The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta resident is one of most in-demand tenors in world
Russell Thomas’ career includes roles at major opera houses worldwide.
Tenor Russell Thomas grew up in Miami and moved to Atlanta in 2008 as his operatic career was beginning. The following year, he sang the minor role of Steersman in Atlanta Opera’s “The Flying Dutchman” as a replacement for a singer who had died. As his career began to flourish, he sang regularly with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, including as Pinkerton in “Madama Butterfly” in 2011. In 2014, the ASO made him its first artist-in-residence.
In 2017, Thomas sang his first “Otello” with the ASO, and he quickly was propelled into the rare realm of dramatic spinto tenors. His ringing, clarion voice is ideal for some of Verdi’s greatest roles, but he retains the high range and flexibility to sing more lyric roles, such as Rodolfo in “La Boheme.” Thomas’ career includes roles at major houses across the United States and Europe.
In December, Thomas starred in “Montgomery and the Blacknificent 7,” a concert of works by Black composers at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In January, he sang his first “Parsifal” at Houston Grand Opera.
ArtsATL interviewed Thomas in Washington, D.C., where he had a recital at the Kennedy Center the previous night. He’d flown to Washington from his teaching job as a voice professor at Indiana University, and later that day, he would head to Chicago to rehearse as Radames in “Aida” at Lyric Opera.
Q: You lead a peripatetic life. Are you able to spend much time in Atlanta?
A: Atlanta is home — it’s where I go to recharge. My son, who is 9, lives there in my house with my mom. Last fall, I was there a lot, but during these really busy spells, my mom puts my son on a plane and we spend a weekend or a week together. Back in 2007, I bought a townhouse in South Fulton. I love the community, the proximity to the airport and the fact that Atlanta is so affordable compared to somewhere like New York.
Q: You’ve become one of the most in-demand tenors in the world, especially for the dramatic Italian roles. What are your thoughts about that?
A: I understand Verdi’s vocal writing and I get it — something about me connects to it in a very natural way. For example, the score for Don Alvaro (in “La forza del Destino”) has all these “P’s” (for piano) but no one observes them; they just barrel through. I like to find those moments in an opera when I can really be sweet, so the impact of the forte moments is greater.
Q: I attended your Houston “Parsifal” a few weeks ago, and it was a big success. Will you be moving more into Wagner?
A: I never wanted to sing “Parsi
fal.” I had no interest in Wagner other than “Tannhäuser.” I finally got a “Tannhäuser” role in Houston but they had to postpone it, and they switched to “Parsifal.” I’d turned down the role in important theaters, but I had the space held on the calendar and I said, “Why not try it?” I had thought it was too low for me, but when I started singing it, I realized it wasn’t too hard to maintain the beauty — not to sound forced — in the lower register. Then, I started listening to “Tristan und Isolde” and trying it out with the score, and I asked my agent about that. So, for now, my goal is to add “Tannhäuser” in Houston next season, and I’m jockeying for a Tristan.
Q: You’ve talked about how being Black has made your career more difficult. How have you dealt with that?
A: My way of overcoming racism was to be the most prepared person in the room and to be so solid technically that I had more hits than misses. I always faced it head-on. And I’ve tried to help others. I’ve always mentored singers — everything from paying for voice lessons to, in one case, paying the rent for a young lady. I’ve done that privately for a decade.
Now, in my role as the artist-in-residence at Los Angeles Opera, I can help more formally with the company’s backing. I’ve started a training program for singers from historic Black colleges and universities and from underserved communities. I also started the Black Leadership Arts Collective together with singers like Lawrence Brownlee and Morris Robinson.
Q: You’ve been very open about being a child of rape. How has that affected your art?
A: The discussion of it has made me a more honest performer. I had a very fraught relationship with my mother as a kid, and I didn’t know why until I was 17 and someone told me. I realized that I was a constant reminder of that trauma. In Southern families, we don’t go to counseling — we pray about it. So she never got the help she needed. I felt a sense of shame, but I started opening up about it as I got older and my career started flourishing.
I’d been very closed off about my sexuality, as well, and when I started to be honest about these things, my performance improved. I did an interview for Opera News, and I told the woman that I was a gay Black Republican. They printed that, and it was a big deal, but I got much more backlash about being a Republican than about being gay. I’ve always wanted to be an artist who is not just one thing: Black or gay or conservative or even Italianate.
Q: Your career is on an upward trajectory, and you’re moving into new roles. What’s your ultimate goal?
A: I’m not one of those singers who wants to sing until I’m 70 like (Placido) Domingo. I can’t do it. My dream has been to run an opera company.