American bass Kevin Burdette has impressed audiences on both sides of the Atlantic with his mellifluous voice and strongly dramatic characterizations. The San Francisco Chronicle called his Leporello “a tour de force of vocal splendor and comic timing,” and the New York Times dubbed him “the Robin Williams of opera.” He was featured as Stefano in Adès’ The Tempest with the Metropolitan Opera, the DVD of which, on Deutsche Grammophon, won the 2014 Grammy Award for “Best Opera Recording” and was awarded a French Diapason d’Or.
In 2020-2021, Mr. Burdette joins the inaugural season of the Atlanta Opera Company Players, as his hometown company looks to reimagine performances for their community during the COVID-19 pandemic. His additional scheduled engagements include the role of Howard in the world premiere of Missy Mazzoli & Royce Vavrek’s The Listeners with Den Norske Opera, Bartolo in Le nozze di Figarowith Dallas Opera, and a return to Santa Fe Opera as Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Correspondent in the world premiere of Lord of Cries.
Mr. Burdette’s engagements for the COVID-19 shortened 2019/2020 season include being seen as General Polkan in Golden Cockerel with Dallas Opera, and as Beck Wethers in Austin Opera’s production of Everest. He was scheduled to appear with San Diego Opera in Il barbiere di Siviglia as Don Basilio (cancelled). He was also slated to sing the role of Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Utah Opera (cancelled) and Santa Fe Opera (postponed), where was also to perform the dual roles of Manuel Toulon and The Judge in Huang Ruo’s new opera M. Butterfly(postponed).
The previous season, Kevin Burdette returned to the roster of the Metropolitan Opera as Spinelloccio in Gianni Schicchi. He also returned to Atlanta Opera as George Benton in Dead Man Walking, Opera Philadelphia as Benoit/Alcindoro in La bohème, Cincinnati Opera as Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, and he debuted the role of Claggart in Billy Budd with Central City Opera. He also performed Pangloss/Martin/Cacambo in Candide with Gran Teatre del Liceu.
In 2017, Mr. Burdette appeared with The Metropolitan Opera as Señor Russell in Adès’s The Exterminating Angel, Philadelphia Orchestra as the Sacristan in Tosca, and Seattle Opera as Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte as well as Somarone in Beatrice & Benedict. During the summer, he returned to Santa Fe Opera as Voltaire/Pangloss/Martin/Cacambo in Candide, and as the Major Domo in Ariadne auf Naxos.
Mr. Burdette’s 2016-17 season engagements included the role of Sulpice in La fille du régiment with Washington National Opera; General Polkan in The Golden Cockerel and Frosch in Die Fledermaus with Santa Fe Opera; Beck Weathers in Everest with Dallas Opera; Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress with Boston Lyric Opera; Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Atlanta Opera; the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance with Lyric Opera of Kansas City; and soloist in Messiahwith the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and at Duke University .
In the summer of 2015 Kevin Burdette returned to Santa Fe Opera as Sulpice in La fille du régiment and Stobrod/Blind Man in the world premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain. His performance as Stobrod/Blind Man can be heard on the 2016 Grammy nominated CD released by PENTATONE records. His 2015-16 season performances include creating the roles of Eric Gold and the Ghost of Vittorio Bazzetti in Heggie’s Great Scott and Ob in the world premiere of Mark Adamo’s Becoming Santa Claus in returns to Dallas Opera. His performance of Ob can be seen on the 2017 DVD release. Other season performances include Dulcamara inL’elisir d’amore, reprising his roles in Cold Mountain in returns to Opera Philadelphia, making his Atlanta Opera debut as The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, and returning to Portland Opera as Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd.
In the 2014-15 season he sang Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Philadelphia, Beck Weathers in Talbot’s Everest with Dallas Opera (world premiere), reprised his role as the Ogre in Montsalvatge’s El gato con botas with Gotham Chamber Opera, sang T.J. Rigg in Elmer Gantry with Florentine Opera, and returned to Boston Lyric Opera as Leporello in Don Giovanni.
In the summer of 2014, he returned to Santa Fe Opera as Herr Puff in Mozart’s The Impresario and Chamberlain in Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol. His 2013-14 engagements included his return to the Metropolitan Opera to perform in Shostakovich’s The Nose; his return to San Diego Opera as Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore; performances as soloist in Messiah with Seattle Symphony and with the Duke Chapel Choir and as soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with Grand Rapids Symphony; Sergeant of Police in The Pirates of Penzance with Portland Opera; Ko-Ko in The Mikado with Opera Memphis; Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serailwith Opera Grand Rapids; and Rodrigo in HK Gruber’s Gloria — A Pig Tale, conducted by Alan Gilbert for the inaugural New York Philharmonic Bienniel.
In summer 2013, he returned to Santa Fe Opera as Général Boum in La grande duchesse de Gérolstein, and as Justice Wills and Henry B. Isaacson in the world premiere of Morrison’s Oscar. In the 2012-13 season he reprised the role of Stefano in Adès’ The Tempest with the Metropolitan Opera; sang as the Doktor in Wozzeckwith the Philharmonia Orchestra, under Esa-Pekka Salonen; as Sulpice in La fille du régiment with San Diego Opera; as the Viceroy (Don Andres de Ribeira) in Offenbach’s La Périchole with New York City Opera; and was bass soloist in Messiah with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
His 2011-12 season included Leporello in Don Giovanni with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, under Gustavo Dudamel; the leading role of Prophet/King in the world premiere of Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters with Gotham Chamber Opera, with subsequent performances with Opera Company of Philadelphia; Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Lyric Opera of Kansas City; Ko-Ko in The Mikado with Virginia Opera; as soloist in Messiah with Les Violons du Roy, under Bernard Labadie, with Nashville Symphony Orchestra, and with the United States Naval Academy Orchestra; and as Papageno in a return to Opera Grand Rapids. In summer 2012 he returned to L’Opéra de Québec to sing Stefano in The Tempest.
In the 2010-11 season Mr. Burdette made his debut with Santa Fe Opera as Mr. Scattergood in Menotti’s The Last Savage, returned to the Metropolitan Opera for its production of Wozzeck, sang Death and the Loudspeaker in The Emperor of Atlantis and the Photograph of the Father in Richard Beaudoin’s The After-Imagewith Boston Lyric Opera, Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress with The Princeton Festival, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte with Phoenix Opera, and Ogro in Montsalvatge’s El gato con botas with Gotham Chamber Opera, and, on the concert stage, was Rabbi Akiva in Haggadah shel Pesach at Carnegie Hall with the American Symphony Orchestra and the bass soloist in Händel’s Messiah with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Burdette also continued this season to be involved in the development of the new work Jump, by Nora York and David Greenspan, being developed by the Public Theater.
In 2009-2010, Mr. Burdette sang in Strauss’ Elektra and in Shostakovich’s The Nosewith the Metropolitan Opera, performed Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serailand Colline in La Bohème with Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, il Commendatore in Don Giovanni with Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Knoxville Opera. On the concert stage he was the bass soloist in Verdi’s Requiem with New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
Kevin Burdette’s other recent successes include the role of Le Notaire in L’Île de Merlin at the Spoleto Festival USA, as well as his debut with Boston Baroque as Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte. He also appeared as the bass soloist in Bach’s B Minor Mass with the American Symphony Orchestra and in Händel’s Messiah with the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra for the United States Naval Academy. Other recent highlights include his debut with Seattle Opera as Mustafà in L’italiana in Algeri and as Masetto in Don Giovanni. He performed “Time” in Gerald Barry’s The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and returned to New York City Opera as The Sergeant in a production of The Pirates of Penzancethat originated at Glimmerglass Opera. Mr. Burdette’s numerous other roles at New York City Opera have included Leporello in Don Giovanni, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Archibald Grosvenor in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience, Siroco in L’Étoile, Pish-Tush in The Mikado, Masetto in Don Giovanni, Pallante in Agrippina, Angelotti in Tosca, and Mago in Rinaldo.
Mr. Burdette’s further operatic highlights include his debut with L’Opéra de Montréal singing Claudius in the company premiere of Agrippina, his debut with the Chicago Opera Theater as Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sergeant Sulpice in La fille du régiment with Knoxville Opera, a return to Gotham Chamber Opera as Minos in the American premiere of Händel’s Arianna in Creta, his first performances of Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Opéra de Québec, his first performances of Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte with Toledo Opera, the title role in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Grand Rapids, Marquis in La forza del destino with the Collegiate Chorale, and his return to Glimmerglass Opera as Popolani in Offenbach’s Bluebeard. Other credits to the accomplished bass’ name include Siroco in Chabrier’s L’Étoile and Archibald Grosvenor in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience with Glimmerglass Opera, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Lyric Opera of San Antonio, Mustafà in L’italiana in Algeri, the title role in Don Pasquale, Elviro in Händel’s Xerxes, and Masetto in Don Giovanni with Wolf Trap Opera, the Priest in Die schwarze Spinne with Gotham Chamber Opera, and Fafner in a chamber version of Das Rheingold with the Eos Orchestra.
On the concert stage, Kevin Burdette debuted with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as the bass soloist in Messiah and performed Wim in the American premiere of Philippe Manoury’s 60ème parallèle with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra and Kent Nagano. Other highlights include an appearance at Alice Tully Hall as the bass soloist in Brahms’ Liebeslieder Wälzer, an appearance with the Collegiate Chorale at Carnegie Hall as Sam in Un ballo in maschera, and his return to Avery Fisher Hall as soloist in Liszt’s Missa Solemnis with the American Symphony Orchestra. He performed Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Verdi’s Macbeth with the Collegiate Chorale at Carnegie Hall, was the bass soloist in Messiah at the American Cathedral in Paris and at the Midland Center for the Arts, Jesus in St. Matthew Passion with the Knoxville Civic Orchestra, the bass soloist in Mozart’s Mass in C with the Eos Orchestra, and appeared as soloist in concerts with the Vienna Festival. He also has sung Stravinsky’s Renard with both the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Utah Symphony.
An alumnus of the Juilliard Opera Theater and the University of Tennessee, Kevin Burdette is a former member of the Opéra National de Paris Young Artists’ Program and San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program. He is also the recipient of the prestigious Richard F. Gold Career Grant Award awarded by the Shoshana Foundation and of the 2006 Dr. Marcia Robbins-Wilf Award, presented by New York City Opera to an artist who demonstrates outstanding dramatic ability.
