Branch Fields

Singing telegrams: Mr. Fields will perform a cappella, dressed in a tuxedo. - $100

Concerts: Branch will perform in recital or in concert anywhere in the world. Must provide travel expenses and lodging during rehearsals and/or the night of the performance. Branch is in the bass and bass-baritone classification of vocal range, with a large repertoire of musical works and songs from which to program a concert. Branch will perform at the highest standards of professionalism, ability, and talent. -fees to be discussed upon inquiry.

Branch Fields, whom Opera America describes as "a bass of resonant richness," and The New York Times declared to be "a gifted young bass," has sung with Santa Fe Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Carolina, Michigan Opera Theatre, Utah Symphony/Utah Opera, Opera San Jose, and many other regional companies throughout the U.S. He made his debut at New York City Opera in 2005 as the 5th servant in CAPRICCIO, remaining on their roster for the next 5 seasons. As a house bass there, he sang Zuniga in CARMEN, Angelotti in TOSCA, Major Domo in VANESSA, and Gravedigger in ESTHER. Branch covered roles in productions of IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, LA BOHME, TURANDOT, MADAME BUTTERFLY, CAPRICCIO, ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA and LYSISTRATA. In concert, Branch has performed with the Munich Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, and most recently with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.

“[As] the fugitive Angelotti...Branch Fields vividly conveyed the desperation of the fleeing convict.” (Vivien Schweitzer, NYTimes 3/24/2008)

In 2008, Branch joined the cast of SOUTH PACIFIC on Broadway, understudying the role of Emile de Becque in this Lincoln Center Theater production, which won 7 Tony Awards. It marked Mr. Fields’ Broadway debut, sharing the stage with Matthew Morrison, Kelli O’Hara and Skipp Sudduth. Branch recently reprised Emile for Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater.

Mr. Fields was busy in 2011, performing Pistola in FALSTAFF with Utah Symphony/Utah Opera, Varlaam in BORIS GODUNOV with UFOMT, Don Basilio in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA with Opera on the James, and Colline in LA BOHME with DiCapo Opera Theater. Mr. Fields has portrayed Auguste Colline in 10 productions of LA BOHME throughout his career. Other recent performances include Raimondo in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, Alidoro in CENERENTOLA, Marco in A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, Simone in GIANNI SCHICCHI, Commendatore in DON GIOVANNI, Samuel in PIRATES OF PENZANCE, and Hosie “Roach” McClendon in COLD SASSY TREE. He has performed Un Moine in DON CARLO, The Foreman in Tod Machover's RESURRECTION, and Gremin in EVGENY ONEGIN.

“Fields sang with such warmth, passion and tenderness, that it was perfectly clear how Pocahontas could have fallen in love with him; every woman in the packed house was swooning.” (M.D. Ridge, Portfolio Weekly 5/30/07)

A former nationally ranked swimmer, with an athletic physique and leading man looks, several contemporary composers have written bass romantic lead roles for Mr. Fields. He workshopped and performed Joe Coogan in the jazzy opera THE LIFE AND LOVE OF JOE COOGAN, composed by Paul Salerni, based on the episode of Carl Reinert’s 1950‘s television series, The Dick Van Dyke Show. Mr. Fields was the jealous husband Frederick Goldentrill in a new version of Mozart’s THE IMPRESARIO by playwright David Richmond and Wendy Taucher at YardArts! on Martha’s Vineyard. The role of the love struck romantic parrot Sam in ANIMAL TALES, workshopped and performed through Family Opera Initiative in several venues, was written to showcase Branch’s lower range. And he recently toured in Minnesota with Duluth Festival Opera, reprising another role written for him, John Rolfe, in the new musical drama POCAHONTAS, which premiered in 2007 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown.

Mr. Fields is a Virginian, from Williamsburg, whose aspirations for a singing career were born at Virginia Tech while doing undergraduate work in chemistry. While there, he made his debut at Opera Roanoke, where he sang in the chorus, and later performed principal roles while earning a Master of Music degree at Indiana University. At Indiana, Branch was an honored recipient of the Cole and Kate Porter Memorial Scholarship, studying voice with the great Metropolitan Opera bass, Giorgio Tozzi. He was a member of The Singing Hoosiers, through which he garnered the attention of the late Maestro Erich Kunzel during their concerts and recordings with the Cincinnati Pops. He can be heard on the Cincinnati Pop’s album Puttin’ On the Ritz (TELARC). Branch was later granted a coveted spot at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, a full scholarship institution, where he studied with Met baritone Louis Quilico, and participated in summer opera programs in Chiari, Lucca, and Rome, Italy. In New York City, he was placed in the studio of bass specialist Armen Boyajian, voice teacher of Samuel Ramey and Paul Plishka, during which time Branch won 1st prize in the Saritelli-DiPanni Bel Canto Competition, 2nd in the NJAPA Vocal Competition, and was a prize winner in the Liederkranz Foundation Competition.