Kevin Deas has gained international renown as one of AmericaÂ’s leading bass-baritones. He is perhaps most acclaimed for his signature portrayal of the title role in Porgy and Bess, having performed it with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and the symphonies of Atlanta, Baltimore, Calgary, Houston, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Montreal, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Utah, and Vancouver, and at the Ravinia, Vail and Saratoga festivals. He repeats the role during the 2014-2015 season with the symphonies of Columbus (OH), Detroit, Florida, and Hartford, as well as in his return to the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica.

 

Kevin DeasÂ’ other engagements during the 2014-15 season include BeethovenÂ’s Symphony No. 9 with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, and Elgin (IL) Symphoies, as well as the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Mexico; Claudius in HandelÂ’s Agrippina in a concert staging and recording with Boston Baroque; a return to the Winter Park Bach Festival for BachÂ’s Mass in B-minor and BrahmsÂ’ Ein deutsches Requiem; BachÂ’s Mass in B-minor with the Louisiana Philharmonic and Vox AmaDeus; Messiah with the National Philharmonic; a concert of the music of Gershwin and Copland with Orchestra Iowa; CoplandÂ’s Old American Songs and a set of spirituals with the Columbus (OH) Symphony; and Christmas concerts with the Acadiana Symphony and Riverside Symphonia. He also joins PostClassical Ensemble of Washington, DC for a concert of Bach cantatas and a series of master classes in WashingtonÂ’s Duke Ellington School for the Arts.

 

Kevin DeasÂ’ recent concert performances include BeethovenÂ’s Symphony No. 9 with Boston Baroque, Calgary Philharmonic, Louisiana Philharmonic, National Arts Centre Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Pacific Symphony, and Richmond Symphony; VerdiÂ’s Requiem with the Richmond Symphony, National Philharmonic, and Winnipeg Symphony; HandelÂ’s Messiah with Boston Baroque, Cleveland Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, National Philharmonic, and Seattle Symphony; MozartÂ’s Requiem with the Alabama Symphony and Vermont Symphony; BachÂ’s St. Matthew Passion with the Grand Rapids Symphony and Oratorio Society of New York; St John Passion with the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Mexico; RavelÂ’s LÂ’enfant et les sortilèges with the New York Philharmonic; and CoplandÂ’s Old American Songs and ElgarÂ’s The Dream of Gerontius with the Chicago Symphony.

 

A strong proponent of contemporary music, Kevin Deas was heard at ItalyÂ’s Spoleto Festival in a new production of Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors in honor of the composer's eighty-fifth birthday, which was videotaped for worldwide release. He has also performed the world premieres of Derek BermelÂ’s The Good Life with the Pittsburgh Symphony and Hannibal LokumbeÂ’s Dear Mrs. Parks with the Detroit Symphony. His twenty-year collaboration with the late jazz legend Dave Brubeck has taken him to Salzburg, Vienna and Moscow in To Hope!, and he performed BrubeckÂ’s Gates of Justice in a gala performance in New York during the 1995-96 season.

 

Kevin Deas has recorded WagnerÂ’s Die Meistersinger for Decca/London with the Chicago Symphony under the late Sir Georg Solti and Varèse's Ecuatorial with the ASKO Ensemble under the baton of Riccardo Chailly. Other releases include Bach's Mass in B-minor and Handel's Acis and Galatea on Vox Classics; Dave Brubeck's To Hope! with the Cathedral Choral Society on the Telarc label; and Haydn's Die Schöpfung with the Virginia Symphony and Boston Baroque for Linn Records. June 2014 marks the release of “Dvorak in America” (Naxos), featuring Mr. Deas performing the world premiere recording of DvorakÂ’s “Hiawatha Melodrama” and DvorakÂ’s arrangement of “GoinÂ’ Home” with the PostClassical Ensemble.