Praised for his “beautiful”, “sweet-voiced” tone, and “superbly acted” portrayals, American tenor Patrick Kilbride is enjoying an international career. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and the University of Maryland Opera Studio, with fellowships from the Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Festival and L'Académie du Festival Aix-en-Provence. In 2015 he was the winner of the 24th International Concours de Chant in Clermont-Ferrand, France, leading to his European debut at the Opéra de Rennes, Opéra Théâtre Clermont-Ferrand, Festival de la Chaise-Dieu, and Opéra Grand Avignon as Damon in Handel’s Acis and Galatea with Damien Guillon and Le Banquet Céleste. In 2017 Patrick debuted with Festival Aix at the Opéra Royal de Versailles, Théâtre Gérard Philipe Saint-Denis and Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg, in Cavalli’s Erismena with Leonardo García Alarcón and Cappella Mediterranea. In 2018 he made his debut in the United Kingdom in Snape Maltings Concert Hall with the Britten-Pears Aldeburgh Festival in Handel’s Theodora with Christian Curnyn and Sarah Connolly. Patrick has twice sung in Austria upon invitation from the Pietro Antonio Cesti International Competition for Baroque Opera with the Innsbruck Festwochen der Alten Musik. He made his professional debut in the United States in 2015 with the Boston Early Music Festival in Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria with Stephen Stubbs and Paul O’Dette, and has since performed as a soloist in concert, oratorio and opera throughout the United States.

 

Currently based in Washington D.C., Patrick has performed extensively with Opera Lafayette, debuting as a soloist at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in productions of Blow’s Venus and Adonis, Stradella’s La Susanna, Jommelli’s Cerere Placata and Monteverdi’s Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda. Patrick has made additional soloist appearances at New York City’s Lincoln Center, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Seiji Ozawa Concert Hall. Recent notable engagements include soloist appearances at the Washington National Cathedral, recording his first professional disc as a featured soloist with the Washington Bach Consort and Acis Productions, appearances with the Grammy Award Winning ensemble Seraphic Fire, the New World Symphony and Pergolesi’s La Servante Maîtresse with Opera Lafayette at the Kennedy Center and Museo del Barrio. 2023 saw Patrick’s debut with Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg, France in a new production of Monteverdi’s L'incoronazione di Poppea with Ensemble Pygmalion, conducted by Raphaël Pichon and directed by Evgeny Titov.   Future engagements include appearances with the Fort Worth Symphony, and in productions of Rameau’s Io and De la Garde’s Léandre et Héro with Opera Lafayette at the Kennedy Center and Museo del Barrio in New York City.

 

Prior to winning the International Concours de Chant with the Centre-Lyrique in Clermont-Ferrand, France, he was the 2015 recipient of the Marillyn Zacharis Fellowship from the Tanglewood Music Center, the 2014 recipient of the Pomeroy Prize from the University of Maryland for his work in 17th and 18th century repertoire, a three-time recipient of the  Newman Family Foundation Fellowship from the Aspen Music Festival, a Victor Rice Opera Assistantship recipient from the University of Maryland, a Helen Heim Nichols Endowed Fellowship recipient from Northwestern University, a recipient of the Billy Misik Memorial Scholarship for Vocal and Dramatic Art, and a 2007 National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts YoungARTS finalist and winner in classical voice. He is an Assistant Lecturer for the University of Maryland Opera Studio and a member of the American Guild for Musical Artists.