Patrick Blackwell continues to expand his impressive repertoire in opera, oratorio and musical theater. His career has seen him engaged by many of the leading opera companies and orchestras of the US and Europe, including appearances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood Festival, the Munich Philharmonic, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Los Angeles Opera. Mr. Blackwell trained at the Juilliard School and began his career as a young artist with the Santa Fe Opera, Houston Opera Studio, the Merola Opera Program with San Francisco Opera, Opera Music Theatre International with Jerome Hines and Aspen Opera.
Mr. Blackwell has appeared in concert with the Munich Philharmonic in Porgy & Bess conducted by Lorin Maazel and in the title role of Porgy on a European tour with NY Harlem Productions. Mr Blackwell’s association with this piece is extensive, having appeared as Porgy and other roles with Utah Opera, the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, Fresno Grand Opera, the Castleton Festival, conducted by Lorin Maazel, and on tour throughout the United States.
On the concert platform, Mr. Blackwell is highly sought after for as the bass soloist in Verdi’s Requiem and he made his Carnegie Hall debut in the world premiere of Earnestine Rodgers Robinson’s Crucifixion in addition to performing works by Mozart at the Arts Festival in North Korea, the Fauré Requiem with the Fresno Philharmonic and Osride in Mose in Egitto by Rossini with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center.
In the United States, Mr. Blackwell’s operatic engagements have included Scarpia in Tosca also Leporello in Don Giovanni, Colline in La Boheme, Zuniga in Carmen for New York City Opera, First Nazarene in Salome and Bartolo in Nozze di Figaro for Utah Opera, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte for Fresno Grand Opera, Ferrando in Il Trovatore for Knoxville Opera, Il Re in Aïda and Melitone in La Forza del Destino for New Jersey State Opera and Tom Un Ballo in Maschera for New Orleans Opera.
With Chicago Lyric Opera Mr. Blackwell’s roles have included Burnah in Amistad, Henry Davis in Street Scene, Cal in Regina and Duke of Verona in Roméo et Juliette. With Los Angeles Opera Mr. Blackwell has been responsible for Bluebeard in Bluebeard’s Castle, the Four Villains in Tales of Hoffmann, the Quartet Bass in Ghost of Versailles, in which he was a Grammy Award Recipient, Ratcliffe in Billy Budd and others.
Upcoming roles Patrick debuts with the L.A. Philharmonic as Don Fernando in Fidelio conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.