Kyle Ketelsen

Bass-baritone

The renowned American bass-baritone triumphed earlier this season in role debuts as Kaspar/Der Freischütz (Bavarian State Opera, new production by Dmitri Tcherniakov) and Adahm/ Rudi Stephan’s Die ersten Menschen (Dutch National Opera). Last season he reprised his much-acclaimed Leporello/Don Giovanni at both Washington National Opera and the Hamburgische Staatsoper, and returned to the Zurich Opera House for his role debut as Selim in Il Turco in Italia. In concert, he reprised Leporello with Music Aeterna under the baton of Teodor Currentzis. Ketelsen has scored successes in recent seasons in roles as contrasting as Escamillo/Carmen and Golaud/Pelléas et Mélisande (both at the Metropolitan Opera, the former also at San Francisco Opera), Méphistophélès/ La damnation de Faust (the French orchestra Les Siècles), Henry VIII/Anna Bolena (Toronto), and Nick Shadow/The Rake’s Progress (Amsterdam). He has collaborated with Los Angeles Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestra under Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Pierre Boulez and Riccardo Muti.

 

Roles at Lyric:  King of Scotland/Ariodante (2018/19); Leporello/ Don Giovanni (2014/15); Don Basilio/The Barber of Seville (2013/14); title role/The Marriage of Figaro (2009/10).


Last updated: May 19, 2021
Photo: Lawrence Brownlee

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Mixing It Up with Ailyn Pérez and Kyle Ketelsen

Fall in love with THE ELIXIR OF LOVE stars Ailyn Pérez (Adina) and Kyle Ketelsen (Dulcamara) as they chat about their formative years  at Indiana University, performing at Lyric, why they love Donizetti, and more.

Celebrating Sir Andrew Davis, from Mozart to Stravinsky

This spring, Sir Andrew Davis celebrates more than three decades of memorable music and moments at Lyric Opera of Chicago. In his final appearance as music director and principal conductor, Maestro Davis leads renowned singers Janai Brugger, Kayleigh Decker, Kyle Ketelsen, Amanda Majeski, and Matthew Polenzani in selections from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Stravinsky’s The Rake's Progress with members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra, the Lyric Opera Chorus; plus personal tributes from some of opera’s brightest stars.