Keith Spencer

Keith Spencer was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, one of thirteen children in a musical family. His pursuit of a professional singing career began with formal training at the University of Miami, from where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1987. Two years later, he completed a Master of Music degree in voice at the Manhattan School of Music and in 1991 Keith gained his second Master's degree in opera performance from the Curtis Institute of Music.

Keith Spencer made his professional operatic debut in 1992 with the Virginia Opera Company. Since then, he has appeared with numerous ensembles, including the Opera Company of Philadelphia, The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Glimmerglass Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Lake George Opera, Ashlawn-Highland Opera, Skylight Opera Theater, Greensboro Opera, Opera Roanoke and Diamond Opera Theater.

Among his varied operatic roles are Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Dandini in La Cenerentola,
Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Guglielmo in
Così fan tutte, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Schaunard in La Boheme, and the title role in Monteverdi's Orfeo. An accomplished concert singer, he has performed such orchestral works as Songs of Travel and Dona Nobis Pacem by Ralph Vaughan Williams, the Requiems of Fauré and Duruflé, Mozart's Mass in C, Bach's Mass in B minor, Handel's Messiah and Saint Saens' Christmas Oratorio. He made his New York recital debut in 1995 with the Hugo Wolf Society at Merkin Concert Hall.

Keith is known for his work in the contemporary music field. In June 2002, he performed a solo recital of new music at The Americas Society in New York City singing songs by Laura Kaminsky, Alba Potes and Chris DeBlasio. He has recorded the preliminary sketches of Burning Bright at the RCA recording studios. This modern opera, composed by Frank Lewin, is based on the Steinbeck novel of the same name. At American Opera Projects in New York City, Keith Spencer has premiered Three Reminiscences - songs written for him by composer Ed Windells with texts by W.S. Merwin. He has premiered works by composers Robert Alpert, Peter Susser, and Albert Ahlstrom as well. In June 2008, Keith will also premiere the cantata “A Measure of Love and Silence” by Richard Cameron-Wolfe at New York City’s Symphony Space.

Keith Spencer's competition honors include: 1st place, Bel Canto Singers of York Competition; winner of the Music Guild of Boca Raton Competition; winner of the Five Towns Music and Art Foundation Award; regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He has also received the Theodore Newman Voice Scholarship, the Kiwanis Club of Palm Beach Scholarship and the Greater Miami Young Patronesses of the Opera Award.

Keith and his brother Mark Spencer, harpist, have recently released a compact disc entitled “The Spencer Brothers - With Harp and Voice”, a CD which was inspired by the attacks on America on September 11, 2001. Keith composed two of the pieces on this CD, including the title work, “With Harp and Voice” which he wrote for his brother Mark, and “Joseph’s Promise” which Keith composed to honor the memory of the Brothers’ parents. www.thespencerbrothers.com

Keith can also be heard on other compact discs as baritone soloist of Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem with Marvis Martin, soprano, and the University of Miami Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (Cane Records). Keith has also recorded the role of the Mad Hatter in Dreams for Alice a musical by Gilbert Heatherwick based on Alice in Wonderland, The New Moon with City Center’s Encore! Series, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s Yuletide Christmas CD.