| Voice/Instrument: |
Biography
Richard Troxell's beautiful lyric tenor voice has been thrilling audiences wherever he has sung on stages around the world and in the United States. His vocal artistry and powerful stage presence have set him apart from the others, and his ability to connect with an audience earns "bravos" and standing ovations wherever he appears. Personable, charming and very approachable, Troxell is always a crowd favorite. Audience members in all age groups are impressed with his accessibility and willingness to meet and greet them after performances. He says that one of his goals is " to take away the fear factor that opera tends to have sometimes." This refreshing attitude about what he does and his commitment to achieving his goal make Richard Troxell a force to be reckoned with and truly " A Tenor for Our Times."
Mr. Troxell's star turn as Lieutenant B.F.Pinkerton in the critically acclaimed film of Madame Butterfly, presented by Martin Scorsese, received high praise from film and music critics alike following its premiere in Paris in 1995, and later in the U.S. in 1996. The New York Times deemed Mr. Troxell's performance " the most dramatically satisfying vocal characterization" in the film. His Pinkerton is one of the most viewed performances of this role - the film having played nationally and internationally in movie theaters and on television. Troxell says that making the film was a "dream come true" because he got to do the two things he loves to do most - act and sing.
(More information on the film and a selection from the sound track.)
Richard Troxell's most recent engagements include Don José in Carmen for Opera Australia performed in Taipei, Taiwan, two engagements with Portland Opera most recently as the Duke in Rigoletto and earlier in the season as Alfredo in La Traviata.For Opera Lyra in Ottawa he was Lenski in Eugene Onegin,and, just prior, he returned to Opéra Comique in the title role in Zampa.Enjoying a busy 2008 season,Richard sang Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly in a sold out début with Opéra de Montréal,reprised his role as Christian in Cyrano de Bergerc for Opéra de Monte Carlo, and débuted in the title role in Zampa at the Opéra Comique in Paris.In earlier engagements he performed the title role in Les Contes d'Hoffmann for Opera Narodowa in Warsaw,Don José in Carmen for Portland Opera, and the title role in Gluck's L'Île de Merlin at the Spoleto Festival USA as well as a début performance at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville, Spain where he sang the role of Roméo in Roméo et Juliette under the baton of Michel Plasson.Just prior to that he débuted with the Minnesota Opera in the title role of The Tales of Hoffmann.While appearing there he was invited to be on National Public Radio as a guest on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor.Audiences at both the opera and the radio show responded warmly to Mr. Troxell's vocal performance and to his portrayals of the poet Hoffmann as well as a pushy tenor in the Guy Noir Skit with Keillor.
In other engagements of note Mr. Troxell sang Cole Porter favorites in concert with the Naples Philharmonic and Tamino in The Magic Flute with Madison Opera.Prior to that he traveled to France to reprise the role of Christian in a highly-praised staging of Cyrano de Bergerac for Opéra de Montpellier.Recently released on DVD, this production was hailed as outstanding by Opera News.Back in the States, he sang Pinkerton for the Los Angeles Opera in Robert Wilson's visionary presentation of Madama Butterfly.His return to the Portland Opera, in a role début as Macduff in Macbeth, was a critical success. The Opera Critic said his voice produced "rich curtains of spinto" ,and added that his performance was "a glory to soak in." On concert stages with the San Francisco Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra his performances as Tenor Soloist in Carmina Burana had the audiences cheering his interpretation of the poor roasting swan. Earlier, he returned to the Cleveland Opera where he made his professional début in 1993. This time he sang the role of Lensky in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. The critics called the production "splendid", and Opera News singled out his perfomance saying "his acting and singing were superb." In another noteworthy appearance Mr. Troxell made his role début in a sizzling performance as Don José in Bizet's Carmen with the PORT opera in Portland,Maine. His performance as the love-besotted José was marked by vocal power and emotional intensity. Opera News called his characterization "unusually strong and well-defined dramatically" and praised Mr.Troxell for "his high-level musicianship and affecting timbre." Elsewhere,in yet another début, Mr. Troxell was The Italian Singer in Vancouver Opera's first-ever Der Rosenkavalier. In a return to the Portland (Oregon) Opera for Madama Butterfly, his experience in the role of Pinkerton, coupled with his "smooth tenor," ( The Oregonian) made his portrayal of the American naval officer a classic.
And, yes, baseball fans were not denied the opportunity to hear Richard Troxell's glorious voice when he wowed them with his stirring version of The Star Spangled Banner for five years in a row at the Opening Day game for his beloved Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
Richard Troxell's talents as an actor and singer are evident in the wide variety of roles he has sung ranging from a punk-rocker in a contemporary staging of Puccini's Manon Lescaut at the Spoleto Festival USA, to the wide-eyed innocence of Candide for Portland Opera and Opera Pacific, to the daffy Prince in Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges which marked his well-received debut with the New York City Opera, to a suave Nanki-Poo in The Mikado - also for New York City Opera, to a dashing Piquillo in La Périchole with Denyce Graves for Opera Company of Philadelphia. (View a photo of Mr. Troxell and Ms. Graves.) Mr. Troxell scored another triumph in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in the title role in Zemlinsky's rarely heard opera Der Zwerg presented by the American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leon Botstein. Opera News called his interpretation "the afternoon's most successful performance."
