About
Keith Chambers has conducted over 150 performances of 50 different operas for companies including The Dallas Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Shreveport Opera, Asheville Lyric Opera, Opera Ithaca, New Amsterdam Opera, Amarillo Opera, and First Coast Opera, among others. He has served as Cover and/or Assistant Conductor for over 40 different operas and has assisted noted conductors Emmanuel Villaume, Patrick Summers, Willie Anthony Waters, and Riccardo Frizza, among others. He is currently the Principal Guest Conductor of Manhattan Opera Studio and the Founder & Artistic Director of New Amsterdam Opera.
A strong relationship with The Dallas Opera has provided Mr. Chambers with the opportunity to conduct The Dallas Opera Family Concerts and student performances of THE ELIXIR OF LOVE. He recently led UN GIORNO DI REGNO for the Seattle Opera Young Artist Program and has conducted for Amarillo Opera (TOSCA), Asheville Lyric Opera (ROMÉO ET JULIETTE), Manhattan Opera Studio (RADAMISTO, HÄNSEL UND GRETEL, DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE, and LE NOZZE DI FIGARO), Indianapolis Opera (SOUTH PACIFIC), Shreveport Opera (LA BOHÈME), Opera Ithaca (SONG FROM THE UPROAR, HAMLET), and New Amsterdam Opera (HÉRODIADE, I VESPRI SICILIANI, I VESPRI SICILIANI, & LA FAVORITA).
Recent conducting performances include HÄNSEL & GRETEL for Temple University, DIE FLEDERMAUS for Moores Opera Center at the University of Houston, DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE for Manhattan Opera Studio and LUCREZIA BORGIA for New Amsterdam Opera.
Additional performances in recent seasons include LA BOHÈME for Florida State University and in St. Petersburg, IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA for Opera Orlando, DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE for Queens College, OUR TOWN and DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE for West Texas A&M University, and CENDRILLON for Furman University (COVID-cancelled), Concerts of Love for Permian Basin Opera, UN GIORNO DI REGNO for Opera Orlando, RIGOLETTO for Teatro Lirico d’Europa, LE NOZZE DI FIGARO in St. Petersburg, DON GIOVANNI for Indianapolis Opera and Furman University, and LA DAME BLANCHE for New Amsterdam Opera.
In past seasons, he conducted SUOR ANGELICA & GIANNI SCHICCHI at the Wiener Kammeroper, WERTHER for Martha Cardona Opera at Merkin Hall and made his Carnegie Hall debut conducting DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE. He has also conducted for American Opera Projects (Nora, in the Great Outdoors), Martha Cardona Opera (TOSCA, GIANNI SCHICCHI, CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA), Sugar Land Opera (THE IMPRESARIO, THE STATION), New York Lyric Opera (CENDRILLON, LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, PAGLIACCI, RIGOLETTO, HÄNSEL & GRETEL), Opera in the Ozarks (DON GIOVANNI, L'ELISIR D'AMORE), and Halifax Summer Opera (GIULIO CESARE). For New Amsterdam Opera, he conducted the inaugural performances of the company with Beethoven's FIDELIO and Verdi’s LA FORZA DEL DESTINO.
Photo Credit: Karen Almond
Mr. Chambers has served as Chorus Master for over 30 productions, including Opera New Jersey (LA TRAVIATA, CARMEN, DIE FLEDERMAUS, MADAMA BUTTERFLY, TOSCA, LA CENERENTOLA, THE MERRY WIDOW, LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, THE MIKADO, DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL, IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, IL TROVATORE, H.M.S. PINAFORE, DON PASQUALE, DON GIOVANNI, FAUST), Opera Saratoga (L'ELISIR D'AMORE, DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE), Moores Opera Center (CASANOVA'S HOMECOMING, L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI, LA BOHÈME, DER FREISCHÜTZ, LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN, KATYA KABANOVA), Opera in the Ozarks (L'ELISIR D'AMORE, DIE FLEDERMAUS, DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE) & Shreveport Opera (MADAMA BUTTERFLY, CAROUSEL, CARMEN).
Mr. Chambers has appeared with Crested Butte Music Festival (RIGOLETTO), Toledo Opera (CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA, RIGOLETTO, FALSTAFF, ARIADNE AUF NAXOS), Opera Saratoga (Gala performance of TOSCA), Seattle Opera YAP (ARIADNE AUF NAXOS), Berkshire Opera Festival, Permian Basin Opera, and Connecticut Opera. Mr. Chambers was engaged as a Guest Coach for the Young Artist Program of Florida Grand Opera and joined the prestigious faculty of the CoOPERATIVE Program at Westminster Choir College and returned as a founding faculty member of the Loyola University Dramatic Voice Symposium.
He maintains a strong musical presence as a conductor and coach in New York City, including extensive experience with new music and living composers. For American Lyric Theater, he conducted the workshop premiere of THE TURING PROJECT and THE POE PROJECT, the latter in conjunction with Opera America's New Works Forum. He has also served as Music Director & Pianist for premieres of new operas at Symphony Space in New York City as part of American Lyric Theater's ADAM AND EVE project. For American Opera Projects, he conducted NORA, IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS at Lincoln Center and debuted with the PROTOTYPE Festival for Gregory Spears’ PAUL'S CASE.
Mr. Chambers is a former Assistant Conductor of New York City Opera, The Dallas Opera, Seattle Opera, and Toledo Opera. He has served as faculty of the Florida Grand Opera Young Artist Program, Seattle Opera Young Artist Program, CoOPERATIVE Program, Westchester Summer Vocal Institute, and the RESONANZ Festival and is the previous Artistic Director of The Living Opera, Principal Conductor and Casting Consultant for New York Lyric Opera, and Chorus Master of Shreveport Opera. He has also adjudicated orchestras for New York Sounds of Spring International Music Festival at Carnegie Hall and is a founding faculty member of the annual Dramatic Voice Symposium at Loyola Univeristy of New Orleans.
An accomplished pianist, Mr. Chambers has appeared as concerto soloist with the Delaware Symphony, Clear Lake Symphony, and Naples Philharmonic, with conductors Erich Kunzel and Maurice Peress. A protégé of pianist Ivan Davis, he has been a featured guest artist at the Chopin Festival at the Catholic University in Peru, and the Chopin Foundation of Miami. He has appeared in a series of joint solo piano and voice recitals at Lake George Opera, Toledo Museum of Art and Northwestern State University. Mr. Chambers has been official pianist for The Dallas Opera Competition, Opera Index, Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year Competition, Amarillo Opera Gala, and the Fort Worth Opera McCammon Competition.