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, Opera 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, DC 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 Mississipi Blvd church for Fox 13 broadcast on Christmas Day & Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party VH1. His eclectic discography with Sony BMG, EMI Records & Naxos has delighted fans all over the world.
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 begun 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 a BM and MM degree. In the summers during his college years he studied in Assisi, Italy and Fountainebleau, France. He began his operatic training at Lyric Opera Center for American Artists. After the program, he was casted in 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 16 years; Auditorium Theatre in Chicago for 13 years; and Memphis debut in 2018.
Film and Recordings:
Mr. Dixon 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 DC at the MGM (2016), Ordos China (2012), An Evening with Vernon Jordan/History Makers WETA PBS (2014), the Variety Children’s Charity telethon in Des Moines Iowa from 2012 until the 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 Fields’ 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 Auditorium Theatre. The show will make its Orpheum Theatre debut April 21st and 22nd 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. PBS Hallelujah Broadway EMI DVD/CD, (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. Liam Lawton’s Sacred Land CD
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 History Makers
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 Fields Commercial- Tenors 2002
