ORSON VAN GAY II
Orson Van Gay II
- T E N O R -
An operatic tenor, recitalist, actor and a Fulbright Scholar encapsulates the unbound talents of this refined, confident and compelling artist. For his performances as Lit Big Man (aka "Cherubino") in Figaro! (90210) the LA Weekly wrote: 'Van Gay unleashes a seductively smooth pop voice when Li'l B-Man transforms an ode to Barbara from a sexist rap into a soulful love song."
Recent and upcoming: In the 2019-20 season; he created the role of Raymond Santana in the world premiere of Anthony Davis's Central Park Five with Long Beach Opera and made his role debut as Rodolfo in La bohème with Pacific Opera Projects. He was Nemorino with the Phoenicia Int. Festival of the Voice and sang the romantic lead of the Young Man in Last Romance with Kansas New Theater. Last season he was the Messenger in Los Angeles Opera's Il trovatore; was heard as Jaquino in Fidelio with the Los Angeles Philharmonic as a part of their Deaf West Theater project; and was Gerard in Philip Glass's Les Enfants terrible. This season he participated in Pacific Opera Project's I Can't Breathe and was Vitaliano in Handel's Giustino with Long Beach; later reprised his role as Raymond Santana in Central Park Five; and, sings Alfredo in La traviata with Piedmont Opera this season and is soloist in Mozart's Requiem with Modesto Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Van Gay has sung extensively with the Los Angeles Opera in many venues including their "Connects", "City of Hope" "IAMLA, series. He debuted the role of Bemard Curson in the world premiere of Figaro 90210 with the company and was Ramerrez in The Prospector in two different seasons. Other operatic roles include Alfredo La traviata, Ben (The Night of the Living Dead) and the title roles of Candide and Orpheus. Equally at home as a recitalist, Mr. Van Gay has appeared to the Portsmouth Community Concert, Inc. (VA), the Rio Hondo College and at Carnegie Hall in a recital with Wang Wei.
He joined the Cal Philharmonic Orchestra in celebration of Leonard Bernstein's 100th anniversary and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 as tenor soloist at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Reviewed by George van Wagner he stated "beautifully sung and strongly acted...audience members were visibly moved." He has sung the haunting role of Orlando in The Industry's nationally acclaimed production of Hopscotch. In addition to performing in the romantic and Germanic languages of opera, Mr. Van Gay was selected to perform in Mandarin last season making his debut with SINO U.S. Performing Arts Organization as tenor soloist for their concert series with performances in Los Angeles and Phoenix.
He premiered Golden; a composition based on the life of Polish composer, Igancy Paderewski by Nathan Wang in Los Angeles and sang the role of Prince in the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's Morning Star.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Vocal Performance from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia and has been honored by the NATS organization on several occasions. As a native of southern California, Mr. Van Gay is also an actor in several nationally recognized television series. He has been featured in major television commercials and starred on a variety of shows for Netflix; including foreign film and television. In 2020 he co-starred on the Disney series Coop & Cami Ask the World.
More on Orson Van Gay II at: http://www.orsonvangay.com
Reviews:
"In Van Gay’s performance, Alfredo’s aria ‘De’ miei bollenti spiriti’ was a potent statement of personal conviction, the zealous lover proclaiming his total immersion. Van Gay was a romantic Alfredo. The vitality of his work was gratifyingly unflappable."
-- Voix de Arts
"Tenor Orson Van Gay, II has a charming warm tone, very even in all registers, with an intense vibrato, well-suited to his role of earnest young lover hoping to woo La Violetta away from her coterie of admirers and imitators."
-- Cultural Voice of North Carolina
