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Rick Piersall, baritone
Rick Piersall is Director of Opera and Associate Professor of Voice at Abilene Christian University. Rick is a co-founder of the South Dakota Vocal Arts Festival and has directed operas at Stephen F. Austin State University, Houston Baptist University, and the University of South Dakota. He has appeared in leading roles with the Utah Lyric Opera, Center for Contemporary Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Longleaf Opera, El Paso Opera, Opera at Lehigh, Opera Fort Collins, Opera Iowa, Opera North, Amarillo Opera and the Abilene Opera Association. Among his roles are Mozart's Figaro, Reverend Olin Blitch in Susannah, the title character in The Boor by Argento, Don Fernando in Beethoven's Fidelio, and Tony in the musical The Most Happy Fella. He has been regularly heard on the concert stage as well, most recently in performances of Penderecki’s Credo with the Houston Symphony, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Columbia chorale, Bach’s Saint John Passion (Jesus) with the Houston Bach Society and as Baritone soloist in the San Antonio Symphony’s Faure's Requiem. Rick recently opened the recital season of Associazione Amici dell'Opera Lirica Ester Mazzoleni in Palermo, Italy. Dr. Piersall has been heard in performances with the Houston Chamber Choir, Rice University Opera, Opera in The Heights, and the Classical Chorus of Abilene. Reviewers have referred to Dr. Piersall’s voice as “beautiful,” “reminiscent of Fischer-Dieskau,” “touchingly expressive;” and his acting performances as “comic genius,” “sympathetic,” and “Poignant.” In addition to his singing and teaching career, Rick has extensive voice-over credits; he has voiced English language Anime characters from series like Saint Seiya, Area 88, Goeman, and Hello Kitty. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1542821/