Robert Balonek

Baritone

Praised by the NY Times as having a “Commanding, steely baritone and a
direct, crystal-clear delivery” and by the Winston-Salem Journal,
“Balonek, who might well be the most acrobatic opera singer I have
ever seen. His antics are dazzling, and his voice is, too.” Robert is extremely versatile in his acting, dancing, and singing as he has
performed everything from bass-baritone Oratorio work such as the Haydn Creation Mass, to lyric baritone roles such as Silvio
(Pagliacci) and Figaro (Barber of Seville), to
verismo as the title roles of the Flying Dutchman and Rigoletto.
 

Robert has been the part of many new collaborations, NY Premieres, and
world premieres including the composers; Lee Hoiby, Gerald Cohen,
Mohammed Fairouz, Victor Herbert, Richard Wargo, M. Zachary Johnson,
Stephanie DeKenessy, Rapheal Lucas, and Seymour Barab.

Robert has recorded the role of Prospero in Lee Hoiby’s Tempest as
well as Father Francis in Lucas Said’s Confession for Albany Records.
He has also won awards for Opera Index, Liederkranz, Metropolitan
Opera National Council, Career Bridges, and the John Moriarty award at
Central City Opera.

Recent performances include the title roles in Rigoletto (Opera San
Jose / Boheme Opera of NJ), The Flying Dutchman ( West Bay Opera )
Britten’s Owen Wingrave (Little Opera Theater of NY), The Barber of
Seville ( Open on the James, Boston Midsummer Opera, Mendocino Music
Fest), and Gianni Schicchi ( Purchase PAC ).

He has also performed with Opera Modesto ( Marcello, La Boheme ),
Opera San Jose ( Angelotti in Tosca and Father Capulet in Romeo Et
Juliette),  American Classical Orchestra (Charon in Handel’s Alceste
and Blondel in Handel’s Richard Coeur de Lion ), South Dakota Symphony
Orchestra (Max and the Captain in Candide), New York City Opera,
Piedmont Opera, & South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (Schaunard, La
Boheme), NY Opera Cooperative (Guglielmo, Cosi fan Tutte) NY Vocal
Productions ( Silvio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci) Utopia Opera (Ford in
Verdi's Falstaff).

Concert work and Oratorios include Carmina Burana (Orff), for
Canterbury Choral Society, soloist in Handel’s Messiah for South
Dakota Symphony Orchestra: Saul (Handel), Historicus in Oratorio di
San Francesco  (Ariani), and Soloist in Sancta Civitas & Dona Nobis
Pacem (Vaughn Williams). Queens Symphony: Narrator in & Haydn's
Creation Mass and soloist in Handel’s Messiah.

This season, Robert will be performing Figaro in Piedmont Opera’s Le
Nozze di Figaro, Scarpia ( Tosca ) and the Count ( Le Nozze di Figaro
) in Opera Modesto, as well as Marcello in Opera on the James’ La
Boheme.  More at www.robertbalonek.com