About this Artist

Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2017, tenor Richard Trey Smagur has been noted by Opera Today for his "attractive lyric tenor" and "vivid presence.” In the 2018-2019 season, Mr. Smagur returned to the Houston Grand Opera Studio as Steuermann in Der fliegende Holländer, conducted by Patrick Summers, Parpignol in La bohème, and the cover of Nadir in Les pêcheurs de perles. This past summer, Mr. Smagur returned to Santa Fe in his role debut as Števa, in David Alden’s production of Jenůfa, to great critical acclaim. Orchestral engagements include a performance of Dichterliebe at Houston Symphony’s Schumann Festival, his debut as Narraboth in Salome with the Dallas Symphony, under the baton of Fabio Luisi, Mahler’s Das klagende Lied with the Cincinnati Music Festival, conducted by James Conlon, and Handel’s Messiah with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. 

In the 2017-2018 season, Mr. Smagur made role and house debuts at Houston Grand Opera, including Gastone in La traviata, Young Servant in Elektra, and Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Miller Outdoor Theater. Mr. Smagur also made his house debut at Santa Fe Opera as Tsarevitch Gvidon in The Golden Cockerel, as well as his debut as Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette with Wolf Trap Opera. Orchestral appearances included Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Filene Center and Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde at The Aspen Music Festival & School under the baton of Patrick Summers. 

Operatic highlights include Tamino in The Magic Flute with OK Mozart, covering Des Grieux in Manon as a young artist at Des Moines Metro Opera, the title role in Peter Grimes, B.F. Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Don José in Carmen, and Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore at Indiana University. Concert appearances include Elijah with the Tucson Desert Song Festival and performances as a tenor soloist with the Cincinnati Boy Choir.

A native of Clarkesville, Georgia, Mr. Smagur holds a Performer’s Diploma from Indiana University and Bachelor of Music from Shorter College. He has been a fellow at the Steans Music Institute at Ravinia Music Festival, and was a participant in Houston Grand Opera’s 2012 Young Artists Vocal Academy. Honors and Awards include the Richard Tucker Memorial Award from Santa Fe Opera and being named the 2016 Georgina Joshi Fellow from Indiana University.