Norman Garrett
baritone
Marquis de la Force Dialogues des Carmélites
Soloist Pilgrimage
American baritone Norman Garrett, who has been called “scene-stealing” by the New York Times, is enjoying a varied and exciting career. In the 2025/26 season, Mr. Garrett will sing the title role in Verdi’s Macbeth with Boston Lyric Opera, Scarpia in Tosca with Des Moines Metro Opera, Jim in Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera, Crown in Porgy and Bess with Lyric Opera Kansas City, and the Marquis de la Force in Dialogues of the Carmelites with New Orleans Opera. In concert, he sings Carlisle Floyd’s Pilgrimage with Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Martinů’s Epic of Gilgamesh with Bard SummerScape.
In the 2024/25 season, Norman Garrett returned to Washington National Opera as Crown in Porgy and Bess, The Reverend in Blue with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, debuted the role of Macbeth with Opera Orlando, and Abdul in Omar in concert with Quad City Symphony. Additional concert appearances included Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Phoenix Symphony and joined composer Terence Blanchard for highlights from Fire, Shut up in My Bones at Purdue University and with the Krannert Center in Urbana, Illinois.
In recent seasons, Norman Garrett has performed Conte in Le nozze di Figaro with Seattle Opera, Garby in the world premiere of The Factotum and Dr. T in the world-premiere of Proximity, both at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera and LA Opera as Abdul in Omar, Bob in William Grant Still’s Highway 1, USA with LA Opera, with Houston Grand Opera as Ríolobo in Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas, Jochanaan in Salome with Des Moines Metro Opera, Escamillo in Carmen with Austin Opera, Opera Orlando, Opera Columbus, and Lubbock Symphony, the title role in Chausson’s Le roi Arthus with Bard SummerScape, the Metropolitan Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago as the Foreman/Adult James in Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the title role in Don Giovanni and Jochanaan, both with Dayton Opera, the title role in Delius’ Koanga with the Wexford Festival in Ireland, Larkens in La fanciulla del West with the Bayerische Staatsoper as well as Ned in a new edition of Treemonisha with Opera Theatre of St. Louis.
In Porgy and Bess, Norman Garrett has sung Crown with Theater an der Wien, Glimmerglass Festival, University of Michigan and Fort Worth Opera, Jake with Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Elbphilharmonie Orchestra on tour at the Lucerne Festival and the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival with Alan Gilbert, and Jim with the Metropolitan Opera.
As a former Cafritz Young Artist at Washington National Opera, Norman Garrett has appeared as Ríolobo in Florencia en el Amazonas, Lieutenant Gordon in Silent Night, Papageno in The Magic Flute, Masetto in Don Giovanni, the Father in Hansel and Gretel, a Steersman in Tristan und Isolde, Captain Gardiner in Jake Heggie’s Moby Dick, and the world premiere of Jeanine Tesori’s The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me.
Norman Garrett has made many important symphonic appearances, including Carmina Burana with Bramwell Tovey with the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, Donald Runnicles and the Toronto Symphony, and Orchestra of St. Lukes at Carnegie Hall; a Gershwin program conducted by Cristian Măcelaru and the Philadelphia Orchestra, a concert of American music with The Cleveland Orchestra, National Philharmonic for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Vaughan-Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carol’s with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Messiah with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, and Belshezzar’s Feast with Phoenix Symphony.
Mr. Garrett is a former winner of the George London Foundation Competition, and has received top prizes in more than a dozen international vocal competitions, including the Gerda Lissner Foundation, the William Matheus Sullivan Foundation, the Jensen Foundation, the Giulio Gari Foundation, Fort Worth Opera’s McCammon Competition, and the Licia Albanese-Puccini Competition. He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Texas Tech University and the Academy of Vocal Arts, where he was a resident artist.