{"id":11104,"date":"2024-02-08T16:32:12","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T16:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=11104"},"modified":"2024-02-08T16:32:12","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T16:32:12","slug":"sidney-outlaw-opera-powerhouse-to-sing-the-role-of-mercutio-in-romeo-and-juliet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/08\/sidney-outlaw-opera-powerhouse-to-sing-the-role-of-mercutio-in-romeo-and-juliet\/","title":{"rendered":"Sidney Outlaw: Opera Powerhouse to Sing the Role of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Sidney Outlaw<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Fletcher Word<\/strong><\/em>
\nThe Truth Editor<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m on stage, I bring everybody that has ever helped me,\u201d said baritone Sidney Outlaw during a conversation with The Truth recently. On February 16 and 18, Outlaw will be bringing everybody who had ever helped him onstage at The Valentine when he sings the role of Mercutio in Charles Gounod\u2019s Romeo and Juliet<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Outlaw has been praised as a \u201cterrific singer \u2026 with a deep, rich timbre,\u201d by the New York Times and as an \u201copera powerhouse \u2026 with a weighty and forthright sound\u201d by the San Francisco Chronicle. For such reviews, he has a lot of people to thank for helping him, as he is the first to acknowledge.<\/p>\n

And from the very beginning. \u201cI grew up in a musical family,\u201d he said of his childhood in Brevard, NC, which is about 35 miles southwest of Ashville. From the moment of his birth, he said only half-jokingly, music was an important part of his life. Church music, of course; learning an instrument \u2013 the French horn \u2013 as a youngster; studying classical music in the 10th<\/sup> and 11th<\/sup> grades with Mrs. Shumate and a field trip down to Bob Jones University to see his first opera, Aida<\/em>, while in high school.<\/p>\n

Music, always music. And singing, always singing, one type of music or another.<\/p>\n

Then came college at the University of North Carolina Greensboro where he had the opportunity to study with Levone Tobin Scott, a mentor then and to this day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s when the fun started,\u201d he said. \u201cShe took me under her wing and mentored me \u2026 and even now! She recognized something in me that needed to be cultivated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scott still is a huge influence in Outlaw\u2019s life and on his career, as are so many who have worked with him over the years.<\/p>\n

His four years at UNC Greensboro were followed by three years at The Juilliard School and study with luminaries such as Marilyn Horne, a celebrated mezzo soprano, and Warren Jones, pianist, conductor and vocal coach.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for him and Ms. Horne, I wouldn\u2019t be here,\u201d said Outlaw paying tribute, as always, to those who have guided him along this path of vocal accomplishment. \u201cI have roots under my tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

After earning his master\u2019s degree at Juilliard, the fun really began \u2026 or increased for the baritone. Outlaw has performed all over the country \u2013 New York, San Francisco, St. Louis, Florida, to name a few \u2013 and all over the world \u2013 from England to Germany to Africa and Asia.<\/p>\n

But Outlaw is more than a singer, he\u2019s also a teacher and an ambassador for his art. Outlaw is a teacher at the Manhattan School of Music \u2013 work that he feels fortunate to be able to blend in with his performance duties. \u201cIt\u2019s my calling, not a job,\u201d he said of his Manhattan School of Music endeavors. What he learns in rehearsal, on stage and with his mentors, \u201cI take it back and teach to my students.\u201d<\/p>\n

And as if the performing and teaching have not been enough to fill up his waking hours, Outlaw is also an ambassador. He started working with the U.S. State Department during President Barack Obama\u2019s administration as a cultural arts ambassador for the ARTS Envoy program. In that program he has performed and continues to perform all over the world.<\/p>\n

\"\"For now, Outlaw is excited to be in Toledo, singing a role he relishes, in an opera he loves, with \u201can amazing cast.\u201d He has worked on numerous occasions with other members of the cast \u2013 tenor Zach Borichevsky as Romeo, coloratura soprano Kathryn Lewek as Juliet, mezzo-soprano Imara Miles as Gertrude, for example \u2013 and considers this production to be somewhat like a reunion.<\/p>\n

After Toledo, the singer is taking a trip to Colorado to sing Beethoven\u2019s 9th<\/sup> Symphony and releasing a new album on March 15, Zwei Gesange Op. 91<\/em>, (\u201cI want to take classical music and modernize it visually\u201d) all of which \u201callows me to fulfill a dream \u2026 I still have hopes and dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

And in between performing, he will be back to the Manhattan School of Music to teach and inspire others as he has been inspired by so many.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy cup runneth over because it is full,\u201d he said of his busy life and his desire to do as much as he can to bring the joy he has experienced through music to as many others as he can.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to leave the industry better than I found it.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Fletcher Word The Truth Editor \u201cWhen I\u2019m on stage, I bring everybody that has ever helped me,\u201d said baritone Sidney Outlaw during a conversation with The Truth recently. On February 16 and 18, Outlaw will be bringing everybody who had ever helped him onstage at The Valentine when he sings the role of Mercutio […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[215],"class_list":["post-11104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-headline"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11104"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11104\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11108,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11104\/revisions\/11108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11104"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=11104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}