ALEX DESOCIO, BARITONE
Described by The New York Times as having a “buttery, booming baritone," Alex DeSocio (Wichita, KS), received his BM from Northwestern University and his MM at the University of Maryland.
Alex has worked in many regional opera companies as a principal artist including, Fort Worth Opera, Pensacola Opera, Anchorage Opera, Opera Memphis, Livermore Valley Opera, Castleton Festival, Opera Santa Barbara, and the Pacific Opera Project.
Awards include being a 2 Time-Metropolitan Council Audition Semi-Finalist, Winner/Laureate with the Queen Elisabeth Competition.
ABOUT
Alex DeSocio’s “buttery, booming baritone” (The New York
Times) has been featured extensively with opera companies
across the United States.
For the 2022/23 season, Mr. DeSocio portrays Figaro in
Shreveport Opera’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, as well as
Schaunard in La bohème with Pensacola Opera. Recent
engagements include La bohème (Marcello) with Opera
Birmingham, Pagliacci (Silvio) with Opera Memphis, L’elisir d’amore (Belcore) with Sarasota
Opera, Roméo et Juliette (Mercutio) with Pensacola Opera, and Carmen (Morales) with Vero Beach
Opera.
Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia is a signature role for Mr. DeSocio, having performed it with
Anchorage Opera, Opera Roanoke, Livermore Valley Opera, Mobile Opera, and Opera Colorado’s
young artist program. Further professional role credits include the title role in Don Giovanni with
Wichita Grand Opera, Le nozze di Figaro (Count Almaviva) with Miami Music Festival, Così fan
tutte (Guglielmo) with LoftOpera, La Cenerentola (Dandini) with Opera Fort Collins, La bohème
(Schaunard) with Charleston Opera Theater, Manon (Lescaut) with Opera Santa Barbara, Carmen
(Le Dancaïre) with Fort Worth Opera, L’heure espangnole (Ramiro) with Opera Memphis, and
Amahl and the Night Visitors (Melchoir) with Amarillo Opera.
During his tenure as a resident artist with Pittsburgh Opera, Mr. DeSocio was seen as Montano in
Otello, Le Commissaire in Philip Glass’ Orphée, Father in Gregory Spears’ Paul ’s Case, and Second
Priest in The Magic Flute. Mr. DeSocio is also an alum of the prestigious Merola Opera Program,
where he portrayed Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale.
A highly awarded artist, Mr. DeSocio is a two-time semifinalist of the Metropolitan Opera National
Council auditions, a winner/laureate of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, a Sullivan
Foundation winner, and an Eleanor McCollum Competition finalist. He won 1st place in the
Shreveport Opera Competition, the Palm Springs Opera Guild and Opera Birmingham vocal
competitions, and most recently the Cooper-Bing Competition at Opera Columbus, where he
additionally received the Audience Choice Award. Mr. DeSocio also took 2nd place in the Premiere
Vocal Competition, as well as received the Merola Opera Program’s Shoshana Grant Award.
Mr. DeSocio earned his Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University, and his Master of Music at
the University of Maryland under the tutelage of Leon Major and Dominic Cossa. He is also the only
opera singer certified as an Actor Combatant in The Society of American Fight Directors.
RECENT/UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
January 20th and 22nd
SCHAUNDARD-LA BOHEME-PENSACOLA OPERA
One of opera’s most romantic stories makes a long-anticipated return to the Saenger stage. La bohème follows Mimì and Rodolfo from their first meeting to their final devastating moments, capturing their impassioned relationship through the lens of Giacomo Puccini’s masterful, lush orchestrations. From Musetta’s famous waltz, “Quando m’en vo,” to the rousing second act outside the Café Momus—featuring our wonderful Pensacola Opera Chorus—this beloved work features some of opera’s most hummable melodies. The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by Jerome Shannon in his first production as Principal Guest Conductor.
June 17th
YELLOW ROSE BALL CONCERT-CENTRAL CITY OPERA
A selection of Central City Opera's 2023 season presented as part of the Yellow Rose Ball. This includes sections for Kiss Me Kate, Rossini's Otello, and Romeo et Juliette.
August 18th and 19th
GRANT PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL-SOLOIST
Die erste Walpurgisnacht (The First Walpurgis Night) is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, telling of the attempts of Druids in the Harz mountains to practice their pagan rituals in the face of new and dominating Christian forces
October 20th, 22nd, 28th. November 1st and 3rd
TRAVIS BRIGGS (COVER)-INTELLIGENCE-HOUSTON GRAND OPERA
The Civil War is raging, and the country is burning. Men are slaughtering each other on the battlefield, but it is two women who possess the deadliest weapon of all: intelligence, made more powerful by its invisibility. Who would guess that Elizabeth Van Lew, from a prominent Confederate family, is running a secret pro-Union spy ring? That Mary Jane Bowser, born into slavery in the Van Lew household, not only has been taught to read and write, but is also possessed of a photographic memory? The HGO-commissioned world-premiere opera Intelligence, inspired by the little-known true story of these two unlikely spies, unfolds as Elizabeth sends Mary Jane to live in the Confederate White House. As Mary Jane uncovers the secrets of the Confederacy to share with Union military commanders, she also uncovers the secrets of her own history and identity. Shared through a fusion of music, words, and dance, this new American epic is the creation of a powerhouse trio: composer Jake Heggie, librettist Gene Scheer, and director/choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, founder of Urban Bush Women. The production features eight dancers from UBW and a sensational cast led by mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton as Elizabeth, with soprano Janai Brugger making her anticipated company debut as the brilliant Mary Jane. Acclaimed conductor Kwamé Ryan takes the podium for his HGO debut
2023: March 2nd, 3rd, 9th, and 10th
PAPAGENO-THE MAGIC FLUTE-LIVERMORE VALLEY OPERA
Prince Tamino is pursued by a dragon into a magical land of fantasy where, aided by three mysterious ladies, he seeks to rescue the beautiful Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night, from the powerful Sarastro. With the assistance of the bird-catcher Papageno, he finds that nothing is quite as it first seems in this allegory about a quest for truth, beauty and pure love. Beautiful music and some of the most memorable arias in opera, paired with a cast of fanciful characters, make this Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s crowning operatic achievement.
