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KEVIN THOMPSON
BASS
BIOGRAPHY
Praised by The New York Times as a “stentorian bass,” Kevin Thompson “possesses a voice with extraordinary range, depth, color combined with a commanding stage presence… a mountain of a voice, with resonance from the Escorial of Philip II to the throne of Boris Godunov, and the majestic court of Sarastro...” (San Francisco Classical Voice).
Last season, Mr. Thompson joined Florentine Opera as the Bonze in Madama Butterfly, Washington Opera Society as the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Opera Southwest for Verdi’s Requiem, Eureka Symphony for Messiah, and Bard Music Festival for Martinů's Julietta. This season, he returns to Washington National Opera as Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro, he joins Tulsa Opera as the Sergeant of Police in The Pirates of Penzance, and he brings his signature Bonze to Fort Worth Opera for their Madama Butterfly.
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In recent seasons, the acclaimed bass performed as Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni for Opera Colorado, the Duke of Verona in Roméo et Juliette for Dallas Opera, Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail for Opera Grand Rapids, the King/Baobab/Hunter in The Little Prince with Utah Opera, Timur in Turandot with Fargo Moorhead Opera, and on the Mobile Symphony’s annual Christmas concert. He also joined The Atlanta Opera to sing Church Jenkins in a workshop of Forsyth County is Flooding as part of their new works festival, and he sang Father Truelove in The Rake’s Progress with Lakes Area Music Festival. Mr. Thompson made house débuts with Washington National Opera as both Der Pfleger des Orest and Ein alter Diener in Elektra, with Fort Worth Opera as Il Re in Aida, and with Utah Opera as Sparafucile in Rigoletto. In concert, Mr. Thompson returned to Opera Omaha for an Opera Outdoors Concert with scenes as the title role in Boito’s Mefistofele; he sang with Roanoke Opera for their Opera Gems Gala Concert; he sang Verdi’s Requiem with Eureka Symphony; and with Odyssey Opera, he performed Rachmaninoff’s Troika: The Old Gyspy in Aleko, Ivan in The Miserly Knight, and The Ghost of Virgil in Francesca da Rimini. Thompson also joined Bard Music Festival for two rarely heard works, singing Canterbury in Saint-Saëns’ Henry VIII and Pistol in Vaughan Williams’ Sir John in Love. He performed Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni with San Antonio Opera; the Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila with Bob Jones Opera; Sparafucile in Rigoletto with Nashville Opera; the First Nazarene in Salome with Tulsa Opera; Oroveso in Norma with Festival Opera; and he was seen in the world premiere of Southern Crossings by Zaid Jabri at Barnard College in New York City. Concert engagements included Verdi’s Requiem with Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with The Florida Orchestra, and performances with Roanoke Opera.
In the pandemic season of 2020/21, Mr. Thompson made his début in Bulgaria with State Opera Ruse singing the role of Polonius in the world premiere of Hamlet by Joseph Summer. In the same season, Thompson was seen in Rigoletto twice: as Sparafucile with Shreveport Opera and as Monterone with Tulsa Opera. Thompson also joined Tulsa Opera for their Greenwood Overcomes concert, in addition to engagements with Pocono Mountains Music Festival and Opera Omaha.
Mr. Thompson has performed under the baton of many an esteemed conductor in opera houses and concert venues throughout the world, including Austria, Bulgaria, China, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, South America, Switzerland, and the United States. Thompson has made débuts with New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, New Orleans Opera, Tulsa Opera, Opera Carolina, Bard Opera, National Philharmonic, The Florida Orchestra, Opera Santa Barbara, Odyssey Opera, Hannover Staatsoper, Fundación Teatro Nacional Sucre in Ecuador, Teatro Verdi Trieste, Hong Kong Opera, Teatro Regio di Parma, State Opera Ruse, Theater Kiel, the Gasteig in Munich, and the Wexford Opera.
Mr. Thompson’s previous roles include: Ramfis and Il Re (Aida); Osmin (Die Entführung aus dem Serail); Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte); Mephistophélès (Faust); Oroveso (Norma); Sparafucile and Monterone (Rigoletto); Grand Inquisitor (Don Carlos); Banco (Macbeth); Lodovico (Otello); Il Commendatore (Don Giovanni); Raimondo (Lucia di Lammermoor); Don Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia); The Old Gypsy (Aleko); Colline (La bohème); Judge Turpin (Sweeney Todd); Ned (Treemonisha); El Capitán (Florencia en el Amazonas); Hans Schwartz (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg); and Stefano Colonna (Rienzi). On the concert stage, Thompson’s engagements have included Verdi’s Requiem; Mozart’s Requiem; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Missa Solemnis; Dvořák’s Stabat Mater; Haydn's The Creation and Lord Nelson Mass; and Stravinsky’s Les Noces.
Mr. Thompson was born in Washington, D.C. He is an alumnus of The Juilliard School in New York, San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Merola program, and the Santa Fe Opera program. Recordings include Verdi’s Requiem with Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra, Dessau’s Haggadah shel Pesach with the American Symphony Orchestra, Rice’s Thy will be done with the National Choral Society, Polonius in Joseph Summer’s Hamlet with Navona Records, and King Soliman in Gounod’s La reine de Saba with Odyssey Opera.
Current as of July 7, 2025
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"...his rich, powerful bass voice commanded attention, and it filled the hall..." – Utah Arts Review
Rigoletto – Kevin Thompson contributed an impressive performance as the hit man Sparafucile. From the moment he introduced himself in the first act, his rich, powerful bass voice commanded attention, and it filled the hall. His clear tone, flawless intonation and seamless melodic lines appeared effortless, as did the menace in his voice as he coolly carried out the murders he was paid to perform."
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"Thompson's rich bass conveyed the melancholy, the peasant nobility, and the sheer passionate broken-heartedness of the Old Gypsy..." – Classical Voice North Carolina
Aleko – "Then the beauty of the chorus trailed away for the vocal highlight of the Opera Carolina premiere, “The Old Gypsy's Tale,” performed by Kevin Thompson in a magnificent Charlotte debut. Thompson's rich bass conveyed the melancholy, the peasant nobility, and the sheer passionate broken-heartedness of the Old Gypsy more richly and beautifully than either the Chandos or the Deutsche Grammophon recordings I've referenced."
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"Not only is his instrument monstrous in its quality and volume, but it is highly articulate, fearless in his ability to traverse his entire range and colorful." – OperaWire
Macbeth – "As Banco, audiences got a chance to marvel at the imposing bass of Kevin Thompson. Not only is his instrument monstrous in its quality and volume, but it is highly articulate, fearless in his ability to traverse his entire range and colorful. The shading in his final scene, the famed aria “Come dal cielo precipita,” had a controlled shimmer that expressed the fear he sensed around him. Contrast this with the brighter colors he managed from the opening duet with Macbeth, doubt and jest creeping into his performance."
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"Sonorous, though, doesn’t even begin to describe the powerful, capacious and indefatigable singing of bass Kevin Thompson..." – San Francisco Chronicle
Die Entführung aus dem Serail – " Sonorous, though, doesn’t even begin to describe the powerful, capacious and indefatigable singing of bass Kevin Thompson the ferocious Klingon responsible for overseeing the prisoner. This is a role renowned for its punishing low notes and big gestures, and Thompson handled it all with terrifying ease."
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"...it would come as no surprise if the Metropolitan Opera recruited him immediately at the close of the concert." – CS Music Staff
Gala Concert – "Another standout performance among the men was operatic bass Kevin Thompson’s performance of McLin’s “Great Day” which captured the performers and the audience. The exceptional richness and penetrating resonance of his voice were so captivating, it would come as no surprise if the Metropolitan Opera recruited him immediately at the close of the concert."
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"...Kevin Thompson carried a tone that was robust and assured." – Bachtrack
Florencia en el Amazonas – “As the Captain, Kevin Thompson carried a tone that was robust and assured”
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"With his deep rich bass voice and his stature and presence, he was unquestionably the focal point for the entire production. " – Splash Magazine
Faust – “Kevin Thompson shone in the role of Méphistophélès. With his deep rich bass voice and his stature and presence, he was unquestionably the focal point for the entire production. In addition to his singing, which was exceptional, Thompson’s physical grace and ability to act and emote enabled him to create a character that was both terrifying and playful – setting the tone for the rest of the cast and providing a welcome hint of lightness to his demonic role.”
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“Kevin Thompson was an imposing Ramfis, the intolerable priest.” – Los Angeles Times
Aida – “Kevin Thompson was an imposing Ramfis, the intolerable priest,”
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"...displaying a phenomenal range and showed us his dramatic chops..." – Huffington Post
Aleko – “Kevin Thompson as the Old Gypsy told his tale well in the beginning of the opera, displaying a phenomenal range and showed us his dramatic chops by being simultaneously sad, angry, disappointed and ultimately resigned to his daughter’s death at the hands of Aleko.”