Distinguished for his commanding stage presence, exceptional vocal prowess, and unwavering commitment to musical excellence, tenor Roderick George has graced prestigious venues on stages across the globe. His repertoire spans from the masterpieces of Bach and Mozart to the contemporary compositions of composers like Adolphus Hailstork. He has sung over eighty performances of Handel’s Messiah, including his New York Lincoln Center debut and recent appearances with North Carolina Baroque Orchestra and Highland Park Chorale and Orchestra. Other recent highlights include Mozart Requiem (Northwest Florida Symphony), Ninth Symphony (Alabama Symphony Orchestra), Boulanger’s Faust et Hélène (New York Repertory Orchestra), Hailstork’s I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes (Nashville Symphony) and Dvořák Stabat Mater (Highland Park Chorale). Among his upcoming engagements are Carmina Burana (Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic) and Dett’s The Chariot Jubillee (Savannah Philharmonic).
Dr. George has concertized internationally, with notable highlights including appearances throughout Russia with the Orpheus Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Krasnoyarsk Philharmonic. As a music ambassador, he was privileged to perform at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. He has performed a diversity of leading tenor opera roles such as Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Rodolfo in La Bohéme, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Roméo in Roméo et Juliette, and Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess. Last season he sang the role of Alfredo in La Traviata with Opera Wilmington and he will appear in the role of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Greensboro Opera in fall 2024.
Championing American art songs, Dr. George specializes in songs set to texts of renown poets Paul Laurence Dunbar and Langston Hughes. To that end, he had the honor of singing the world premiere of Hailstork’s “Four Romantic Love Songs” on poems of Dunbar and will be featured on the forthcoming recording of Doug McConnell’s “Langston’s Lot,” a song cycle for tenor, alto saxophone, and piano. A multifaceted artist, his professional ensemble affiliations have included recordings and multiple concert tours across North America and Europe as a featured artist with the American Spiritual Ensemble and more recently with the internationally acclaimed Jason Max Ferdinand Singers.
With a career that seamlessly combines performance and academia, Dr. George is professor of music at the University of Montevallo, where he teaches courses in applied voice, song literature, lyric diction, and African American music. He holds graduate degrees in voice performance, opera, and musical theater, including the Doctor of Music degree, from The Florida State University and Southern Illinois University Carbondale, with advanced training in Austria at the American Institute of Musical Studies. An active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, he was selected nationally for the prestigious NATS Teacher-Internship Program held at Colorado State University. He has also served on the artist faculty of the Bay View Music Festival in northern Michigan, and previously taught at his alma mater, Stillman College.
Additional information is available at www.roderickgeorge.com.
