Learn More About Roy

Short Bio

Roy Hage made his LA Opera debut this season as Sami in Mary Kouyoumdjian’s Adoration in a career defined by resilience, artistry, and a deep love of storytelling. Growing up in war-torn Beirut, he’d sing along with opera recordings to drown out the sound of bombs before moving alone to the U.S. at 16, unwavering in his commitment to a life in music. Today, the multi-GRAMMY®-nominated tenor is renowned for his “uncommonly beautiful voice” (Musical America) and “haunting” performances (TheaterScene.net), with critics declaring, “[t]his is why we attend the opera.”

A champion of new works, Roy has collaborated with numerous Pulitzer Prize and GRAMMY®-winning contemporary composers while performing traditional principal roles in more than 40 operas, including The Tales of Hoffmann, Roméo et Juliette, Pelléas et Mélisande, Candide, The Rake’s Progress, La clemenza di Tito, Manon, and many more.

His career has taken him from sold-out one-man shows at Stanford Live to a triumphant return to the Middle East, where he appeared on MTV, singing “Nessun Dorma”, and was honored as a guest performer at the Lebanese American University’s Centennial—a prestigious event attended by the Lebanese head of state and government officials. Self-represented and open to new management, Roy brings an artist’s vision and a steadfast commitment to shaping the future of opera. (For more details, see the Press section.)

Long Bio

Tenor Roy Hage is humbled to have grown from a kid in Beirut, Lebanon, singing along with opera recordings in his room to drown out the sound of bombs, to a man, collaborating with those very artists who first inspired his love for the art form.

Roy is a Multi-GRAMMY®-nominated Tenor who has performed over 70 operatic and symphonic works in 8 languages with the world’s leading orchestras, music festivals, and opera companies.

Some of the ensembles Roy has performed with include the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, Teatro Signorelli, Aspen Music Festival, Chautauqua Music Festival, and Miami Music Festival.

Roy has worked with conductors of historic importance including Maestro Yannick Nezet-Seguin at the Metropolitan Opera, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Richard Bonynge, Sir Corrado Rovaris, Christofer Macatsoris, Caren Levine, George Manahan, Rossen Milanov, Xian Zhang, Stephen Lord, James Gaffigan, David Robertson, and Michael Christie.

Some of the 40+ roles Roy has performed include the title roles in The Tales of Hoffmann, Roméo et Juliette, The Rake’s Progress, Candide, La Clemenza di Tito, and Pelléas and Melisande in addition to the Duke (Rigoletto), Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore), Alfredo (La Traviata), Tamino (The Magic Flute), Le Chevalier des Grieux (Manon), Ruggero (La Rondine), Prunier (La Rondine), Judge Danforth (The Crucible), Jeník (The Bartered Bride), The Italian Singer (Capriccio), and Chevalier de la Force (Dialogues des Carmélites). His performances have been broadcast on US and Lebanese television and radio.

A pioneer of non-traditional forms of vocal expression, Roy’s art consistently challenges expectations and pushes the boundaries of convention. One such example was an immersive adaptation of La Traviata at New York City’s famous cabaret, The Box, in which he performed the leading role of Alfredo alongside celebrated Metropolitan Opera soprano Inna Dukach and star baritone, Paul La Rosa. Moreover, Roy created the role of Paul in Georgia Shreve’s Rock-Opera Love Sick which premiered at Brooklyn’s National Sawdust in Fall of 2018, and the following year, produced and performed alongside Broadway veterans in Ms. Shreve’s latest musical-opera-play hybrid Dialogues of Travelers, also at National Sawdust. Most recently, Roy received unanimous acclaim performing the leading tenor role of Lensky in Eugene Onegin in Heartbeat Opera’s pared-down 100-minute version of the show directed by Dustin Wills.

Additionally, Roy recently captivated Bay Area audiences with his one-man-show, "Finding My Voice,” presented on the world-renowned Stanford Live concert series. Roy’s captivating storytelling skillfully weaved together melodies and anecdotes of his past, creating an intimate and immersive experience for the audience. The impact of "Finding My Voice" was profound, as evidenced by the resounding praise from Stanford Live subscribers: the show was hailed as the highlight of many seasons of the concert series, leaving a lasting impression on attendees. Through "Finding My Voice," Roy showcased not only his remarkable talent as a performer but also his ability to bridge gaps and break barriers.

Roy has worked intimately on the development of major artistic projects with artists who have been nominated for and awarded Pulitzer Prizes, Tony Awards, GRAMMY® Awards, MacArthur Fellowships, Kennedy Center Honors, and the National Medal of Arts—including Bill T. Jones, Jennifer Higdon, Steven Stucky, Kevin Putts, Ann Hamilton, Mary Kouyoumdjian—and has left his indelible mark on works that have become standard modern repertoire.

Roy won First Prize in the WRTI Broadcast of the 2017 Giargiari Bel Canto Operatic Competition, highest score in the 2016 Mario Lanza Competition, and Second Prize in the Grand Concours de Chant Competition. Roy is humbled to have completed his operatic training at the top program for each of his respective degrees: Interlochen Arts Academy, Oberlin Conservatory, Yale University, Curtis Institute of Music, and Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA). Most recently, Roy, received his MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and was the sole business student selected into the prestigious cohort of “Design Leaders” at Stanford’s Graduate School of Engineering (Hasso Plattner Institute of Design – d.school).

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