Gregory Sheppard, bass-baritone has been heard in opera, concert and recital in the United States, Canada and Europe. He has appeared in leading roles with Virginia Opera, Central City Opera, Syracuse Opera, NYC Opera, Connecticut Opera, Orlando Opera, Tri-Cities Opera, Opera Ebony, Lake George Opera, Nickel City Opera, Opera Memphis, Chattanooga Opera in roles that include Figaro in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, Basilio in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, Colline in LA BOHEME, Samorone in BEATRICE ET BENEDICT, Leporello and Commendatore in DON GIOVANNI, Don Alfonso in COSI FAN TUTTE, Raimondo in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, Ramfis in AIDA and the leading bass-baritone roles in THE TALES OF HOFFMAN.
His orchestral appearances include Verdi's MESSE DI REQUIEM with the Masterworks Chorale and Orchestra, Mozart REQUIEM MASS with the Bowdoin Festival Orchestra, Beethoven's NINTH SYMPHONY with the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra and appearances with Sioux City Symphony, Denver Symphony, Chattanooga Symphony, Illinois Chamber Orchestra, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, New Haven Symphony, Little Orchestra Society among others. Sheppard has also appeared at Savonlinna Festival (Finland), Vienna Festival, with Orchestra Solisti di Roma and with the Biennale Festspiel in Munich in the premier of A Scourge of Hyacinth. Mr. Sheppard holds degrees from Syracuse University and New York University and received further training as apprentice artist at Sarasota Opera, Central City Opera and Glimmerglass Opera. He has won many awards including Metropolitan Opera National Council Finalist and Study Grant recipient, Syracuse Opera Artist of the Year, Sullivan Foundation Grant, Friday Music Clubs Young Artist Award, Syracuse University Faculty Award, Jan Peerce Scholarship.
Mr. Sheppard is often selected by composers to premier new works. Most recently Pushed ASIDE ON THE LIFE OF ELIZABETH GAGE by Persis Vehar and LIBBA: HERE THIS DAY by Mark A. Oliveri on the life of Libba Cotten with Society New Music. He also was heard recently in and premiered NO COWARDS IN OUR BAND on PBS a new work on the life of Frederick Douglass by Anthony Knight. Mr. Sheppard appears this season with Festival of Music as soloist in Bach's MAGNIFICAT, recital for Society New Music, recital at the Century Club, concert with Onondaga Historical Society to celebrate the history 1864 of The National Convention of Colored Men, Per questa bella mano and Highway 1, USA with Festival of Music. Mr. Sheppard is Doctoral Lecturer in Music for CUNY in New York City and has taught on the faculties of New York University, Columbia University and The New School.