Rod Gilfry

American baritone Rod Gilfry, two-time Grammy award nominee, singer and actor, has performed in all of the world’s music capitals. His most recent Grammy award nomination was for his performance in the title role of Messiaen’s monumental opera Saint François d’Assise in Amsterdam. Best known as an opera singer, he is also an acclaimed recitalist and concert artist, and appears frequently in musical theater classics. His discography of 28 audio and video recordings includes the DVD and CD of his one-man show My Heart is So Full of You. His radio program, Opera Notes on Air, aired on K-Mozart 105.1 FM in Los Angeles for over three years.

With a 77-role repertoire, Mr. Gilfry sings music from the Baroque to that composed expressly for him. He was brought to worldwide attention when he created the role of Stanley Kowalski in the 1998 premiere of André Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire at San Francisco Opera, opposite Renée Fleming. Other world premieres include Nicholas in Deborah Drattel’s Nicholas and Alexandra (Los Angeles, opposite Placido Domingo); Nathan in Nicholas Maw’s Sophie’s Choice (London, Washington D.C.); Jack London in Libby Larsen’s Every Man Jack (Sonoma, CA); Edward Gaines in Richard Danielpour’s Margaret Garner (Detroit, Cincinnati, Philadelphia), the title role in Marc-André Dalbavie’s Gesualdo (Zurich), and Master Chen in Christian Jost’s Die Rote Laterne (Zurich). Most recently, he originated the role of Walt Whitman in Matthew Aucoin’s Crossing in Boston, The Father in Aucoin’s Eurydice at Los Angeles Opera, Alfred Stieglitz in Kevin Puts’ The Brightness of Light, opposite Renée Fleming, Claudius in Brett Dean’s Hamlet with Glyndebourne Festival, Mr. Potter in Jake Heggie’s It’s a Wonderful Life in Houston, and David Lang’s solo opera the loser in New York City.

In the 2021-2022 season, Mr. Gilfry returns to the Metropolitan Opera as Claudius in Brett Dean’s Hamlet and originates the role of Robert McNamara in the world premiere of Huang Ruo’s and David Henry Hwang’s Written in Stone at Washington National Opera. In addition, he and Renée Fleming reprise The Brightness of Light with Los Angeles Opera and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Finally, Mr. Gilfry sings Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the San Francisco Symphony.

In addition to his full-time performance schedule, Mr. Gilfry is an Associate Professor of Vocal Arts at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.