Rodrick Dixon

Rodrick Dixon

Tenor

Rodrick Dixon possesses a tenor voice of extraordinary range and versatility that has earned him the respect and attention of leading conductors, orchestras, and opera companies.

Notable operatic engagements include Los Angeles Opera in the title role of Zemlinky’s Der Zwerg conducted by James Conlon and as Walther von der Vogelweide in Tannhauser. At Michigan Opera Theater and Todi Music Festival, Dixon appeared as Tonio in La Fille Du Regiment. He also appeared as Lenski in Todi’s production of Eugene Onegin.  At Portland Opera, he performed the title role of Les Contes d’Hoffmann; Prince in Opera Columbus premiere of Vanqui;  Sportin’ Life in Virginia Opera’s Porgy & Bess; the Duke in Rigoletto for Cincinnati Opera; and Opera Southwest in the title role of Rossini’s  Otello.

On the concert stage, Rodrick Dixon is a regular guest of the Cincinnati May Festival, where he has performed Orff’s Carmina Burana, Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex, Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass, Mahler’s Das Klagende Lied, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses in Cincinnati and in New York’s Carnegie Hall. Other notable appearances include Los Angeles Philharmonic in the title role of Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen and directed by Peter Sellars. He reprised the role in the same production for the Sydney Arts Festival in Australia, directed by Mr. Sellars. His Ravinia Festival credits include The Bells and Mahler’s Das Klagende Lied. For Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center, Dixon appeared as Sportin’ Life in Robert Russell Bennett’s suite of music from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, conducted by Robert Porco.

Other debuts include the Atlanta Symphony honoring Martin Luther King Jr. conducted by Robert Spano; the Vail Music Festival as tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony conducted by Marin Alsop and The Longfellow Chorus documentary based on the composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.  Mr. Dixon made his Choral Arts Society of Music debut as the Celebrant in Bernstein’s Mass performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.  He returned to Carnegie Hall with the American Symphony Orchestra as a tenor soloist in Delius’ A Mass of Life and to the Cincinnati May Festival as a featured soloist in a new work by Alvin Singleton. He has also appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center as a tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Hannibal Lokumbe’s One Land, One River, One People.  At St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Robertson, and RAI National Symphony in Torino, Italy, conducted by James Conlon, Dixon made his Der Fliegende Holländer debut as Erik.

He was the tenor soloist for the Philadelphia Orchestra composer in residence, Hannibal Lokumbe, world premieres of Healing Tones and One Land, One River, One People, conducted by Yannick Nézet Séguin. He also performed in Lokumbe’s historic work Crucifixion Resurrection presented by the orchestra, honoring the nine church members who lost their lives during bible study in Charleston, SC.  Recent notable engagements include the Cincinnati Symphony Beethoven Symphony No. 9 conducted by Louis Langree; the Madison Symphony Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass conducted by John DeMain; the Colorado Symphony and Sao Paolo State Symphony Orchestra in Brazil performances of Too Hot to Handel conducted by Marin Alsop. Future engagements include tenor soloist appearances in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin; and Florida Orchestra conducted by Michael Francis.  Dixon makes his Greensboro Symphony and Richmond Symphony debuts in the Beethoven Symphony No. 9 and reprises the title role of Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg for his Enescu Festival debut in Romania.

Other orchestras with whom Mr. Dixon has appeared, include the Atlanta Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, Pittsburgh Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Millennium Park, Elgin Symphony and the Concordia Orchestra at Lincoln Center. He appeared with Trilogy Opera and the Colour of Music Festival celebrating African American Composers.  A gifted recitalist, Dixon earned rave reviews for his Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast honoring Roland Hayes on WFMT-FM/Chicago. He has also presented pre-concert recitals at the Cincinnati May Festival; completed a 30-city tour for Community Concerts as well as a duet concert “Following in the Footsteps” at Hampton University with soprano Alfreda Burke; with whom he has also appeared in duet recitals for the Umbria Music Festival in Italy, Anchorage, Los Angeles, Washington (D.C.), Tennessee, Detroit, Toronto, Dayton, and Chicago.

Mr. Dixon’s extensive television credits include Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party VH1 (2017); Freedom Awards National Civil Rights Museum (2017);  Noel, Noel Christmas Show Fox 13 (2017); Variety Children’s Charity TV show honoring CEO Julia Morley of Miss World in London (2016);  Miss World Pageant in Washington, D.C. at the MGM (2016);  Ordos, China (2012);  An Evening with Vernon Jordan/HistoryMakers WETA, PBS (2014); the Variety Children’s Charity telethon in Des Moines, Iowa (2012 – present); The US Air Force 60th Anniversary Musical Celebration  (2007); Cook, Dixon & Young Vol. 1 PBS Great Performances (2005); Washington Opera Gala at Constitution Hall (2003);  The Mark Twain Awards Honoring Whoopi Goldberg at Kennedy Center (2002);  Three Mo’ Tenors PBS Great Performances (2001) and My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs at City Center (2000). Other TV appearances include The Tavis Smiley Show on PBS/NPR (2006); The Jerry Lewis Telethon (2002-2003); Marshall Field’s Christmas Commercials (2002); TV One’s Christmas Specials (2006/07); WGN’s A Christmas Glory (2003 and 2006); The Tony Awards (1998); NBC’s Today Show; Good Morning America; The Rosie O’Donnell Show (2002); and The Wayne Brady Show.

Rodrick Dixon’s musical theater and other theatrical concert credits include the original cast of Ragtime on Broadway/Chicago/Toronto, Show Boat at the Auditorium Theatre, Pops Concerts at Grant Park Music Festival, Chicagoland Pops Orchestra at the Rosemont Theater with Michael Feinstein, The Cincinnati Pops with Erich Kunzel and annual Christmas concerts of Too Hot To Handel at the Detroit Opera House and the Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre. The show made its Memphis Orpheum Theatre debut on April 21st and 22nd in 2018.

Recordings include (Sony/BMG), PBS Great Performances Cook, Dixon & Young Volume One released in (2005), Follow That Star Christmas CD (2003), Liam Lawton’s Sacred Land (2006), and Rodrick Dixon Live in Concert (2008) and a Christmas album with the Cincinnati Pops.

Rodrick will be featured as a soloist during two concerts during the 125th Season. The first is the opening concert of the PSO’s 125th Season, Beethoven’s Ninth on Saturday, September 24 at Grace Presbyterian Church. The second will be Too Hot to Handel® – The Gospel Messiah, an innovative twist on Handel’s Messiah, taking place on Saturday, December 10 at the Scottish Rite Theatre with two performance times, 3:00 and 7:30 pm.