The American bass and former cellist, Richard Mix, made his singing debut as Truelove in Berkeley Contemporary Opera's 1992 production of The Rake's Progress and went on to the Darmstädter Sommerferienkurse für neue Musik, where he was awarded a Patenring grant and re-invited in 1994 and 1996.
Richard Mix, appears with over a dozen Bay Area opera companies singing a repertoire that embraces Wagner and Monteverdi as well as Scelsi and Stockhausen. West coast premieres range from Arthur in Peter Maxwell Davies' The Lighthouse to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s 1789 Matthaeuspassion. Last year (2012) saw Julius Eastman's Prelude to the Holy Presence of Joan of Arc at the Berkeley Art Museum and the stage premiere of Vladimir in Butterfly Country (November 16), whose Nabokovian title role was written for him by his wife, Ann Callaway. He is currently looking forward to Wotan in Die Walküre (November 16 & 23 at Vallejo's Bay Terrace Theatre).
Richard Mix directs Bella Musica (December 8 concert to feature Orlando di Lasso's Prophetiae Sibylarum and short works of Samuel Barber, Callaway, Rautavaara & Tavener) and the choirs at St. David of Wales Church in Richmond (December 7 Sing-along Messiah with period instrument orchestra). |