Richard Troxell's beautiful lyric tenor voice has been thrilling audiences wherever he has sung on stages around the world and in the United States. His vocal artistry and powerful stage presence have set him apart from the others, and his ability to connect with an audience earns "bravos" and standing ovations wherever he appears. Personable, charming and very approachable, Troxell is always a crowd favorite. Audience members in all age groups are impressed with his accessibility and willingness to meet and greet them after performances. He says that one of his goals is " to take away the fear factor that opera tends to have sometimes." This refreshing attitude about what he does and his commitment to achieving his goal make Richard Troxell a force to be reckoned with and truly " A Tenor for Our Times."
(Listen to Richard Troxell singing selections from his operatic and concert repertoire)

Mr. Troxell's star turn as Lieutenant B.F.Pinkerton in the critically acclaimed film of Madame Butterfly, presented by Martin Scorsese, received high praise from film and music critics alike following its premiere in Paris in 1995, and later in the U.S. in 1996. The New York Times deemed Mr. Troxell's performance " the most dramatically satisfying vocal characterization" in the film. His Pinkerton is one of the most viewed performances of this role--the film having played nationally and internationally in movie theaters and on television. Troxell says that making the film was a "dream come true" because he got to do the two things he loves to do most--act and sing.
(More information on the film and a selection from the sound track.)

Richard's continued success in film is evidenced in two recently released DVDs.The latest, the DVD of the celebrated Marta Domingo production of La Rondine for Washington Opera featuring Richard as the poet Prunier --"sparkling and funny" ( The Washintgon Post), was also shown on the PBS series Great Performances. On the DVD of Franco Alfano's opera Cyrano de Bergerac, Mr. Troxell portrays the handsome but dim officer Christian de Neuvillete opposite the Cyrano of Roberto Alagna. Filmed in Montpellier, France for L'Opéra de Montpellier,the DVD has garnered outstanding reviews from Opera News,ConcertoNet and Forum Opera among others.

Richard Troxell's most recent engagements include Don José in Carmen,directed by Francesca Zambello, at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Bejing as well as a concert version for the Orlando Phiharmonic,a role début as Des Grieux for Calgary Opera, Don José in Carmen for Opera Australia performed in Taipei, Taiwan,and two engagements with Portland Opera as the Duke in Rigoletto and as Alfredo in La Traviata.For Opera Lyra in Ottawa he was Lenski in Eugene Onegin,and, just prior, he returned to Opéra Comique in the title role in Zampa.Enjoying a busy 2008 season,Richard sang Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly in a sold out début with Opéra de Montréal,reprised his role as Christian in Cyrano de Bergerc for Opéra de Monte Carlo, and débuted in the title role in Zampa at the Opéra Comique in Paris.In earlier engagements he performed the title role in Les Contes d'Hoffmann for Opera Narodowa in Warsaw,Don José in Carmen for Portland Opera, and the title role in Gluck's L'Île de Merlin at the Spoleto Festival USA as well as a début performance at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville, Spain where he sang the role of Roméo in Roméo et Juliette under the baton of Michel Plasson.Just prior to that he débuted with the Minnesota Opera in the title role of The Tales of Hoffmann.While appearing there he was invited to be on National Public Radio as a guest on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor.Audiences at both the opera and the radio show responded warmly to Mr. Troxell's vocal performance and to his portrayals of the poet Hoffmann as well as a pushy tenor in the Guy Noir Skit with Keillor.

In other engagements of note Mr. Troxell sang Cole Porter favorites in concert with the Naples Philharmonic and Tamino in The Magic Flute with Madison Opera.Prior to that he traveled to France to reprise the role of Christian in a highly-praised staging of Cyrano de Bergerac for Opéra de Montpellier.Back in the States, he sang Pinkerton for the Los Angeles Opera in Robert Wilson's visionary presentation of Madama Butterfly.His return to the Portland Opera, in a role début as Macduff in Macbeth, was a critical success. The Opera Critic said his voice produced "rich curtains of spinto" ,and added that his performance was "a glory to soak in." On concert stages with the San Francisco Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra his performances as Tenor Soloist in Carmina Burana had the audiences cheering his interpretation of the poor roasting swan. Earlier, he returned to the Cleveland Opera where he made his professional début in 1993. This time he sang the role of Lensky in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. The critics called the production "splendid", and Opera News singled out his perfomance saying "his acting and singing were superb." In another noteworthy appearance Mr. Troxell made his role début in a sizzling performance as Don José in Bizet's Carmen with the PORT opera in Portland,Maine. His performance as the love-besotted José was marked by vocal power and emotional intensity. Opera News called his characterization "unusually strong and well-defined dramatically" and praised Mr.Troxell for "his high-level musicianship and affecting timbre." Elsewhere,in yet another début, Mr. Troxell was The Italian Singer in Vancouver Opera's first-ever Der Rosenkavalier. In a return to the Portland (Oregon) Opera for Madama Butterfly, his experience in the role of Pinkerton, coupled with his "smooth tenor," ( The Oregonian) made his portrayal of the American naval officer a classic.

And, yes, baseball fans were not denied the opportunity to hear Richard Troxell's glorious voice when he wowed them with his stirring version of The Star Spangled Banner for five years in a row at the Opening Day game for his beloved Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

Richard Troxell's talents as an actor and singer are evident in the wide variety of roles he has sung ranging from a punk-rocker in a contemporary staging of Puccini's Manon Lescaut at the Spoleto Festival USA, to the wide-eyed innocence of Candide for Portland Opera and Opera Pacific, to the daffy Prince in Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges which marked his well-received debut with the New York City Opera, to a suave Nanki-Poo in The Mikado-- also for New York City Opera, to a dashing Piquillo in La Périchole with Denyce Graves for Opera Company of Philadelphia. (View a photo of Mr. Troxell and Ms. Graves.) Mr. Troxell scored another triumph in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in the title role in Zemlinsky's rarely heard opera Der Zwerg presented by the American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leon Botstein. Opera News called his interpretation "the afternoon's most successful performance."
( Read reviews of these and other performances.)

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Other notable performances include European engagements in France at the Opéra Comique de Paris and the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse. In the U.S., Mr. Troxell has appeared at the Kennedy Center in Washington,D.C. with the Washington Opera (now the National Opera) in operas produced and directed by Placido and Marta Domingo. The latter's celebrated production of La Rondine, in which he portrayed the poet Prunier, was called"sparking and funny" by the Washington Post. He has sung the role of Alfredo in La Traviata with the Houston Grand Opera, the New York City Opera, the New Israeli Opera, the New Zealand Opera, and most recently in a return engagement with the San Diego Opera and Opera Pacific. His Faust for Boston Lyric Opera was cited by the critics at Opera News for his impeccable phrasing and "ringing top notes."

Equally at home on the concert stage, Mr. Troxell 's repertoire features classical, popular ,and Broadway selections.His versatility is evidenced in his recent engagements which include a Carnegie Hall début in the Bach Magnificat and a début with the renowned Philadelphia Orchestra in which he and his co-star German chanteuse Ute Lemper brought to life Kurt Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins to stunning effect. In a complete change of pace, Mr. Troxell performed An Evening of Broadway Favorites with the Cincinnati Pops led by Erich Kunzel.His"ringing lyric voice"(Cincinnati Enquirer) was a definite crowd pleaser and his dancing a jig to one of the tunes was icing on the cake. He has also performed with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra.

Mr. Troxell's recording credits include the role of Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly for the Sony label, the role of Beppe in I pagliacci under the baton of Georges Prêtre, and several compositions by American Jewish composers including Masada by Marvin David Levy with the Berlin Radio Symphony. He is the featured soloist on the sold-out CD What A Wonderful World.

Richard Troxell is from Thurmont, Maryland where he started singing at the age of four along withhis parents, belting out Broadway tunes at Lions Club benefits and singing hymns in the church choir. He received his operatic training at the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) in Philadelphia, PA. He currently resides in the countryside of Chester County, PA with his wife dancer/choreographer Lisa Lovelace and their two sons Wilder and Shane. When not performing, he enjoys spending time with his family, cooking, motorcycling, hiking and long-distance bicycle riding.