An avid performer of Baroque music, tenor Chad Smyser sang the title role in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo in May 2009. Other recent roles include Lucano in L'Incoronazione di Poppea and Mr. Owen in Postcard from Morocco. He has performed at the Chicago Humanities Festival, YO! Youth Opera Conference in Holland, and the National Opera Association annual conference. He has been part of Glimmerglass Opera’s educational outreach program and conducted opera workshops in New York City, Princeton, and at Sarah Lawrence College. As a choral singer and soloist, Chad has performed with the Queens College Choral Society, Chelsea Opera, SOUNDSCAPES concert series and at Temple Beth-El in Jersey City.
Chad had his directorial debut in 2009 at Queens College, adapting and staging Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. One of his favorite directing projects, “Designing Dichterliebe,” re-imagined Robert Schumann’s compelling song cycle, staged for thirteen singers as part of the Queens College Summer Performing Arts Festival. Chad directed a fully staged production of Cosi fan tutte with orchestra in March 2012.
As a member of the improvisational opera group Play It By Ear, Chad has performed, led master classes, worked with under served communities, and been instrumental in the development of new works of opera. Chad received his undergraduate degree at Temple University, continued with graduate study in voice at the Manhattan School of Music, and received a Master of Arts degree and Advanced Certificate in Performance Studies from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. Upcoming roles include Tamino/Monostatos in a re-imagining of The Magic Flute in Weimar Berlin with Morningside Opera and in the ensemble of the world premiere of The Mark of Cain with Chelsea Opera.
