Foundation, under whose auspices he has appeared in numerous recitals and master classes throughout the United States.

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.

Mr. Phares is represented by IMG Artists.

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