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date = "2019-01-29T01:52:53+00:00"
discipline = "Bass-baritone"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1548726671/media/2019/01/CalvinGriffin.jpg"
primary_image_credit = "Keitaro Harada"
related_companies = ["scene/companies/wolf-trap-opera.md", "scene/companies/des-moines-metro-opera.md", "scene/companies/the-santa-fe-opera.md", "scene/companies/glimmerglass-festival.md", "scene/companies/minnesota-opera.md", "scene/companies/arizona-opera.md", "scene/companies/florida-grand-opera.md", "scene/companies/the-atlanta-opera.md"]
slug = "calvin-griffin"
social_media = []
title = "Calvin Griffin"
website = "https://www.calvingriffinbassbaritone.com/"

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Calvin Griffin, a native of Columbus, Ohio, had a busy 2017 - 2018 season, making exciting debuts with Atlanta Opera as Mother in _The Seven Deadly Sins_ as well as Morales in _Carmen_, Opera Birmingham singing Escamillo in _Carmen_, Opera on the James as Leporello in _Don Giovanni_, Opera Orlando singing Alidoro in _La Cenerentola_, and returned to Arizona Opera to sing Dr. Bartolo in _Il barbiere di Siviglia_.   In the 2016-2017 season, Mr. Griffin was a member of the Florida Grand Opera Studio, where he made his debut with the company stepping in as a cover to sing the role of Escamillo in _Carmen_. Additionally, he sang Zaretsky and covered Gremin in _Eugene Onegin_, sang Victor in _Before Night Falls_, and Samuel in _Un ballo in maschera_ with the company. He recently finished a stint with the Arizona Opera Studio where he performed the roles of the Captain in _Florencia en el Amazonas_, Zuniga in _Carmen_, Pistola in _Falstaff_, Count Ceprano in _Rigoletto_, Zaretsky in _Eugene Onegin_, Speaker/2nd Armored Man in _Die Zauberflöte_, Hortensius in _La fille du régiment_, Colline in _La bohème,_ and Dr. Grenville in _La traviata_. In 2016, he made his Opera Columbus debut as Colline in _La bohème_. 

In the 2018-2019 season, he is excited to cover Zuniga in Dallas Opera's production of _Carmen_, return to Florida Grand Opera to sing the title role in _Le nozze di Figaro_, and sing Eddie in Minnesota Opera's production of _The Fix_. 

Last summer, Mr. Griffin made his debut with Minnesota Opera in their production of _Fellow Travelers_.  Previously, he participated in the Glimmerglass Festival where he sang Elviro in _Xerxes_, Undertaker in _Porgy and Bess_, Fabrizio and covered Gottardo in _La gazza ladra,_ and covered the title role in _Sweeney Todd_. In 2015, Mr. Griffin returned as an Apprentice Artist to Santa Fe Opera where his assignments included Count Ceprano in _Rigoletto_ and Hortensius in _La fille du régiment_. Mr. Griffin sang the title role in _Gianni Schicchi_ at the Aspen Music Festival, and he covered the role of Leporello in _Don Giovanni_ as an Apprentice Artist at Des Moines Metro Opera. He was a Studio Artist at The Wolf Trap Opera Company, as well as a participant at the Brevard Music Festival.

In concert, Mr. Griffin returns this season to the Richmond Symphony as the bass soloist in Handel’s _Messiah_, and as soloist in Opera Columbus' _Opera Swings Jazz_ concert. He made his Houston Symphony debut as First Apprentice in the Grammy Award winning production of _Wozzeck_. Other solo performances include Bach's _B Minor Mass_ with Choral Arts Sarasota, and the baritone solos in Brahms’s _Ein deutsches Requiem_ at The Ohio State University, as well as Worthington United Methodist Church.

In competition, Mr. Griffin won 1st Place in the 2017 Dorothy Lincoln Smith Voice Competition.  He was the 2015 winner of the Igor Gorin Memorial Award, was awarded a Western Region Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Encouragement Award in 2014, 1st Place winner in the 2012 Tuesday Musical Club Competition in San Antonio, 1st Place winner in the 2011 Hal Leonard Vocal Competition, and was awarded a Central Region Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Encouragement Award in 2010. He was also a winner in the Cincinnati College-Conservatory’s Corbett Competition and was awarded the Linda Candler Award at the Brevard Music Center. 

Mr. Griffin received his Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music under the tutelage of Dr. Stephen King. At The Shepherd School, he was seen in the title role of the Houston premiere of John Musto’s _Volpone_. Additionally, he performed the roles of Don Alfonso in _Così fan tutte_ and Polinesso in _Ariodante_. Mr. Griffin received his Bachelor’s Degree from The Ohio State University where he performed the roles of Superintendent Budd in _Albert Herring_, Bartolo in _Le nozze di Figaro_, and Gustavo in _Faramondo_.