In addition to a wonderful career as a professor and teacher of vocal performance, Mr. Gregory Sheppard has brought his rich bass sound, his joy of singing, and his spontaneous passion to recital performances, operatic roles, and appearances with symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles in the United States and Europe. His operatic repertoire ranges from Sander in the rare Zemire et Azor and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro to John Shields in Frederick Douglass. He has appeared in leading roles with Syracuse Opera, New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera (Western Opera Tour), Opera Ebony, Dayton Opera, Lake George Opera, Virginia Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Connecticut Opera, Opera Memphis, Chattanooga Opera, Opera Northeast, Buffalo Opera, MET Opera Education, Philadelphia Opera, Pennsylvania Opera Theater, and Orlando Opera. His orchestra appearances include the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Denver Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, Illinois Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Sioux City Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Western New York Chamber Orchestra, Chattanooga Symphony, New Haven Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Little Orchestra Society, and the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra. In Europe Mr. Sheppard has appeared with Savonlinna Opera (Finland), Vienne Festival (Austria), Munich’s Biennale Festival and Orchestra I solisti di Roma (Rome, Florence, Venice).
Furthermore, he has performed with the Bowdoin Music Festival as soloist in Mozart’s Requiem Mass; as guest artist at the Arts Festival in Fort-de-France, Martinique; as soloist in the premiere and live recording of Perfect Harmony by Finnish composer Heikki Sarmanto at the Savonlinna Festival; as Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors for the Berkshire Winter Festival; and as Herald in Cinderella at the North Shore Music Festival.
Mr. Sheppard’s innovative collaborations with artists in the cutting edge of their fields (including Tonia Leon, Tan Dunn, Wayne Sanders, Bruce Adolph and Mark Lamos) add new dimensions and exciting challenges to his work. He is the winner of a Metropolitan Opera National Council Award and Study Grant, Friday Music Club’s Young Artist Award, Jan Peerce Scholarship, Syracuse Opera Award among numerous others. Mr. Sheppard has recorded Perfect Harmony on Finlandia Records, Done Crossed Every River with Opera Ebony, and Gianni Schicch in a live MET performance for the Metropolitan Opera Education Department.
REVIEWS:
All of the singers were to be applauded but special mention should be made of the performances by Chris Mallory and Gregory Sheppard. I hope that Sheppard will sing again in Ottawa since his rich bass voice is a delight to hear.
– Societe D’Opera De La Capitale Nationale
Bass-baritone Gregory Sheppard made a fine Mr. Page, his voice gaining in authority, focus and power with each outing.
– Opera News Magazine
Gregory Sheppard’s composed and dignified Don Alfonso, on the other hand evoked laughter with the raised eyebrow or eloquently blank stare. Mr. Sheppard’s singing was as smooth and unforced as his acting.
Karen Parks and Vanessa Ayers made especially strong impressions, as did Gregory Sheppard, a bass, in Dorothy Rudd Moore’s “I Have Been a Slave All My Life.”
– The New York Times (2)
Gregory Sheppard’s extraordinary voice filled the St. Joachim Chapel throughout the October 27 premiere concert of the Rimscha 2009 Season.
– Sturbridge Times
Sheppard fills hall in triumphant return.
– The Post Standard
The secondary performers were mostly excellent. The difference made this listener wonder at the casting decisions that had not placed these singers in the leading roles. Captain Zuniga was sung by Gregory Sheppard, bass-baritone with a full, rich tone that stood out and made us want to hear much more of him.
– Wilmington Morning Star
Gregory Sheppard was a deep voiced and sonorous Sarastro.
– Opera Canada
Rarely has such a fine trio of male singers graced a Western New York stage. Gregory Sheppard as Balthazar had a deeply resonant voice that blended well with his character.
– The Buffalo Times