Chad Shelton

Mr. Shelton is one of the leading interpreters of Herod in Salome, having sung the role previously with the Metropolitan Opera, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Houston Grand Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera. He has sung Erik in Der fliegende Holländer with Santa Fe Opera, Opera Colorado, and Boston Lyric Opera. Previously at the Metropolitan Opera, he has sung Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Father Grenville in Dead Man Walking, Bob Boles in Peter Grimes, Tchekalinsky in Pique Dame, Rodrigo in Otello, Loud Stone in Aucoin’s Eurydice, and the Third Player in Dean’s Hamlet as well as joined the company for its productions of Elektra, Norma, Carmen, La traviata, and Cyrano de Bergerac.

He is a frequent leading presence with Houston Grand Opera and also has joined the company previously for Pollione in Norma, Aegisth in Elektra, Don José in Carmen, Froh in Das Rheingold, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Alfredo in La traviata, Pinkerton in  Madama Butterfly, Father Confessor in Dialogues de Carmélites, Captain Vere in Billy Budd, the Witch of Endor in Saul, Fredrik Egerman in A Little Night Music, Camille in Die lustige Witwe, Janek in The Makropolous Case, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, and Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore. Acclaimed for his performances of contemporary works, he recently triumphed in leading tenor roles in the world premiere of O’Regan’s The Phoenix and Chairman Mao in Adams’ Nixon in China with the company, following his debut of the latter with San Diego Opera. He also created the roles of Nico in Lysistrata and Laurie in Little Women (released on the Ondine label and broadcast on PBS), both by Mark Adamo, Charles II in Floyd’s Prince of Players—also sung with Florentine Opera, as well as Ulises in Catán’s Salsipuedes in addition to singing Arcadio in the latter composer’s Florencia en el Amazonas, all also with Houston Grand Opera.

He has joined the Opéra national de Lorraine numerous times, including for the title role of Idomeneo, Giasone in Cherubini’s Medea, Don José in Carmen, Jack in Barry’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Guido Bardi in Eine florentinische Tragödie, Lechmere in Owen Wingrave, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, and the title role of Candide.

He has also sung Sir Edgar Aubry in Der Vampyr and the Prince in The Love of Three Oranges with Grand Théâtre de Genève, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Théâtre de Caen; Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with Grand Théâtre de Genève, Opera Pacific; further performances of to the title role of Idomeneo with Théâtre de Caen and Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg; Pollione in Norma with North Carolina Opera, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Opéra national de Bordeaux and Lyric Opera Baltimore; Don José in Carmen with Opéra-Théâtre de Metz, Seiji Ozawa Music Academy, Austin Opera, Portland Opera, Utah Opera, Festival Classique at the Hague, Pensacola Opera, and Opera Pacific; and Alfredo in La traviata with Austin Lyric Opera, Arizona Opera, Utah Opera, Nevada Opera, Opera Pacific, Central City Opera, Hyogo Performing Arts Center in Japan, and Pensacola Opera.  He has also joined Central City Opera for a host of other roles including further performances of Laurie in Little Women, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Fernando in Granados’ Goyescas, Cavaradossi in Tosca, and Reverend Paris in The Crucible.

Other career highlights include Pilade in Ermione and further performances of Nico in Lysistrata and Laurie in Little Women with New York City Opera; E. Porter Alexander in the world premiere of Glass’ Appomattox with San Francisco Opera; Hindley in Floyd’s Wuthering Heights with Florentine Opera; Duca in Rigoletto and Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Austin Lyric Opera; Roméo in Roméo et Juliette with Madison Opera; Alfred in Die Fledermaus and Jacquino in Fidelio with Dallas Opera; Leo in Blitzstein’s Regina with Lyric Opera of Chicago and Florida Grand Opera.  He has also sung Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Opera Australia and Portland Opera; Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Opera Colorado; and Ferrando in Così fan tutte with Arizona Opera, Kentucky Opera, and at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center.  His contemporary repertoire also includes further performances of Little Women with Central City Opera, Chautauqua Opera, and Opera Omaha; Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress with the Teatro Municipal de São Paulo and Lyric Opera of Kansas City; Sam in Floyd’s Susannah with Chautauqua Opera; and George in Danielpour’s Margaret Garner with Cincinnati Opera and the Opera Company of Philadelphia. 

Mr. Shelton is equally in demand as a concert soloist and has joined the Minnesota Orchestra for Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Janáček's The Diary of One Who Vanished, as well as the title role in concert performances of Candide.  His performances of Respighi’s Belkis, Queen of Sheba Suite and Argento’s Le tombeau d’Edgar Poe, also with the Minnesota Orchestra, have been released on the Reference label. He has sung Siegel’s Kaddish with the Houston Symphony; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Utah Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, and Colorado Music Festival; Mozart’s Requiem with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Verdi’s Requiem with the Brussels Philharmonic; Handel’s Messiah with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Houston Symphony; and a gala concert of opera favorites with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra.

He is the recipient of a Richard Tucker Foundation Career Grant and the Richard F. Gold Career Grand from the Shoshana Foundation.  He holds a Master of Music degree and Artist diploma from the Yale University School of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from Louisiana State University.