Father Dyer Church, Breckenridge
Tickets: $20 in Advance, $25 at the door
Keith Miller Trades in Football Playbook for the Roster of the Metropolitan Opera
Meteoric Rise Culminates in Over 200 Met Performances and Significant Debuts
The Metropolitan Opera’s bass-baritone Keith Miller knows the odds. A million-to-one to make it in professional football, two million-to-one to succeed in opera. But never bet against Miller. The singer, who matches a steely determination with a commanding presence, has bucked the odds. He has thrived in both worlds, going from the gridiron to one of opera’s most prestigious stages.
In opera terms, his rise has been meteoric. In less than six years as a professional singer, Miller has drawn on his powerfully resonant rumble of a voice, sculpted physique and astounding athleticism to put his stamp on operatic productions old and new. Miller has sung in over 200 performances at the Metropolitan Opera, appeared in numerous HD Met Opera broadcast productions seen in 46 countries, and increasingly performs on the concert stage. And, he has performed with such Met superstars as Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Deborah Voight and Renée Fleming as well in a Grammy-nominated recording of Eugene Onegin.
Opera News recently hailed his “smoldering presence and sharp, booming delivery” and called him an “artist to watch.” Classicalsource.com said, “Keith Miller gave an outstanding performance, both vocally and dramatically, as Zuniga. His superb bass voice, excellent musicianship and keen stage presence make each role he performs noteworthy, and should presage bigger roles in the future.”
By applying the same rigorous training to his singing career as he did when he was an athlete, Miller is now one of the few performers today who can take on opera’s increasingly challenging roles that demand not only a beautiful voice but also the strength and stamina to make a stage fight thrilling or a dance sequence artful. He’s a perfect fit in the new world of opera where singers are expected to look like movie stars and where fitness is a non-negotiable requirement.
Most recently, Miller made his debut in 2011 at venues nationwide from the Washington and Seattle Opera to the Breckenridge Music Festival. As Artist in Residence with the Savannah Children’s Choir, where one of his objectives has been to break down stereotypes about opera and the arts, he gave lectures, master classes and sang in recital. In the fall he returned to the Metropolitan Opera opening night as part of the star-studded cast of Anna Bolena.
In 2012, Miller’s skyward trajectory continues at the Metropolitan Opera where his performances will include singing in Billy Budd and Anna Bolena. Other scheduled performances include a concert at Carnegie Hall with the American Symphony Orchestra, a recital at the Breckenridge Music Festival in Colorado, and Florencia en el Amazonas at Opera Colorado.
“Keith has found a home in the Metropolitan Opera,” Zimmerman says. “It is fulfilling something so deep in him. This is a case of someone finding a passion that’s such a complete and perfect fit yet was such a mystery to him until he was in his ‘20s.”
http://www.keithmillerbass.com/
