Dubbed “the Robin Williams of opera” by The New York Times, bass Kevin Burdette has performed with many of the world’s most prestigious opera companies and symphony orchestras, including Teatro alla Scala, The Metropolitan Opera, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Santa Fe Opera, Teatro Colón, Opéra de Montréal, Washington National Opera, Dallas Opera, Seattle Opera, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra. Known for his dramatic characterizations, he has created over a dozen roles in world premieres and is regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of buffo repertoire in his generation.
An alumnus of the Juilliard Opera Theater and the University of Tennessee, Kevin Burdette is a former member of the Opéra National de Paris Young Artists’ Program and San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program. He was featured as Stefano in Adès’ The Tempest with the Metropolitan Opera, the DVD of which, on Deutsche Grammophon, was awarded the GRAMMY® Award for “Best Opera Recording” and a French Diapason d’Or. Mr. Burdette made his Teatro alla Scala debut as Stefano in 2022.
Recent operatic engagements include returns to the Metropolitan Opera for the Police Officer in Boris Godunov, Señor Russell in Adès’s The Exterminating Angel, Spinelloccio in Gianni Schicchi and multiple roles in Shostakovich’s The Nose; Pangloss/Martin/Cacambo in Candide with Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu; Sulpice in La fille du régiment with Washington National Opera; Beck Weathers in the world premiere of Everest, General Polkan in The Golden Cockerel, and creating the roles of Eric Gold and the Ghost of Vittorio Bazzetti in Heggie’s Great Scott and Ob in the world premiere of Mark Adamo’s Becoming Santa Claus with Dallas Opera; his role debut as Claggart in Britten’s Billy Budd with Central City Opera; Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd with Austin Opera and Chautauqua Opera; Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro with Seattle Opera; Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress with Boston Lyric Opera; Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore and Sulpice in La fille du régiment with San Diego Opera; Osmin in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Atlanta Opera; and Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Philadelphia.
Appearances at Lyric Opera
Pirate King, The Pirates of Penzance (2027)
Pirate King, The Pirates of Penzance (2017)
Doctor Bartolo, The Barber of Seville (2012)
