Brandon S. Russell

Biography

Tenor Brandon Scott Russell, a 2018 National Semi-Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, is highly regarded for his "free-flowing tenor of considerable beauty and accomplishment" (Opera Today).

Russell holds contemporary commercial music certification from Shenandoah Conservatory, completing levels 1-3 at their CCM Summer Institute. He fulfilled his undergraduate studies in Vocal Performance and Music Education at The University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, graduating with summa cum laude Latin honors. Additionally, he earned Masters and Artist Diploma degrees in Vocal and Opera Performance from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. Currently, he serves as an Artist-In-Residence faculty member at Missouri State University, where he imparts his expertise in Contemporary Commercial Music, Musical Theatre, and Classical music.

Most recently, Russell portrayed Alfredo in Central Ohio Symphony's rendition of La traviata. He was scheduled for other notable roles, such as Harold Mitch in Arizona Opera's A Streetcar Named Desire, as well as performances in Cincinnati Opera's Fierce and Toledo Symphony Orchestra's Mahler's Das Lied von Der Erde, but these were cancelled due to the pandemic. He did have the opportunity to portray Victor Frankenstein in Arizona Opera’s workshop production of Frankenstein at Opera America.

Russell was a participant of the internationally acclaimed Merola Opera Program, leaving a lasting impression as David in Jake Heggie’s World Premiere Opera If I Were You where “Russell made his presence known with his booming voice” (Parterre Box). During the Merola Grand Finale, he was given critical acclaim with his "lyric beauty of voice combined with outstanding diction… with a voice and presence that were surely royal" (San Francisco Classical Voice). Russell showcased his versatility as Canio in I Pagliacci with Greensboro Opera, receiving praise for both his technical prowess and emotional depth. He demonstrated a “baritone-like weight while his voice was evenly supported to firmly focused highs.” (Culture Voice of North Carolina).

Russell made his Carnegie Hall debut as the Tenor Soloist in Haydn’s Mass in C Major and has performed in multiple productions for esteemed opera companies across the United States, such as Merola Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Wolf Trap Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Saratoga, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Winter Opera Saint Louis, Greensboro Opera, and Cincinnati Opera to name a few.

Details

Education

• BM, University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance
• BME, University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance
• MM, University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music
• Artist Diploma, University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music

Teaching

• MUS 153, 253, 353, 454, 498: Applied Voice/Senior Recital
• THE 185, 186, 285, 385, 386: CCM Studio Classes I-IV

Awards and honors