A major stage personality noted for his incisive interpretations, baritone Louis Otey has performed with the leading

theaters throughout the world. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Mr. Astley in Prokofiev’s The Gambler and his European debut as the title role in Eugene Onegin in Basel. The New York Times describes him as “ardent and moving. His baritone bloomed on sustained notes, which had a shimmering quality…he sang his way into a powerful performance.” With the New York City Opera, Mr. Otey has performed Scarpia in Tosca, Escamillo in Carmen, the title role in Don Giovanni and Rigoletto, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, the Count in Le Nozzedi Figaro and Germont in a new production of La Traviata, which became an Emmy award-winning telecast. Mr. Otey can be heard as John Sorel in Menotti’s The Consul with Chandos, and on a recording of Tom Pasatieri’s adaptation of The Three Sisters.

In the recent 2008-2009 season, he performed in the MET’s productions of Adriana Lecouvreur, Doctor Atomic and Thais, performed Germont in La Traviata with Opera Birmingham, and Le Pere in Charpentier’s Louise at the Spoleto Festival U.S.A. The Courier & Post said, “Louis Otey, as her father, sang with the dark chocolate timbre we admire in the recordings of French basses of the past (Paul Aumonier or Jean-Francois Delmas, say) and proved a splendidly multi-dimensional dramatic actor, as well.” In the 2009-2010 season, he performs the title role of Macbeth at the Utah Symphony and  Opera, Count di Luna in Il Trovatore at Opera Naples and in Montana, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly at the Kentucky Opera, covers Nekrotzar in Le Grand Macabre at the New York Philharmonic, and returns to the MET for Carmen and La Traviata.

Additional recent, noted engagements in North America include Pascoe in Dame Edith Smith’s The Wreckers with the American Symphony Orchestra, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, L’Opéra de Montreal, New Orleans Opera, and Florentine Opera; the title role in The Flying Dutchman with Austin Lyric Opera; the title role in Macbeth with Arizona Opera; Emile du Becque in South Pacific and Danilo in The Merry Widow with Hawaii Opera Theatre; Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Portland Opera; Dulcamcara in L’Elisir d’Amore with Opera Pacific; Count di Luna in Il Trovatore with Portland Opera and Opera Pacific; Jokanaan in Salome with Connecticut Opera; Antony in Antony and Cleopatrawith the American Composer’s Orchestra; the title role in Rigoletto with Florentine Opera; Scarpia in Tosca at the Aspen Music Festival; the Four Villains in Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Cleveland Opera; and a return to the Metropolitan Opera as Fieramosca in Benvenuto Cellini, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, and Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, among multiple other productions at the MET.

Additional noted European engagements have included Beatrice di Cenci in Geneva, Nazarie in the world premiere of Louis de Pablo’s La Senorita Cristina at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Ezio in Attila with Lyric Opera of Dublin, Escamillo in a concert performance of Carmen with the Israeli Philharmonic, Iago in Otello in Nantes (France), Arthur in Le Roi Arthus at the Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels, Musiklehrer in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Spoleto Festival, and the Philosopher in Cherubin at L’Opéra de Monte Carlo. He has portrayed Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro in Lyon, Düsseldorf, Hamilton, and Calgary; and Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, a performance that was televised worldwide and is available on video and laser disc.

Event: Madama Butterfly