ORSON VAN GAY II American Operatic Tenor
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​In a show-stopping aria by tenor Orson Van Gay II as the imprisoned Glover—to hip-hop, and from silky romance to jagged protest." — New York Classical Review
Tenor Orson Van Gay II as Laurese Glover, the nominal leader of the East Cleveland Three, was outstanding with sulky and silky grievance, as well as humiliating resignation to his absurd fate. 
— The Millbrook Independent
​Tenor Orson Van Gay II as Laurese Glover soared with shimmering brilliance as he expressed and sustained a visceral emotional intensity in the stratosphere of his voice, earning immediate extended applause." — Front Row Center
​Perhaps the musical and dramatic highlight of the evening was the searing aria sung by tenor Orson Van Gay II — a cry that rises desperately to the heavens from the wrongfully accused character’s soul in the depths of his despair." — Interludes 
​The Hole, in which Van Gay II described repeated periods of solitary confinement in a cramped space with blistering emotion and a searing voice. — Seen and Heard International
​As one of a trio of prisoners known collectively as the East Cleveland Three, Orson Van Gay II’s piercing tenor stood out for its clarity and passion." — Theater Pizzazz

Blind Injustice — Lincoln Center NYC


Alfredo - La Traviata/ Piedmont Opera


Tenor Orson Van Gay, II has a charming warm tone, very even in all registers, with an intense vibrato, well-suited to his role of earnest young lover hoping to woo La Violetta away from her coterie of admirers and imitators.
- Cultural Voice of North Carolina
In Van Gay’s performance, Alfredo’s aria ‘De’ miei bollenti spiriti’ was a potent statement of personal conviction, the zealous lover proclaiming his total immersion. Van Gay was a romantic Alfredo. The vitality of his work was gratifyingly unflappable.
​- Voix de Arts
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Bringing to his performance of Verdi’s music for the lovelorn Alfredo a flickering vibrato reminiscent of Miguel Fleta, tenor Orson Van Gay II sang and acted ardently, his body language in the opening scene of Act One communicating the character’s devotion to Violetta before his first word was sung. Launhcing the celebrated Brindisi, Van Gay voiced ‘Libiamo, libiamo ne’ lieti calici’ ebulliently. His traversal of ‘Un dì, felice, eterea’ was properly amorous...
​-  Voix de Arts

Orson Van Gay displayed a fine heroic tenor for Vitaliano.
- ​San Francisco Classical Voice

Danilo - The Merry Widow/Pocket Opera

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Orson Van Gay II (Danilo’s) voice is clean, clear, beautiful and magnetic, with a wide sound range. It’s just perfect for a playboy who tries to avoid the responsibility of marriage and is only concerned with pleasure-seeking. He is impressive in this role as he makes his debut in the Bay Area.
- Splash Magazine 

Rodolfo - La bohème / Pacific Opera Project

Orson Van Gay II’s top notes were thrilling...
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Gordon Williams, Operawire
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The Young Man - The Last Romance / New Theatre Kansas

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...Van Gay II is one of the finest operatic tenors I have had the pleasure of hearing in very long time. He is a device used to connect scenes and to step seamlessly back into Ralph's imagination.
With a singer as skilled as Van Gay II, the device works wonderfully.

​Alan Portner, Broadway World
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The Central Park Five 

World Premiere by Anthony Davis

​2020 Pulitzer Prize in Music


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​"Forthright and impassioned"

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"Musical excellence, with a strong cast, an orchestra that could cook and viscerally stunning conducting..." 
​LA Times
"Potent, jazz-based style intricately meshed with more classical idioms and the occasional hip-hop riff"
- Wall Street Journal.
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Review: Anthony Davis' opera 'The Central Park Five'...

Since his pioneering first opera, "X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X" in 1985, Anthony Davis has helped give American opera - often and importantly African American opera - a conscience.

​"Balances both [classical and jazz] with seamless ease"
- SF Classical Voice

"Spirited and gut-wrenching"
- Easy Reader News

"A Powerful Work That Shines A Spotlight on An Important Event...“The Central Park Five” was an ensemble piece well-served by its strong cast.”
-Operawire
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​"Knowing the outcome in advance does not detract from the opera's devastating emotional power."
-Musical America
The Central Park Five,’ now an astounding world premiere opera
-People's World



Alfredo - La traviata / Pacific Opera Project

Orson Van Gay was an ardent Alfredo...his sound was fluent and his high notes golden.
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​Maria Nockin, Broadway World
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PC: Martha Benedict

Candide - Candide / Angel Vocal Arts 

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What People are Saying...

My colleague and I really enjoyed Candide! Especially your performance...you really made the show. Your acting ability is equal to your singing, which makes a show like that all the more enjoyable. Thank you for inviting me.

Carolyn R. 
Cultural Events Coordinator
Rio Hondo College
​
It was a tremendous performance!
Not only do you sing beautifully but are a fine actor as well.

​Allan N.
Los Angeles, CA


Voted Best Actor - Christian Film Festival
Voted Best Actor Fan Favorite - Christian Film Festival

Operatic Tenor sings in Mandarin to standing ovation

​Diverse Spring Festival gala applauded in Phoenix

His performance of famous Chinese song "I Love You, China" in Mandarin won big applause from the audience.

​Spring Festival gala attracts Chinese, Americans in Los Angeles

Chinese News USA 
The climax of the show was the performance of American operatic tenor Orson Van Gay II from L.A. Opera.


Nemorino - L'elisir d'amore / Center Stage Opera

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This production, brought to you by Center Stage Opera, is delightful and this company deserves huge praise for bringing us this wonderful reimagining of the original.

Tenor Soloist Debut with Pacific Symphony

An Evening of Music and Charm
His opera training and acting ability moved the entire audience. Orson is a superb talent...

Los Angeles Opera artists perform Lyceum series Sunday in Morgan Auditorium.

​Singers pay ‘electrifying’ tribute to opera!


Ben - Night of the Living Dead / Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center

'Night of the Living Dead' opera arrives in time for Halloween
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

San Francisco Classical Voice
Car Hop: The Industry’s Mobile Opera Hopscotch Takes to the Streets
BY JIM FARBER


Cherubino - ¡Figaro! (90210) / Los Angeles Opera (world premiere)

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Photographed by Ben Gibbs Courtesy of LA Opera
"Cherubino, renamed Li’L B-Man and sung by the very appealing Orson Van Gay II, was an embodiment of with-it hip-hop"
- Opera News
The iconic pants role of Cherubino is completely outdone by Orson Van Gay’s smooth as silk, equally R&B and operatic crooning as the young gangsta rapper Bernard.
By Bryan Dahl, Guest Contributor - Singerpreneur

"Van Gay unleashes a seductively smooth pop voice when Li’l B-Man transforms an ode to Barbara from a sexist rap into a soulful love song."
By Falling James - LA Weekly





Modern-Day Mozart Opera 'Figaro 90210' to World Premiere in LA
Hollywoodreporter.com | By Jordan Riefe
Figaro! (90210); It’s a Hoot … and it Works. By Richard S. Ginell: From Out of the West

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Photographed by Ben Gibbs
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LA Opera's Figaro 90210 - Hilarious and Sublime Modern Masterpiece | Splash Magazines | Los Angeles Figaro 90210 is a hilarious Los Angeles -themed adaptation of The Marriage of Figaro where every inch lives up to Mozart's beautiful score.
- LASPLASH.COM

The performers were so remarkable, guests were mesmerized...the trio's incredible range of voice sent chills up most spines

​- The Desert Sun 


Tenor Orson Van Gay, Celebrity of the Evening

"Mr. Van Gay had high notes of his own in a song from Flotow's Martha. He carried a rose and sang of love and despair, regaling us with the exciting ring (squillo) in the highest notes of his tenor voice...there are moments when Orson brings to mind the great German tenor Fritz Wunderlich (1930-1966)."
-Art Song Update
 Issue #86
http://artsongupdate.org/Issues/Issues.htm

Art Song Recital by Tenor Orson Van Gay II

Ghent United Methodist Church is presenting a concert series of seven Sunday afternoon programs from March 7 through May 16, 2010. Tenor Orson Van Gay, an Old Dominion University senior opened the series with an art song recital with Jason Paul Peterson at the piano. Dr. Peterson is Ghent UMC music director, a full time faculty member at ODU and concertizes around the US and Europe. His doctorate is from Peabody Institute and he is also a Fulbright scholar.

The program notes tell us that Mr. Van Gay, who is originally from Los Angeles, has an interesting background as a television performer. In Tidewater he has been a member of the Virginia Opera Chorus in several productions, winner of state and mid-Atlantic regional NATS competitions and singing co-host for the Miss Virginia Pageant for two years.

In the first half of the recital Mr. Van Gay sang songs by Neapolitan composers Francesco Paolo Tosti (1846-1916), Ruggero Leoncavalo (1857-1919) and Ernesto de Curtis (1875-1937) and a Puccini (1858-1924) aria from La Bohème. With a liquid silver tone in his lyric tenor voice and confident clarity of text he sang Ideale and Non t'amo piu (I no longer love you) by Tosti. There is a compelling urgency in his tone that wins the listener's heart. His spoken introductions were informative and showcased his charisma and rapport with his audience. Leoncavallo Matinatta (Morning) has a happy, up-tempo energy. Though the piano lid was fully open the balance between voice and instrument was just right. This equal partnership continued in the de Curtis Non ti scordar de me (Do not forget me) with a story of a cold, sunless land. The matter-of-fact piano was a perfect foil for the lush vocal that goes for tears.

The familiar Puccini aria from La Bohème, Che gelida manina (What a frozen little hand), was wonderful. Top notes were perfect and the vulnerability and beauty throughout caught us in the thrall of anticipated greatness for this young vocalist as he builds a career.

After intermission Mr. Van Gay sang four Aaron Copland (1900-1990) settings from Old American Songs: Long Time Ago, Simple Gifts, The Little Horses and At the River. Sometimes operatic voices will overwhelm these simple settings but in this performance the text was clear. He cherished the words with a open naturalness and Mr. Peterson's light touch on the piano kept the balance except when the piano played alone, continuing the mood of the text. It all came out just right. The closing song, Dein ist mein ganzes Herz (My heart is yours alone) from the operetta Das Land des Lächelns by Franz Lehár came alive with the over-the-top energy found in operetta. Top notes were perfect and the vulnerability and beauty throughout caught us

The encore was Verdi's La donna è mobile (Rigoletto) with all stops out. Hopefully the audience will grow larger as the Ghent UMC concert series continues. Details are on www.artsongupdate.org.

ODU Vocalists Walk Away With More Awards At Regional NATS Competition

The Old Dominion University Department of Music has much to sing about these days. Two of the eight vocalists who won awards at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Virginia District Spring Conference last month came home with awards at the Mid-Atlantic Regional NATS auditions last weekend in Boone, N.C.

Orson Van Gay II, who not only placed first in the Advanced College Men category but also was named "Best Overall Singer" at the state conference, won first place again in the Advanced College Men category at the regional conference.



 
Copyright © 2024 by Orson Van Gay II. All Rights Reserved. Los Angeles, CA  www.orsonvangay.com
Proud member of SAG-AFTRA, AGMA & AE
  • Home
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