Anthony Dean Griffey (born February 12 in High Point, North Carolina) is an American operatenor. He is a regular presence on the stages of opera houses and concert halls around the world.[1] Griffey has also been noted for his acting talent in addition to his voice.[2][3][4]
In the 2005 edition of Musical America, Griffey was cited as one of twelve young singers of distinction.[6] Griffey was honored as an inductee into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2011.[7]
Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe has said: "Griffey has voice, technique, musicianship, diction, and poetry in his soul."[9]
Early life and education
Anthony Dean Griffey was born in High Point, North Carolina to a family of little means. His parents worked at local furniture factories. He first began singing at the age of five at church. He started to study voice in high school, and subsequently attended Wingate University as a music major, with the intention of becoming a music minister.[10] At the encouragement of his teachers at Wingate, Griffey auditioned successfully for the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he studied with John Maloy. Griffey majored in vocal performance and literature, receiving a Master's of Music/Performer's Certificate.[11]
After completing his studies at Eastman, he was recommended by Rita Shane and Renee Fleming to audition at The Juilliard School for Beverley Peck Johnson, who would become Griffey's teacher and mentor until her death in 2001. Shortly after entering Juilliard he auditioned for James Levine and joined the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist's program.[12]
Griffey's first major career breakthrough came in 1996 when, after auditioning for the role of Bob Boles in a student production of Peter Grimes at Tanglewood Festival, the conductor, Seiji Ozawa, was so impressed by his singing that he offered him the title role instead. Griffey later reprised this role in 1998 at the Metropolitan Opera, filling in for an indisposed Chris Merritt.[14] Grimes would become Griffey's signature role, which he has performed to critical acclaim in Glyndebourne, Opera Bastille, Japan, San Diego, and Santa Fe, culminating in 2008, when the Metropolitan Opera mounted a new production of Grimes starring Griffey. Of the latter production, Justin Davidson of New York Magazine called Griffey's interpretation "one of the most richly textured and subtle characters to dominate the Met's vast stage in a long time."[15]
For his performances as Lennie in Australia, the 2012 Green Room Awards presented Griffey with the title of best Principal Male Opera performance.[17] He was presented with the 2012 Helpmann Award for Best Male Opera Performance for his appearances as Lennie in Australia.[18]
In 2007, he starred as Jimmy Mahoney in Kurt Weill's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny with the Los Angeles Opera.[22] His performance was widely acclaimed, with Opera News describing his Jimmy as: "...a sensation. His well-knit voice, ranging from a hefty lower range to a clarion top, had no need for the production's microphones. His way with "When the sky turns brighter" was particularly haunting, evoking pathos on the scale of 'E lucevan le stelle.'"[23] This production was recorded on DVD, and subsequently was awarded the 2009 Grammy Awards for "Best Classical Album" and "Best Opera Recording".[5] In 2010 Griffey performed the title role in Igor Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex at Avery Fisher Hall with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Valery Gergiev.[24]
He champions English-language vocal literature. At his New York recital debut at Zankel Hall, he premiered a new song cycle by André Previn, accompanied by the composer himself. Of this recital, Peter G. Davis of New York Magazine remarked: "Griffey sang everything utterly naturally, devoid of artifice yet still full of character and nuance ... This is a big vocal talent."[25]
