Charles Mays, Jr.

Bass-baritone

New England Finalist, 2004

Charles Mays, Jr., Bass-Baritone is a doctoral candidate in voice performance at the University of Hartford, where he studies with Neil Rosenshein. He has done graduate work at the Manhattan School of Music, after graduating with a B.A. in Performance from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His teachers have included Jon Humphrey, Irene Gubrud, and Monica Spencer.

Mr. Mays has been seen on the opera stage in roles such as Colline in La Bohème, Caronte in Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, and Mephistophiles in Faust. He is presently working on the roles of Leporello and Il Commendatore from Don Giovanni for performance with Hartt Opera at the University of Hartford. In addition, Charles boasts orchestral and oratorio credits such as the title role in Elijah, the baritone soloist in Faure's Requiem, the bass soloist in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and his Choral Fantasy, Mozart's Requiem and Vespers, many Bach cantatas, and in the role of Pilatus in his Johannespassion.

This summer, Charles is priviledged to be invited again to the Marlboro Music Festival. He has, in previous summers, attended the Aspen Opera Theater Center, and has been a featured soloist with the New England Bach Festival. Although currently living in Hartford, he is originally from Washington, D.C., where he returns to give recitals and talks to elementary students on the historic power of song in the Black community.

Return to List of Finalists