038 - Leading from the Chorus

Today I am talking to tenor Karl Marx Reyes. During his studies as a pre-med student he was scouted for the chorus of Seattle Opera. Karl now holds a hybrid position performing compramario & featured roles. In our talk we discuss the career from the perspective of the opera chorus and how Karl’s experience in medicine not only enabled him to maintain a long career in opera but also how it created a safety net for him particularly during the pandemic.
Karl Marx Reyes is a Filipino/American tenor trained in the Pacific Northwest. Reyes made his Seattle Opera debut as a Contadino in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, followed by his roles as the Messenger in Verdi's Aida, the NVA Lieutenant Commander in the world premiere of Daron Hagen's Amelia and, most recently, the Wig Maker in Richard Strauss’s Ariadne Auf Naxos. Other roles include Remendado in Bizet's Carmen, John Styx & Orpheus in Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, Pedrillo in Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio, Goro in Madama Butterfly, Rodolfo in Puccini's La Bohème and Ferrando in Mozart’s Così fan Tutte. Reyes has been a proud member of the Seattle Opera Chorus for the past two decades.

http://www.seattleoperablog.com/2013/10/meet-our-singers-karl-marx-reyes.html
http://www.seattleopera.org/bios/index.aspx?name=karl_reyesMS

Video Clip: Seahawks National Anthem