James Taylor
Voice
Phone: (804) 828-1166
E-mail: jtaylor36@vcu.edu
American baritone James Taylor has been described as “… impressive… a rich, focused baritone,” “Richly musical,” and “superb … his rich voice has great beauty as well as dramatic power.” At home in opera, as well as the concert and recital stages, he has appeared with numerous opera houses and symphony orchestras including the New York City Opera National Company, San Francisco Opera and their touring Western Opera Theatre, Central City Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Connecticut Grand Opera, the Arkansas Symphony, the Alabama Symphony, the Chattanooga Symphony, the Riverside Symphonium, the Choral Society of Durham and the Richmond Choral Society. Taylor has also given recitals in the U.S., Europe and Asia, including recital tours of the Netherlands and Malaysia. He made his Alice Tully Hall debut as Claudio in Berlioz’ “Beatrice et Benedict” in the New York premiere of the work and was chosen as a member of the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program in 1993, where he performed Eisenstein in “Die Fledermaus” for the company at Villa Montalvo and on tour with Western Opera Theatre. He was a featured soloist with the National Chorale for its performances of Höndel’s “Messiah” in Avery Fisher Hall.
Taylor has appeared in a variety of operatic roles including Figaro in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia,” Marcello in “La bohème,” Germont in “La traviata,” Eisenstein in “Die Fledermaus,” Danilo in “The Merry Widow,” Escamillo in “Carmen” Figaro and the Count in “Le Nozze di Figaro,” Dandini in “La Cenerentola,” Mercutio in “Romeo et Juliette” and Sharpless in “Madama Butterfly.” As a soloist, he has performed such works as “Carmina Burana,” “Ein deutsches Requiem,” Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9,” the requiems of Faure and Durufle, Bach’s “Johannes Passion,” “Magnificat” and “Weihnachts Oratorium,” Haydn’s “The Creation” and “The Seasons,” Mahler’s “Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen,” Ravel’s “Don Quichotte et Dulcinee,” “Dona Nobis Pacem” and “The Five Mystical Songs” of Vaughan-Williams.
Recent performances include recitals of Schumann’s “Dichterliebe” and Ravel’s “Don Quichotte a Dulcinee” in Richmond and Washington, D.C., baritone soloist in Purcell’s “Come Ye Sons of Art” and Schubert’s “Mass in G” with the Richmond Choral Society, baritone soloist in Brahms’ “Ein Deutsches Requiem” with the Choral Society of Durham, Germont in “La Traviata” with the Asheville Lyric Opera, Cantor in Bloch’s “Avodath Hakodesh” with the combined choirs of Vienna Presbyterian and Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation, “Mostly Gershwin” with the New Dominion Chorale in Washington, D.C., a pops concert with the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra, the baritone solos in “Carmina Burana” with the Charlottesville Symphony and the baritone solos in the Durufle “Requiem” in a memorial concert for Melvin Brown with the Augusta Oratorio Society. Taylor made his debut with Opera Carolina as Eisenstein in “Die Fledermaus” and the Opera Company of North Carolina as Enrico in “Lucia di Lammermoor.” He sang the baritone solos in Vaughan-Williams’ “Sea Symphony” with the Oratorio Society of Charlottesville-Albemarle in March 2008. He will also make a return to the Helen Keller Festival for two recitals and will perform a recital for the Grace and Holy Trinity Concert Series in Richmond.
Taylor holds degrees from Birmingham Southern College and Yale University. He resides in Richmond, Va., with his wife, Sheridan, and their two daughters.
