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Harwood-Management

One of the most exciting young artists on today's American opera scene, Kyle Erdos Knapp is rapidly becoming known as a riveting, virtuosic performer, hailed for his dynamism, intelligent musicianship, irreverent and energetic stage presence, and "shiny, sizable tenor" (Opera News).

Though he is particularly at home in the florid lyric tenor roles of Mozart, Handel, and the bel canto composers, Kyle's versatility allows for a resume that ranges from the psychological complexity of Britten to the comic baritone roles of Gilbert and Sullivan, from the under-performed masterpieces of early opera to world premieres of new works, and from romantic leading men to comic and character roles. He moves between the disciplines of opera, operetta, chamber music, musical theater, dance, contemporary and experimental music, straight theater, and popular music with ease and boundless enthusiasm.

Kyle actively pursues a special passion for early music, having performed extensively with Grammy-winning lutenist Paul O'Dette, including the title role of Lully's Thésée and Testo in Monteverdi's Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda. An actor of remarkable psychological and emotional depth, Kyle's performances in both comic and serious opera are consistently noted not only for their vocal prowess, but also for the sensitivity and believability of their portrayals. He is "an exceptional dancer" (Cool Cleveland), and he brings deft physicality and nimble movement skills to every performance. A frequent and enthusiastic performer of oratorio, Kyle has also built an extensive concert repertoire, having performed leading roles in concert works by Mozart, Bach, Kodály, Monteverdi, Britten, Mendelssohn, and many others.

Having received his formal vocal training at the Eastman School of Music (B.Mus '08) under Karen Holvik and the University of Michigan (M.Mus '11) under Freda Herseth, Kyle has extensive experience on the professional stage. He took part in the inaugural season of the Wolf Trap Opera Studio in 2007 before going on to play ten leading roles over three seasons with the Ohio Light Opera. In the summer of 2011, Kyle joins the companies of both the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, where he will cover the role of Tonio in Donizetti's La fille du régiment, and the Crested Butte Music Festival, where he will perform the roles of Tebaldo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Remendado in Carmen.

Kyle is a winner of the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions (Michigan District) and the University of Michigan Concerto Competition (singing Britten's Les Illuminations de Rimbaud). He has sung under the batons of Kenneth Kiesler, Martin Katz, Stephen Lord, Michael Borowitz, Benton Hess, Steven Byess, and many others. Among the directors he has worked with are Joshua Major, Steven Daigle, Ted Christopher, and Robin Guarino. He can be heard in leading roles on the Albany Records label on recordings of Sousa's El Capitan and Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience and The Mikado.

Outside of his performing, Kyle is an avid writer of both fiction and non-fiction, including essays and reviews on film and both classical and popular music, and is a follower and seeker-out of independent and underground music and film. He has written several of his own compositions in the genres of art song, popular, choral, and instrumental music. An accomplished pianist, Kyle also moonlights as an accompanist for other singers and instrumentalists.