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Bass-baritone Cory McGee opens the 2023 - 2024 season performing the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Wolf Trap Opera, before making his debut with Opera Philadelphia as Pietro in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra. He also portrays the roles of Theseus in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Atlanta Opera, as well as Second Knight in Wagner’s Parsifal and the Imperial Commissioner in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, both with Houston Grand Opera. Concert appearances include Colline in a concert performance of Puccini’s La bohème with Chattanooga Symphony and Handel’s Messiah with Santa Fe Symphony.

At just 27 years old Mr. McGee has already been seen as Johann in Massenet’s Werther, the Fifth Jew in Strauss’ Salome, Jailer in Puccini’s Tosca, and Dottore Grenvil in Verdi’s La traviata on the stage of Houston Grand Opera. With his “icy bass, complemented by an immense and sadistic physicality” (Harry Rose, Parterre Box), McGee sang Caspar in Weber’s Der Freischütz with Wolf Trap Opera. During the 2021 - 2022 season, he made his debuts as Colline in Puccini’s La bohème with Detroit Opera and Basilio in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera on the James. He was also seen as Theseus in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Santa Fe Opera. Further engagements included Billy in the world premiere of Thompson’s The Snowy Day with Houston Grand Opera.

As a member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Mr. McGee has performed in The Houston Grand Opera’s Studio Showcase and Rienzi Recital Series, producing a full recording of Schubert’s Schwanengesang in the spring of 2021. He was also seen in Lawrence Brownlee’s 2021 and 2023 Giving Voice concert and The Snowy Day documentary, both with Houston Grand Opera. Other operatic roles include the Sodbuster in Mazzoli’s Proving Up, and Publio in La clemenza di Tito, both with Rice Opera Theatre. Mr. McGee was a finalist in the 2021 Pasadena Vocal Competition and won second prize in the Houston Grand Opera’s 32nd annual Eleanor McCollum Competition. Additional concert work includes Messiah with West University Baptist Church, Houston, and a recital with Unity Church of Houston for their Black History Month Celebration in February 2020.

Mr. McGee joined Santa Fe Opera as an Apprentice Artist for the 2019 season, portraying the role of the Gardener in Ruder’s The Thirteenth Child. In 2018, he was seen with Wolf Trap Opera as a Studio Artist, performing the roles of La Voce in Idomeneo and Ranger Nat in Wolf Trap's commissioned children's opera, Hanlon's Listen, Wilhelmina!. He was also seen as a soloist in Bernstein at 100 - A Celebration, at Wolf Trap's Filene Center. Previous engagements include the roles of Elder Ott in Susannah and Sylvano in La Calisto both with Rice Opera Theatre, Figaro in Oberlin Opera Theatre’s production of Le nozze di Figaro, Leporello in Don Giovanni with the Arezzo Opera Festival, and Pandolfe in Cendrillon with Oberlin Opera Theatre. Praised by Palm Beach Arts Paper for his “powerful, clarion voice,” Mr. McGee has performed several roles with the Miami Music Festival: Colline in La bohème, Simone in Gianni Schicchi, Reverend John Hale in The Crucible, Lindorf, Coppelius, and Crespel in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, and Harasta in The Cunning Little Vixen.

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