Richard Kosowski

Style: Opera; Classical; Musical Theatre

Title: Professor of Music, Director of Graduate Studies

Bio:

Tenor Richard Kosowski maintains an active career as a soloist, chorister, conductor, director and educator. His performance career includes a varied repertoire encompassing over 50 opera and oratorio roles, representing music from the early 17th century to the 21st century. He is an active song recitalist, and as a professional chorister he has sung across North America, Europe, and Asia. He is currently a professional chorister in Atlanta-based Coro Vocati, where he serves as tenor section leader, vocal pedagogue and foreign language diction specialist.

Currently the Director of Graduate Studies, Kosowski joined the faculty of the Townsend School of Music in 2007. He is the music director for Mercer University Youth Choirs, overseeing 50 choristers (aged 7 – 17) participating in a multi-tiered extra-curricular choral program. With Mercer University Opera, Kosowski serves as both music and stage director, and has served as conductor for Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe and The Gondoliers, Mozart’s Così fan tutte and The Magic Flute, Handel's Alcina, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and Loesser's Guys and Dolls. He currently serves as the director of music at Riverside United Methodist Church, in Macon. Kosowski began his career as an elementary music specialist with Atlanta (GA) Public Schools, seeing on average 840 students per week. For six seasons he has been a member of the performing faculty of the Berkshire Choral International in Sheffield, Massachusetts and in Baltimore, Los Angeles, Asheville, and Prague, Czech Republic. He has maintained private voice studios in Atlanta, Miami, and Houston.

As a solo performer, Kosowski appeared in the New York City premieres of Stephen Paulus' operas Summer (Reverend Miles/Nettleton Man) and The Postman Always Rings Twice (Nick Papadakis) with The Center for Contemporary Opera. Other New York City debuts include Idomeneo at Avery Fischer Hall as the Gran Sacerdote and Tonio in La fille du régiment with the New York City Opera National Company. Concert performances include Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) and the Fisherman (William Tell). Kosowski's operatic roles include Count Almaviva, Tamino, Des Grieux, Fenton and Don Octave. His operetta roles include Sid el-Kar, Detlef, Captain Dick, Eisenstein and the G&S roles of Frederick, Nanki Poo, Ralph, Luis, and Lord Tolloler.

Kosowski's oratorio credits include Bach's Johannes-Passion (Evangelist and soloist), Mass in B minor, Magnificat, and Kaffe-Kantate, Britten's St. Nicolas (both staged and in concert) and Rejoice in the Lamb, Haydn's Creation, Handel's Messiah and Chandos Anthem 8 - O, Come Let Us Sing Unto the Lord, Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle and Brubeck's La Fiesta de la Posada (performed with the Dave Brubeck Quartet).

In his performance of Orphée in Charpentier’s La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers, ArtsHouston wrote: “Typical of the French Baroque, the haute contre is not falsetto but high tenor requiring complete vocal control. Richard Kosowski sang exceedingly well with a sweet and floated tone accompanied by an unusual ensemble of three viols. It is no wonder that Hell’s ombres beg him to sing to them again.”

Kosowski appeared with the Houston Ballet in their gala performance of Carmina burana at the Wortham Center. With the University of Houston Moores Opera Center, Kosowski has sung Corgliano’s Ghosts of Versailles (Begéarss), Rossini’s Il turco in Italia (Narciso), Eugene Onegin (Triquet), A Room with a View (Mr. Eager/Cecil), Chérubin (Duc), and A Midsummer’s Night Dream (Snout). Upcoming performances include the Lord Nelson Mass with Kennesaw State University and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra. As a chorister, Kosowski appeared with the Metropolitan Opera (NY) at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and in Tokyo, Japan. He performed regularly with the Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall. While in Atlanta, he was a chorister with the Atlanta Opera. He was a fellow with the Choral Guild of Atlanta, and for one season he served as vocal pedagogue and assistant conductor.

Kosowski can be heard on P.D.Q. Bach's Oedipus Tex and Other Choral Calamities (Telarc) and A Christmas Potpourri with the Choral Guild of Atlanta (Newport Classics) and can be seen in the recently released DVD of A Room with a View (Burnside).

Kosowski holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Houston Moores School of Music (TX), a Master of Music from the University of Miami Philip and Patricia Frost School of Music (FL) and a Bachelor of Music Education from Truman State University (MO).

Voice Type: Tenor

Music Styles Taught: Opera; Classical; Musical Theatre

Availability: I am available as a performer; I am available as a clinician or presenter; I accept students through a college or university program

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