Old American Songs

Ryan Speedo Green, bass baritone

Praised by Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times for his “robust voice” and Anne Midgette of The Washington Post as an artist “fully ready for a big career,” bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green is quickly establishing himself as an artist of international demand at the world’s leading opera houses. In the 2020 – 2021 season Mr. Green makes his house debut as Jake in Porgy and Bess with Theatre an der Wien, as well as his house debut with Palm Beach Opera singing Colline in La bohème and Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte, both directed by James Robinson and conducted by music director David Stern. Mr. Green also makes his debut with Columbus Opera for a digital broadcast of the stage version of his best-selling book: Sing for Your Life. Concert engagements include an All Star Concert with Isabel Leonard conducted by music director Timothy Myers, which will be broadcast on Austin PBS.

Mr. Green was scheduled to return to the Metropolitan Opera in the 2020 – 2021 season for four roles, including Ferrando in Il trovatore, Commendatore in a new production of Don Giovanni and Geisterbote in Die Frau Ohne Schatten both of which were scheduled to be conducted by music director Yannick Nézet- Seguin and which were to be broadcast as part of the Met’s Live in HD series. Mr. Green was also scheduled to sing his house and role debut as Rocco in Francesca Zambello’s production of Fidellio with Washington National Opera. Orchestral engagements included a scheduled return to the Mostly Mozart Festival for a staged performance of Mozart’s Requiem, conducted by Louis Langrée, and Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 with Marin Alsop at Carnegie Hall as part of a global “Ode to Joy” celebration of the anniversary of the composer’s birth.

The 2019 – 2020 season saw Mr. Green’s fourth consecutive season as a soloist at the Metropolitan Opera, making his role debut as Jake in James Robinson’s new production of the Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and a return to the Wiener Staatsoper for roles including Ferrando in Trovatore, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Banquo in Macbeth. Orchestral engagements included the bass soloist in a gala performance of Verdi’s Requiem with the Tanglewood Music Festival conducted by Andris Nelsons, and a return to the Ravinia Festival for Mahler’s Symphony No 8 conducted by Marin Alsop. Mr. Green was also presented in recital with soprano Latonia Moore by the George London Foundation at the Morgan Library in New York, accompanied by Ken Noda. 

In the fall of 2016, Little, Brown published Sing for Your Life, by New York Times journalist Daniel Bergner. The book tells the story of Mr. Green’s personal and artistic journey: from a trailer park in southeastern Virginia and from time spent in Virginia’s juvenile facility of last resort to the Met stage. The New York Times Book Review called the book “one of the most inspiring stories I’ve come across in a long time,” and the Washington Post called it a “vital, compelling, and highly recommended book.” Sing for your Life has been honored with a number of recognitions including the New York Times bestseller and editor’s choice, a Washington Post Notable Book, and a Publishers Weekly Book of the Year.

Highlights of Mr. Green’s performances at the Metropolitan Opera include Colline in the iconic Zeffirelli production of La bohème, which the New York Times labeled Mr. Green “the real showstopper,” and the New York Observer marked this performance as his “breakthrough as a star.” Additional highlights include the King in Aida, Oroe in Semiramide, Rambo in the premier of The Death of Klinghoffer conducted by David Robertson, the Second Knight in a new production of Parsifal which was broadcast as part of the Met’s Live in HD program, the Bonze in Madama Butterfly, and the Jailer in Tosca. Additional operatic engagements include Ferrando in Il trovatore with Opera de Lille’s traveling production, Third King in Die Liebe der Danae with the Salzburg Festival, his house and role debut as Osmin in the James Robinson production of Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Houston Grand Opera, as well as his house and role debut as Escamillo in Carmen with Opera San Antonio.

At the Wiener Staatsoper, Mr. Green has been seen as Sparafucile in a new production of Rigoletto, Fasolt in Das Rheingold, Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Varlaam in Boris Godunov, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Der Einarmige in Die Frau ohne Schatten, Lodovico in Otello, Angelotti in Tosca, Timur in a new production of Turandot, Peneios in Daphne, Fouquier-Tinville in Andrea Chénier, the Monk in Don Carlo, the Pope in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, and the King in Aida.

Orchestral appearances include Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel at the Hollywood Bowl, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival, the Florida Symphony and Norwalk Symphony Orchestras.

Additional appearances include his debut with the Mostly Mozart Festival singing Mozart’s Requiem with Louis Langrée, a return to Tanglewood for Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast with Bramwell Tovey conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra, his debut with the Brevard Music Festival singing Verdi’s Requiem, Strauss’s Daphne with the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by music director Franz Welser-Möst, his debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra as the Second Soldier in Salome under the baton of Andris Nelsons, the bass solo in Verdi’s Requiem with Hartford Chorale, an appearance with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for Bach’s Ich habe genug with the Orion String Quartet, and Mozart’s Coronation Mass with the Virginia Symphony.

Recital engagements include his debut at the Ravinia Festival with pianist Adam Nielsen, at the Terrace Theatre at the Kennedy Center as winner of the Marian Anderson Vocal Award from Washington National Opera, with Dayton Opera at the Schuster Performing Arts Center, and a recital and residency at the Torggler Summer Vocal Institute at Christopher Newport University in his native Virginia.

Honors and awards include National Grand Finals winner of the 2011 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a 2014 George London Foundation Award, a 2014 Annenberg grant recipient, a 2014 Gerda Lissner Foundation First Prize winner, both the Richard and Sara Tucker Grants from the Richard Tucker Foundation, and a finalist in the Palm Beach Opera Competition.

A native of Suffolk, Virginia, Mr. Green received a Master of Music degree from Florida State University, a Bachelor of Music degree from the Hartt School of Music, and was a member of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.

For more information: https://www.ryanspeedogreen.com