Talent Overview

About Dr. Payne:

From singing to acting, speaking and all of the above, Dr. Todd Payne is your man!

Biography:

A native of Memphis Tennessee, and a new Assistant Professor of Voice at Missouri State University, Dramatic Baritone Richard Todd Payne's voice has been described as "Magnificent", "Impassioned", and "Stentorian". He is sought after nationally for his commanding presence and ringing tones in both Opera and Oratorio. Dr. Payne was last heard as the guest soloist at the State Republican Convention recently held in Springfield. In May 2004 he appeared as soloist for Springfield's Cancer Relay for Life luminary ceremony, and in Carmina Burana at The President's Concert. In April 2004 Dr. Payne inaugurated Founder's Park Brown Bag Lunch Concert Series which was televised on Springfield's T.V.-23. In February of 2004, Dr. Payne was a guest soloist with the Springfield Symphony where he received rave reviews. In December of 2003 Dr. Payne portrayed the role of Balthasar in Amahl in the Night Visitors, with Springfield Regional Opera; whom he debuted with October2003 as Alidoro in Rossini's La Cenerentola. Beginning Fall of 2004, Dr. Payne will serve as a Board Member of the Springfield Regional Opera.
In November 2003, Dr. Payne was contacted by the associates of Grammy-Award Recording Artist Lyle Lovett, to put together a choir to sing back up for him on his concert at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.
His professional credits include performances with Opera Memphis, Indianapolis Opera, Illinois Opera Theater, Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre St. Louis, Chicago Opera Theatre, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, Danville Symphony, Eastern Illinois Symphony, Rockford Symphony, and the Memphis Symphony. He has performed the title roles in Tartuffe, Gianni Schicchi, Rigoletto and The Marriage of Figaro. Other roles include Ned in Treemonisha, Dr. Bartolo in The Barber of Seville, Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola, Don Pippo in L'Oca del Cairo, Escamillo in Carmen, Marcello in La Boheme and many others. He debuted the role of "Daddy King" in the Illinois premier of a dramatic oratorio entitled Make it Plain: The Life of Martin Luther King Sr.
Music Critic John Frayne of the News Gazette Newspaper, wrote the following statements after hearing Dr. Payne as a soloist with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony:
"If there was one voice on stage that did not need amplification, it was that of Todd Payne. I have admired his ringing baritone voice in many Illinois Opera Theatre productions. He sang splendidly and got the most enthusiastic response of any soloist during the evening for his impassioned delivery of the song entitled 'Soliloquy' from the musical Carousel."
During the summer of 2001 Dr. Payne participated in Santa Fe Opera's Apprentice Program where he performed in Lucia di Lammermoor, Falstaff, The Egyptian Helen, and Wozzeck. In January 1999, Dr. Payne was the featured soloist at the inauguration of newly elected Illinois governor George Ryan, and later made his European debut in Eisendstadt, Austria as the bass soloist in Haydn's Die Jahareszeiten and Beethoven's Mass in C. In the summers of 1994 and 1995, Dr. Payne was chosen among 50 young artists world-wide to participate in the Israel Summer Vocal Arts Institute held in Tel Aviv. There he studied with Metropolitan Opera veterans Sherrill Milnes, Joan Dornemann, and Louis Quilico while also performing in numerous productions.
Dr. Payne received his Doctorate and Master's Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, and holds a Bachelor's degree in music from Memphis State University. He is the founder of the Dr. Richard Todd Payne "SUPERSTAR" Scholarship Fund.
He serves on the Springfield Regional Opera's Board of Directors, Missouri Arts Council, African-American Heritage Committee, African-American Studies Program Committee, Advisor to Missouri State's Gospel Choir and a Christian Organization called I.M.P.A.C.T.,
While living in Champaign, Illinois Dr. Payne served as a mentor to young males through a mentoring program entitled "T.A.L.K.S." Mentoring. (Transferring a Little Knowledge Systematically). He hopes to continue his love of mentoring to youth here in the Springfield community.
The key to his success is first and foremost, his Strong Faith in God and the profound belief: IF YOUR MIND CONCEIVES IT, YOUR HEART BELIEVES IT, YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT!

Recent Performances include...
Bass Soloist: Beethoven Missa Solemnis in D 05/08 Springfield, Missouri
Missouri State University President’s Concert,
Orchestra and Choruses

Faculty Recital, 02/08 Springfield, Missouri
Entitled: “What a Wonderful World”
Works by Handel, Schubert, Mozart, Murray, Burleigh, Marsalis, Young,
Cole, & Armstrong

Rockford Lutheran Chorale/Orchestra 11/07 Rockford, Illinois
Bass Soloist in Handel’s Messiah

Soloist: Riverside Community Church 11/07 Rockford, Illinois

Springfield Regional Opera Madam Butterfly 10/07 Springfield, Missouri
Portrayed the role of Bonze, Received a favorable review by
Larry Collins of the News-Leader: “Richard Todd Payne makes
quite an impression in his brief scene as the angry Bonze, the
religious leader outraged by his niece’s renunciation of her faith
for Western Christianity.”

Soloist: Missionary Baptist State Convention 10//07 Springfield, Missouri
Banquet Held at Missouri State University
Plaster Student Union

Soloist “Mahler Symphony 8 in E-flat Major 05/07 Springfield, Missouri
Missouri State University President’s Concert
University Orchestra & Chorus

Lecture Recital: Unitarian Universalist Church 02/07 Springfield, Missouri
“My Journey; How Gospel Music and Spirituals
Have Influenced My Life”

Faculty Recital: Ellis Recital Hall 02/07 Springfield, Missouri
Part of African-American Heritage Month
Entitled “This Little Light of Mine”Guest Soloist,
Dione Bennett The Missouri State University Gospel Choir.
Televised on KOLR 10 Television

Messiah Project Amahl & the Night Visitors 12/06 Springfield, Missouri

Lecture(s)
Lecture: “Freedom’s Pursuit; Negro Spiritual, Emancipation 11/05
Proclamation, I Have a Dream.”
Missouri State University Meyer Library’s Brown-Bag Lecture
Series regarding the Display of Abraham Lincoln’s Journey to the
Emancipation Proclamation

More Information:

Gig Salad Address: GigSalad.com/dr_payne

Dr. Payne is categorized as Classical Singer as well as Gospel Singer, Motivational Speaker, Narrator, Opera Singer, Singer/Songwriter, Storyteller, and Voiceover Artist in Springfield, Missouri. Dr. Payne is available for hire within the Springfield, Missouri area and beyond based on the travel range specified above.

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