The American baritone, voice technician and choral conductor, Chad Runyon, obtained his Bachelor of Music Degree in Voice Performance from the Wheaton Conservatory in Illinois (1981-1985); and his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Southern Methodist University in Dallas (1985-1987).
Chad Runyon works as a voice teacher, vocal coach and choral conductor throughout the Bay Area. He has been vocal coach at Acalanes High School (1998-2019), San Ramon Valley High School (2018-March 2020), Monte Vista High School (since August 2019), Castro Valley High School (since 2015); He adjudicates choral festivals for California Music Educator’s Association (CMEA) and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the National Association for Teachers of Singing (NATS) and the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA). He served as a guest lecturer in voice at the University of California, Davis (2005-2006), and California State University, San Francisco (August 2008-January 2009). He maintains a private voice studio in downtown Danville (since 1997) and sings regularly with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale (since 1997; Directors: Nicholas McGegan/Richard Egarr), American Bach Soloists (since 1997; Director: Jeffrey Thomas), and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus (since 1999).
Chad Runyon has appeared on television, radio and concert programs in Japan, Australia, Singapore, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as the USA and Europe. For nearly a decade, he was a member of the Grammy award-winning ensemble, Chanticleer (1988-1997). He sang the opening solo in the Emmy Award-winning PBS broadcast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Concert starring George Hearn, Patti LuPone and Neil Patrick Harris. Other recordings include The Gift of the Magi (opera by David Conte) (Arsis, 2001); "Matins for the Virgin of Guadalupe" (Teldec Classics, 1998); and "Sing We Christmas" (Teldec Classics, 1995). He has been featured on over 20 professional recordings.
As a concert and oratorio soloist, Chad Runyon has performed J.S. Bach's St. John Passion (BWV 245) (Arias, Apollo's Fire, Goshen, Indiana); St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) (Christ, Santa Cruz; High Priest, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra); Cantata Ich habe genuch BWV 82 (Noon Time Concerts, San Francisco); George Frideric Handel's Messiah (Cal Berkeley); W.A. Mozart's Mass in C (San Louis Obispo Mozart Festival); Sumaya (San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival); Ralph Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas Carols (Silicon Valley); Conrad Susa's Carols and Lullabies (San Francisco); Benjamin Britten's the Traveler in Curlew River (Denver and SF); and Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah.
As an actor, Chad Runyon played George Holliday in David Conte’s opera, America Tropical and Uncle Waylon in a staged reading of a new musical, Mama Don’t Allow, by Julie Shearer (book by Thacher Hurd), Aurora Theater, Berkeley. As a commercial singer, he sang background vocals in Spy Kids (film), Hellboy (film) and recorded commercials for Palm, and Nescafe.
As a conductor, Chad Runyon has worked with Diablo Theatre Company (2006-2013), Soli Deo Gloria, Pacific Boychoir Academy (2000-2001), Trinity Presbyterian Church (2000-2001), the San Francisco City Chorus, Palo Alto High School, Castro Valley High School and First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. |