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 tenor soloist in Delius’ A Mass of Life and to the Cincinnati May Festival as featured soloist in a new work by Alvin Singleton. He has also appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center as 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 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.
For 2021 – 2022 Schedule, see News!
- Rodrick Dixon YouTube classical audio video materials
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaBr5nVLA8aefcG6ABV41r-eXCOaPGhmN
Review:
“At times it was almost too much. This was also a Zwerg in which the titular dwarf was sung by a singer of color (the rest of the cast was white), and hearing the Infanta’s retinue sing ‘monster!’ and ‘how grim’ as a black man first entered the stage was impossible to watch without thinking of last year’s Central Park bird-watching incident. At the same time, tenor Rodrick Dixon is no stranger to the opera (his performance in the LA Opera’s production is available on DVD) and he clearly loves to inhabit the vocally demanding role of the Dwarf, which he performs to mesmerizing effect. His ‘song of the blood orange’ was sung with heartfelt sincerity and his declaration of love for the Infanta with intense infatuation, while the way he formed a mirror with his hand and recoiled in horror at his dwarfish appearance was as agonized as the scream and anguished monologue that followed. What’s more, his brightly lyrical voice didn’t come under strain even as the tessitura crept ever higher……..Dixon’s performance was the most in character, and the best sung.”
Enescu Live Excerpt from Zemlinsky’s ‘Der Zwerg’ (Infanta-Zwerg Scene) 2021
Rodrick Dixon, Tenor
Short Crossover Biography
Rodrick Dixon is a classical crossover artist that possesses a tenor voice of extraordinary range and versatility. His body of work covers 25 years of television, recordings, live theater and concerts, including PBS Specials with tenors Victor Cook and Thomas Young; Hallelujah Broadway starring his wife, Alfreda Burke; the Miss World Pageant broadcast from China and Washington, D.C. on the “E” channel in 126 countries. Dixon recently appeared in the annual Freedom Awards filmed at the Orpheum Theater in Memphis, Noel Noel Christmas concert at Mississippi Blvd Church for Fox 13 broadcast on Christmas Day and Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party VH1. His eclectic discography with Sony BMG, EMI Records & Naxos has delighted fans all over the world.
2. Rodrick Dixon YouTube PBS/TV videos:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaBr5nVLA8ac5PNP2X4Xv0wrP4E16JusE
History
Rodrick Dixon commands an amazing ability to interpret a song, tell a story and bring a tremendous amount of emotion to a TV camera! Born and raised in his father’s church, he learned to imitate his parent’s ability to sing and began piano studies under his father’s guidance. At the age of 12, he was accepted into the Brooklyn Boys Choir, he attended the High School of Music & Arts in Harlem, matriculated into Mannes College of Music to receive BM and MM degrees. In the summers during his college years, Dixon
studied in Assisi, Italy and Fontainebleau, France. He began his operatic training at the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists. After the program, he was casted in the Hal Prince Production of Show Boat at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. The producers of Show Boat casted Mr. Dixon in Ragtime which opened in Toronto, Canada in 1996 and made its Broadway debut on January 18, 1998. Mr. Dixon joined the Chicago production of Ragtime in September of 1998. In 1998, boy choir and high school friend Victor Cook recommended Mr. Dixon to the production of Three Mo’ Tenors. As a member of the PBS group starring Victor Trent Cook and Thomas Young, he has appeared with Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, The Three Irish Tenors and Whoopi Goldberg.
As a partner of Cook, Dixon and Young, he produced the PBS special Cook, Dixon and Young Volume 1, toured extensively throughout the US, appeared on CBS, ABC, NBC, “E” entertainment, PBS/Great Performances nationally and WGN. As a programming consultant to the Cincinnati Symphony for its Classical Roots series in 2011-12, Mr. Dixon secured iconic orchestrations from Quincy Jones and Marvin Winans. This series sold over 5,000 tickets at the Box Office.
Rodrick Dixon and his wife/business partner, Alfreda Burke, have appeared in the PBS Special Hallelujah Broadway filmed in Prague with Linda Eder and Anthony Kearns with the Prague Filharmonia. The two appeared with Michael Feinstein at the Rosemont Theater in Chicago; produced Songs of A Dream with the Auditorium Theatre; toured Italy; South Africa with Miss World/ Mandela delegation in 2017; performed Too Hot To Handel at the Detroit Opera house for 18 years; Auditorium Theatre in Chicago for 15 years; and a Memphis debut in 2018.
Discography:
1. Der Zwerg DVD ArtHaus Musik (James Conlon conducting, LA Opera)
2. The Ordering of Moses CD Bridge Records (James Conlon conducting, Live at Carnegie Hall)
3. Recorded Music of the African Diaspora CD Albany Records
4. Can You Hear God Crying DVD Naxos (Dirk Brosse Conducting Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Hannibal Lokumbe composer)
5. Three Mo’ Tenors DVD/CD Sony/BMG PBS Great Performances
6. Cook, Dixon & Young DVD/CD Sony/BMG PBS Great Performances
7. Hallelujah Broadway EMI DVD/CD PBS (Starring Rodrick Dixon, Alfreda Burke Linda Eder and Anthony Kearns)
8. Home for the Holidays CD Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
9. The Right Frame of Mind CD Blue Griffin records
10. Follow That Star Christmas CD EMI records
11. Sacred Land CD Liam Lawton’s
12. Triptych…A celebration of the Negro spiritual CD
13. The Praise + Worship Experience CD (Marvin L. Winans)
14. An Evening with Vernon Jordan, PBS, produced by The HistoryMakers
15. A Musical Celebration, PBS, The United States Air Force 60th Anniversary
16. Can You Hear God Crying (DVD) Naxos-Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra 2014
17. “Oh What Fun! Jingle, Jingle’ Jingle Marshall Field’s Commercials- Tenors 2002
