10 Questions with Kyle Albertson

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"Renowned not only for his luxurious voice, confidence, and style, but also for his versatility and ability to bring a character to life on stage, bass-baritone Kyle Albertson is taking the business by storm. His recent debut as Wotan in Wagner’s epic masterpiece Die Walküre with the Dallas Symphony was met with critics calling him “the most impressive aspect of [the] performance” (Theater Jones), praising his “luxuriant tone quality” (Texas Classical Review), and exclaiming that his “gripping” and “high-intensity performance will surely rank as a legend in Dallas musical history.” (http://www.uzanartists.com)

We're excited to finally meet Kyle Albertson in a couple of weeks when he arrives in San Diego for the first time during the run of RIGOLETTO (Feb 2-10 at the SD Civic Theatre). Kyle graciously took some time out of his Holiday "break" to talk about his love for Metallica, Greer Grimsley, and Whiskey; all things we at the Opera also enjoy. Special kudos to Kyle for a thoughtful answer to Question 8.




1. What was your last gig before coming to San Diego?
Covering the Wanderer in Siegfried at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

2. How do you relate to/feel about your character (Sparafucile) in Rigoletto?
"A greedy, murderous assassin who uses his sister as bait for his victims??? Not a lot I can relate to in Sparafucile. :)"

3. Are there any dream roles that you would love to sing and why? And since we're dreaming it doesn't even need to be in your fach.
"Dream roles, hmmm. I'd love to sing the Dutchman, Scarpia, and Figaro. But if we’re really dreaming, I think The Queen of the Night would be pretty fun to sing."

4. What was your introduction to opera and how did you decide this was the path you wanted to pursue.
"The first opera I ever saw was Nabucco at the Met. Juan Pons, Sam Ramey, James Levine in the pit. It was amazing. I was hooked from then on."

 5. Name a singer you loved working with in the last year.
"Greer Grimsley. Love the voice, love the man."

 6. What are your hobbies that keep you busy outside of music?
"There’s a life outside of music???? JK. To relax, I enjoy playing video games, reading, drinking beers or whiskey, and just being with friends and family."

 7. Fill in the blank: "If I was not an opera singer, I would be ____.”  
"A political consultant."

8. If you could trade lives with one person for an entire day who would it be and why? 
"Wow, deep question. I’d have to say that I would want to be woman. Weird answer I know, but I think to be a woman just for a day would be informative beyond words for me as a man. To walk a day in their shoes, learn what they feel and deal with. Invaluable."

9. Name three artists, bands, or composers on a current playlist that aren't opera related. 
"Bob Dylan, Beethoven, Metallica"

 10. What are you most looking forward to doing in San Diego while you’re in town?
"Really looking forward to exploring the town. I've never been, so all is new to me. Can’t wait!"

 (Bonus) 11.What’s next for you after your gig in San Diego?
"I'm off to AZ Opera to perform in Silent Night, then Fargo for a Carmen, then San Antonio for a Faust. No rest for the wicked..."

Tickets for RIGOLETTO >> https://www.sdopera.org/season/2018-2019-season/rigoletto

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