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Opera
The opera career of Tenor Jeffrey Ballard
began in 1986 while he was in
graduate study at
West Georgia College |
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"Earl Tolloler"
Iolanthe (Scenes)
Southeastern Savoyards
Atlanta
1987 |
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(now University of West Georgia). During
this time, he
made his professional operatic debut as a leading tenor in several
productions with the Southeastern Savoyards Opera Company (now the
Atlanta
Lyric Theatre)
in downtown Atlanta. This first role was of
"Cyril" in Gilbert and Sullivan's Princess Ida, followed in
1987 by his first performance of "Nanki-Poo" in Gilbert and
Sullivan's The Mikado. Jeff was also one of the "Trio" (along
with Rue Knapp, one of the founders of the Company) in scenes
performed from Iolanthe,
by Gilbert and Sullivan, in 1987.
"Nanki-Poo"
The Mikado
Southeastern Savoyards
Atlanta
1987 |
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"Cyril"
Princess
Ida
Southeastern Savoyards
Atlanta
1986 |
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Jeff's
doctoral studies at
the University of Southern
Mississippi spanned the years from 1988 to 1993. During this
time, he studied under the guidance of national
award-winning opera director,
David
Holley (now Director of Opera Theatre at the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro),
and Jeff appeared as leading tenor in nearly all the
operas staged with the
USM Opera Company, including the following:
"The Impresario" in The Impresario, "Monostatos"
in The Magic Flute, "Prince Charming" in
Cendrillon, "Basilio"/"Don Curzio" in
The Marriage of Figaro, and "Fenton"
in The Merry Wives of Windsor. |
"Gherardo"
(center) in
Gianni Schicchi
Opera in the Ozarks, 1989 |
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"Schmidt" (left) in
Werther
Opera in
the Ozarks, 1989 |
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He also performed many principal tenor roles
during this time in the summers with Opera in the
Ozarks of Arkansas, including the following: "Gherardo" in
Gianni Schicchi,
"Schmidt" in a French
performance of Werther,
"Monostatos"
in The Magic Flute,
"Todd
Wilkins" in The Village Singer, "El
Remendado" in a French performance of
Carmen, "L'Aumonier" in Dialogues of
the Carmelites, and "The Witch" in
Hansel and Gretel. |
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"Monostatos"
(center)
The Magic Flute
Opera in the Ozarks, 1989 |
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"The
Witch"
Hansel and
Gretel
Opera in the Ozarks, 1990 |
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Frederic (center), Pirates of
Penzance
Southern Light Opera, c. 1991 |
In 1990 and 1991, Jeff performed with the
Southern Light Opera of Mississippi in the roles
of "Frederic" in Pirates of Penzance and
"Ralph Rackstraw" in
H.M.S. Pinafore.
In 1993, he took the role of "Monostatos" again
with the Chattanooga Opera Company (now
Chattanooga Symphony
and Opera) in Tennessee.
He has traveled to Italy twice with two
international opera festivals. In 1994, he took
the role of "Don Ottavio" in an Italian
performance of
Don Giovanni with the
Rome Festival,
and in 1996, he traveled with
Operafestival di Roma, to perform
"Basilio"/"Don Curzio" in an Italian performance
of The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze de
Figaro).
During this festival, he also served as vocal
coach/accompanist on faculty in 1996.
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"Don
Ottavio" in Don Giovanni
Rome Festival, 1994 |
In 1996, while at Western Oregon University,
Jeff appeared as "El Remendado" in Carmen
with the
Eugene Opera of Oregon.
Jeff
again performed "Nanki-Poo" in The
Mikado in 1997 with the Willamette Opera
Theatre in Oregon.
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| Director,
Hansel
and Gretel, Ball State
University, 1999 |
With the Muncie-Anderson Opera in 1998, he
played
"Goro" in
Puccini's Madama Butterfly, and while at
Ball State University, he took the role of
"Nanki-Poo" in
The Mikado with the Ball State University
Opera Theatre and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra
in 2001.
As the
Director of Opera at Ball State University
from 1997-1999, Dr. Ballard directed and
produced
Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, with
two complete performances (double cast),
Mozart's The Impresario, and
Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury. |
Recently, Jeff appeared in the tenor role of
"Pirelli" in the Muncie Civic Theatre's
production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in October, 2005.
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"Pirelli" in Sweeney Todd
Muncie Civic Theatre, 2005 |
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© 2007 Ballard Music
Studio. All Rights Reserved. |
