Honored to share this reflection on my portrayal of Verdi’s tormented king. A role that demands vocal command and psychological depth, from the first whisper of ambition to the haunting unraveling of the soul.

To embody Macbeth is to traverse shadow and flame. Thank you to all who journeyed with me

Revisiting Macbeth through the eyes of The Spectator has brought back vivid memories of inhabiting Verdi’s complex and tormented king.

I am profoundly grateful for the recognition of this journey, and for the opportunity to explore one of opera’s most demanding yet rewarding characters.

Singing this title role early in my career helped me make a pivotal decision: to step away from a full-time professorship and embrace the stage completely.

In A Florentine Tragedy, Simone discovers his wife's betrayal & faces it down with wit, grit, and a sword.

Singing 90% of the opera’s lines, this role is a marathon of stamina in a high bass-baritone range. 

Watch:

Simone, in Eine florentinische Tragödie, is no polished prince. This role demanded complete vocal and emotional control. I leaned on every trick in the book: looping drills, juggling bags, handwritten librettos, even flashcard software.

Preparation is the only thing fiercer than performance

One of the most meaningful journeys in my career began with a simple bike ride and a voice lesson.

At the invitation of Joseph McCall—who taught me whether or not I could pay—I first sang Raphael in The Creation while just beginning grad school. Each time, the music felt new—like creation itself.

Every performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony is a new discovery, an opportunity to bring fresh energy and insight to this masterpiece.

Happy to share that the 6-month waiting period has concluded, and I can now proudly announce my role as a 2024 panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. It's been an honor to help oversee funding for numerous opera companies.

To bass or to baritone? That's always been the question in my forty-year journey across opera's fachs. Read the full story of my vocal adventures in last summer's feature in Classical Singer Magazine:

https://www.csmusic.net/content/articles/mark-s-doss-forty-years-of-facing-the-fachs-v36n4/

Tomorrow in Prague! www.praguephilharmonic.com/en#new-year-...

Si tu reste fidèle | Excerpt from Les Pêcheurs de Perles Bizet | Mark S. Doss www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWOn...

youtu.be/ZdjgreRZbsg

Holy BeJezuz. You a musician? Give a listen & spread the love. Music might just help us through whats to come. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq4_...

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@buryevidence.bsky.social thx! You’re the first of great times ahead!!

Welcome to Bluesky 💙🦋

Who has a starter pack for the opera world?!