Bio
Praised for his “technically flawless performance” by Opera News, American baritone Troy Cook made his Royal Opera, Covent Garden debut as Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte, and made his role debut as Ford in Hamburgische Staatsoper’s Falstaff following his debut with the company as Marcello in La bohème.
Mr. Cook’s 2019-2020 season begins with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra as he joins them for a night of arias and ensembles to open their concert season. He then travels to Oregon to make his house debut with Portland Opera as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, followed by another house debut with Teatro San Carlo Napoli as “Watty” Watkins in Gershwin & Gershwin’s Lady Be Good. He also returns to the Lyric Opera of Kansas City as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, and brings his Father Palmer, the role he created in the acclaimed American opera Silent Night, to Utah Opera, where he will also be seen as Athanaël in Thaïs.
Troy began his 2018-2019 season singing Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with Opera Philadelphia and returned there in the spring to sing Marcello in La bohème. He also appeared with Minnesota Opera and Austin Opera to reprise the role of Father Palmer in Silent Night, and appeared with the Tucson Symphony for Handel’s Messiah. He finished the season with Central City Opera as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly. He also appeared in recital with the Tuesday Musical Club.
In the 2017-2018 season Mr. Cook created the role of John Cree in the world premiere of Elizabeth Cree with Opera Philadelphia. He also bowed as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with Florida Grand Opera, Rodrigo in Don Carlo with Washington National Opera, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Syracuse Opera, Marcello in La bohème with Syracuse Opera, and Falke in Die Fledermaus with Utah Opera and Des Moines Metro Opera. In concert he appeared with the Charlotte Symphony and Memphis Symphony for Handel’s Messiah.
Mr. Cook began the 2016-2017 season in performances with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City as Peter in Hansel und Gretel, and Atlanta Opera to reprise the role of Father Palmer in Silent Night. He debuted the San Diego Opera as Ford in Falstaff, sang the title role in Eugene Onegin with Syracuse Opera, and made a debut with Washington National Opera as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly. He also appeared with the Portland Symphony for Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem and with the Phoenix Symphony for Handel’s Messiah. During the summer of 2017, he returned to Des Moines Metro Opera, singing Frederick in A Little Night Music, and joined the Hong Kong Philharmonic as the baritone soloist for the Carmina Burana.
In the 2015-2016 season, Mr. Cook performed the role of Jupiter in Virginia Opera’s production of Orpheus in the Underworld, followed by debuts with the Dallas Opera as de Bretigny in Manon, Austin Opera as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and the Macau Festival as Valentin in Faust. On the concert stage, he sang Messiah with the Pacific Symphony and the Indianapolis Symphony. He spent the summer with Des Moines Metro Opera for their 2016 Summer Festival, singing de Bretigny in Manon and Young Galileo in Galileo Galilei.
The 2014-2015 season brought important role debuts for the baritone, including Germont in La Traviata with Central City Opera and a critically acclaimed Rodrigo in Don Carlo with Opera Philadelphia. He appeared in Lady Be Good at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, made his company debut with Utah Opera as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, and returned to the role of the Marquis de la Force in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites with both the Portland and Winston-Salem Symphonies. Additionally, he debuted with the San Francisco Symphony for Handel’s Messiah, and appeared in concert with both the Portland Symphony and AZ Music Fest.
The 2013-2014 season brought performances as Paolo in Simon Boccanegra with Kentucky Opera, Riccardo in Boston Lyric Opera’s I puritani, Marcello in La bohème with Pittsburgh Opera and North Carolina Opera, and the Marquis de la Force in Dialogues des Carmélites with Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Mr. Cook also appeared in concert with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and Winston Salem Symphony. He closed the season as Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music with Central City Opera.
During the 2012-2013 season, Troy Cook appeared as Marcello in La bohème and Father Palmer in Silent Night with Opera Philadelphia, in Handel’s Messiah with the Boise Philharmonic, and Lord Cecil in Maria Stuarda with Washington Concert Opera. He concluded the season with a debut as Silvio in Pagliacci with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and in a return to Central City Opera as Gaylord Ravenal in Show Boat.
Previous highlights include creating the role of Father Palmer in the world premiere of Silent Night with Minnesota Opera; Marcello in La bohèeme with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Florida Grand Opera, Berkshire Opera, Semperoper Dresden, and Opera Philadelphia; Lescaut in Manon Lescaut with Opera Philadelphia; the Count in Le nozze di Figaro with Lyric Opera of Kansas City; Escamillo in Carmen with the Green Mountain Opera Festival; Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Opera Philadelphia and Berkshire Opera; Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with Las Palmas Opera and Lyric Opera of Kansas City; Guglielmo in Così fan tutte with Santa Fe Opera and Toledo Opera; Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles with Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Opera Carolina; Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Omaha, San Francisco Opera and Fort Worth Opera; Mr. Flint in Billy Budd with San Francisco Opera; Albert in Werther with Kentucky Opera; and Giacomo in Beatrix Cenci with Grand Théâtre de Genève. He has also appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, Opera Bilbao, Opera Pacific, and La Monnaie, Brussels.
Equally in demand on the concert stage, Mr. Cook has appeared with the Pacific Symphony, Arizona Musicfest, Portland Symphony Orchestra, the Winstom-Salem Symphony, the American Ballet Theater, the LA Philharmonic, San Antonio Symphony, and the Marilyn Horne Foundation.