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The American bass-baritone, Ryan Speedo Green, obtained his Bachelor of Music degree from the Hartt School of Music; and his Master of Music degree from Florida State University. He was a member of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. 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. He was also the first Artist in Residence for the Texas Opera Alliance, where he held master-classes and community events for Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Austin Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and Opera San Antonio.
Ryan Speedo Green has quickly established himself as an artist of international demand at the world’s leading opera houses. Highlights of his performances at the Metropolitan Opera include his role debut as Jake in James Robinson’s new production of the Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess which won a Grammy Award, 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 highlights include Jake in Porgy and Bess with Theatre an der Wien, 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 W.A. Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Houston Grand Opera, his house debut with Palm Beach Opera singing both Colline in La bohème and Sprecher in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, and his house and role debut as Escamillo in Georges Bizet's Carmen with Opera San Antonio. At the Wiener Staatsoper, he has been seen as Fasolt in Das Rheingold, Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Varlaam in Boris Godunov, Ferrando in Trovatore, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Banquo in Macbeth, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Der Einarmige in Die Frau ohne Schatten, Sparafucile in a new production of Rigoletto, 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 L.v. Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, 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 orchestral appearances include his debut with the Mostly Mozart Festival singing W.A. Mozart's Requiem with Louis Langrée, appearances with Tanglewood Festival for Verdi’s Requiem with the Tanglewood Music Festival conducted by Andris Nelsons, and William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast with Bramwell Tovey conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra, appearing as featured soloist with San Diego Symphony for the opening of their new outdoor venue, The Shell, an All Star Concert with Isabel Leonard at Austin Opera, which will be broadcast on Austin PBS, 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, Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Ravinia Festival conducted by Marin Alsop, an appearance with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for J.S. Bach;s Ich habe genug (BWV 82) with the Orion String Quartet, and W.A. 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 the George London Foundation at the Morgan Library in New York, accompanied by Ken Noda, 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.
Ryan Speedo Green opened the Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-2022 season as Uncle Paul in Terrence Blanchard’s Fire Shut up in my Bones, sang Varlaam in Stephen Wadsworth’s new production of Boris Godunov, reprised his Grammy Award winning role of Jake in Porgy and Bess, Colline in La bohème, and also Truffaldino in Ariadne auf Naxos which was broadcast as part of the Met’s Live in HD series. He also appeared on a special concert to benefit Ukrainian refugees, singing L.v. Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. Additional operatic appearances included Colline in La bohème with the Wiener Staatsoper and in concert performances at the Grand Teton Festival conducted by Donald Runnicles. He also made his house debut with Washington National Opera as Escamillo in Carmen, directed by Francesca Zambello and conducted by music director Evan Rogister, his house debut at Santa Fe Opera as Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and returned to the Tanglewood Festival to sing Commendatore in a concert performance of W.A. Mozart's Don Giovanni. Orchestral appearances in the 2021-2022 season included his role debut as Rocco in L.v. Beethoven's Fidelio with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, L.v. Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra at Vail, and Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. He also appears in a special concert honoring Dr Martin Luther King with the Virginia Symphony, and Copland’s Old American Songs with Elgin Symphony. He also returned to University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music for a special weeklong residency and recital, and appeared in recital with the Tryon Concert Association and Matinee Musicale Cincinnati.
The 2022-2023 season sees Ryan Speedo Green's first leading role at the Metropolitan Opera starring as Emile Griffith in Terrence Blanchard’s Champion, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and directed by James Robinson. Hae also makes his house debut at Opéra national de Paris singing Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde, conducted by Gustavo Dud, and his house debut at Bayerische Staatsoper as Varlaam in Boris Godunov. He also returns to Washington National Opera to sing Ferrando in a new production of Il Trovatore and Orest in a new production of Elektra. Orchestral engagements include Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, his debut with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in the world premiere of a piece by Courtney Bryan written for him, Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death at Carnegie Hall with Daniele Rustioni conducting the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and excerpts from Blanchard’s Champion with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Chamber Ensemble at Carnegie Hall, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He also appears as a featured artist on the Richard Tucker Gala, and with the Peoria Symphony for L.v. Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. He currently sits on the Board of Regents at University of Hartford.This academic season sees him as an artist in residence with Florida State University, which will include master-classes with vocal students and a solo recital.
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 Ryan Speedo 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. |
