Darren Keith Woods
Encyclopedia
Darren Keith Woods is an American opera director and opera
tic tenor
. A graduate of the Moores School of Music
at the University of Houston
, he began his career as an opera singer in 1982, making his professional debut at the Santa Fe Opera
(SFO) as Don Curzio in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
's Le nozze di Figaro. He spent most of his singing career portraying comprimario
roles with opera companies throughout North America. Some of his performance credits include appearances with the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
, the Connecticut Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Opera
, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and the Seattle Opera
among others. He was a frequent performer at the SFO during the 1980s and 1990s.
Towards the end of his singing career, Woods became the Artistic Director of both the Shreveport Opera
and the Seagle Music Colony in upstate New York. He retired from the stage in 2001, at which time he left his post in Shreveport to assume the position of Artistic Director of the Fort Worth Opera
. He also currently serves on the board of directors of OPERA America
.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
. A graduate of the Moores School of Music
Moores School of Music
The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music is the music school of the University of Houston. The Moores School offers the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts in Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in music performance, conducting, theory and composition, music history...
at the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
, he began his career as an opera singer in 1982, making his professional debut at the Santa Fe Opera
Santa Fe Opera
The Santa Fe Opera is an American opera company, located north of Santa Fe in the U.S. state of New Mexico, headquartered on a former guest ranch of .-General history:...
(SFO) as Don Curzio in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's Le nozze di Figaro. He spent most of his singing career portraying comprimario
Comprimario
A Comprimario is a supporting role in an opera. Derived from the Italian "con primario", or "with the primary", the term refers to a performer who sings small role pieces....
roles with opera companies throughout North America. Some of his performance credits include appearances with the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is a summer opera festival held in St. Louis, Missouri. Typically four operas, all sung in English, are presented each season, which runs from late May to late June. Performances are accompanied by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, which is divided into two...
, the Connecticut Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Opera
Glimmerglass Opera
Glimmerglass Festival is an opera company which was founded in 1975 by Peter Macris and presents an annual season of operas at the Alice Busch Opera Theater on Otsego Lake eight miles north of Cooperstown, New York, United States.The summer-only season usually consists of four operas performed in...
, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and the Seattle Opera
Seattle Opera
The Seattle Opera is an opera company located in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1963 by Glynn Ross, who served as the company's first general director through 1983, Seattle Opera's season runs from August to late May, with five or six operas offered and with eight to ten performances each, often...
among others. He was a frequent performer at the SFO during the 1980s and 1990s.
Towards the end of his singing career, Woods became the Artistic Director of both the Shreveport Opera
Shreveport Opera
-External links:*...
and the Seagle Music Colony in upstate New York. He retired from the stage in 2001, at which time he left his post in Shreveport to assume the position of Artistic Director of the Fort Worth Opera
Fort Worth Opera
According to the company, Fort Worth Opera is the oldest, continually performing opera company in the state of Texas and among the oldest in the United States. While originally presenting operas one at a time over a fall/winter season, it changed to a "festival" format in 2007...
. He also currently serves on the board of directors of OPERA America
Opera America
Opera America, officially OPERA America, is a service organization in North America promoting the creation, presentation, and enjoyment of opera...
.