Timothy Birt (Ralph Rachstraw)
Tenor Timothy Birt, was most recently praised by the Houston Chronicle for his depiction of Des Grieux in Manon. Timothy Birt began his studies in 1998 at Texas State University where he received his Bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance. He has sung The Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, Des Grieux in Manon, Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Fenton in Merry Wives of Windsor; Franz in Les Contes d' Hoffman, Ernesto in Don Pasquale, Albert in Albert Herring, Tamino in The Magic flute, Ezekiel Cheever in The Crucible, and Beppe in I Pagliacci. He was heard in concert as a tenor soloist in Carmina Burana, and Obadiah in Elijah. Mr. Birt has sung with Chicago Opera Theatre, Battle Creek Symphony, Distinguished Concerts International of New York Carnegie Hall, Indianapolis Opera, The Atlantic Coast Opera Festival, The Professional advantage at Teatro di Comunale di Cagli, South Texas Lyric Opera, San Antonio Opera, and Opera in the Heights.
Mr. Birt's engagements for 2010 include: A return to South Texas Lyric Opera as Rodolfo in La Boheme, as well as a debut at Carnegie Hall as the tenor soloist in Arwel Hughes' Dewi Sant. Later in the year he will debut with Sparkling City Light Opera as Donald Hopewell in Gallantry and in two roles in I Gioielli della Madonna, with Teatro Grattacielo at Lincoln Center, New York City. In 2011 he returns to Opera in the Heights to sing Nadir in Les PĂȘcheurs de Perles .