Biography of Kenneth Morris

Veteran tenor, Kenneth Morris, made an exciting Metropolitan Opera debut in 1998, as the Messenger in Aida, conducted by Placido Domingo – and continued on for the next season for a total of 12 performances, along with opera stars such as Richard Margison, Julien Robbins, Robert Lloyd, Sondra Radvanovsky, Fabio Armiliato, Deborah Voigt, Olga Borodina, Sharon Sweet, & Dolora Zajick. In 2001, Mr. Morris re-appeared in this same role with the San Diego Opera.

Ken returns to the Metropolitan Opera for a Sixth Season this Fall in repertoire as Fyodor in War & Peace, from December 10, 2007 through January 3rd, 2008. In his six seasons at the Met, Ken has worked on: Aida (Messenger), and Premiere productions of Doktor Faustus, The Gambler, and Salome. In the 2004/5 season, Ken's repertoire included the role of Heinrich der Schreiber in Tannhäuser. Mr. Morris also returns to the San Diego Opera in 2008 as the Messenger in Aida, reprising his debut in 2001 at that company, and his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1998 in the same role.

Mr. Morris' other debuts included Canio in Pagliacci, (Worcester, MA and Manchester, NH (2003) with the National Lyric Opera.  The Worcester Telegram reviewed his performance saying: “...Canio, portrayed with great power and presence…by Kenneth Morris”; and, also made his debut in 2001 with the Knoxville Opera as Canio in Pagliacci, praised as “outstanding“ from the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

Ken was also praised in performances (‘03/’04) as Pang in Turandot, and as Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor, with the New York City Opera, his 3rd and 4th productions with that company, respectively. His debut was in Ballad of Baby Doe, as Samuel, in 2001.

Also with NYCO, in 2002, Mr. Morris re-created the role of Silas Pompton in The Glass Blowers, a Glimmerglass Opera production, directed by Christopher Alden, as the cigar-smoking, southern-accented sinister ”daddy”. The Newark Star-Ledger called Ken's performance “...adept portrayal of the wicked industrialist [Silas Pompton].”

No stranger to musical theatre, Mr. Morris' early career credits include over 15 regional summer stock productions/tours including, Cabaret (with Joel Grey), Man of La Mancha (with Richard Kiley), Mame, How Now Dow Jones (with Tony Randall), Fiddler on the Roof (with the late Robert Merrill), Camelot (with John Raitt, Hal Holbrook,  and Sally Anne Howes), Funny Girl (as Nick Arnstein); and The Stephen Foster Story in Bardstown, Kentucky.

Ken’s other regional credits include Cavaradossi, in Tosca, Don Jose in Carmen, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana,  Lt. Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Rodolfo in La Boheme and frequent concerts and opera performances in Central Park with Vincent La Selva’s New York Grand Opera.