Keith Spencer
Keith Spencer
Baritone
Keith Spencer was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, one of thirteen children in a musical family. His pursuit of a professional singing career began with formal training at the University of Miami, from where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1987. Two years later, he completed a Master of Music degree in voice at the Manhattan School of Music and in 1991 Keith gained his second Master's degree in opera performance from the Curtis Institute of Music.
Keith Spencer made his professional operatic debut in 1992 with the Virginia Opera Company. Since then, he has appeared with numerous ensembles, including the Opera Company of Philadelphia, The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Glimmerglass Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Lake George Opera, Ashlawn-Highland Opera, Skylight Opera Theater, and Opera Roanoke.
Among his varied operatic roles are Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Dandini in La Cenerentola, Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Schaunard in La Boheme, and the title role in Monteverdi's Orfeo. An accomplished concert singer, he has performed such orchestral works as Songs of Travel and Dona Nobis Pacem by Ralph Vaughan Williams, the Requiems of Fauré and Duruflé, Mozart's Mass in C, Bach's Mass in B minor, Handel's Messiah and Saint Saens' Christmas Oratorio. He made his New York recital debut in 1995 with the Hugo Wolf Society at Merkin Concert Hall.
Keith is also known for his work in the contemporary music field. In
June 2002, he performed a solo recital of new music at The Americas Society
in New York City singing songs by Laura Kaminsky, Alba Potes and Chris
DeBlasio. He has recorded the preliminary sketches of Burning Bright at
the RCA recording studios. This modern opera, composed by Frank Lewin,
is based on the Steinbeck novel of the same name. At American Opera Projects
in New York City, Keith Spencer has premiered Three Reminiscences - songs
written for him by composer Ed Windells with texts by W.S. Merwin. He
has also premiered works by composers Robert Alpert, Peter Susser, and
Albert Ahlstrom.
Keith Spencer's competition honors include: 1st place, Bel Canto Singers
of York Competition; winner of the Music Guild of Boca Raton Competition;
winner of the Five Towns Music and Art Foundation Award; regional finalist
in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He has also received
the Theodore Newman Voice Scholarship, the Kiwanis Club of Palm Beach
Scholarship and the Greater Miami Young Patronesses of the Opera Award.
Keith Spencer can be heard as baritone soloist on a Cane compact disc
of Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem with Marvis Martin, soprano, and the
University of Miami Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Keith has also recorded
the role of the Mad Hatter in Dreams for Alice a musical by Gilbert Heatherwick
based on Alice in Wonderland, The New Moon with City Center’s Encore!
Series, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s Yuletide Christmas CD.