KELLEN SCHRIMPER BARITONE

Kellen Schrimper is a dramatic baritone, noted for his plangent, warm tone, and noble stage presence. In the 2023-2024 season he will make two role debuts as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with Pacific Northwest Opera, and Marcello in La bohème with Opera in the Heights. As a 2023 Gerdine Young Artist, he made his company debut with Opera Theatre of St. Louis as Sciarrone in Tosca, while covering the role of Scarpia. He also covered Reverend Blitch in Susannah. In their annual Center Stage Concert, he sang various excerpts from the operatic canon, ranging from Peter Grimes to Don Giovanni with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Daniela Candillari.

Prior to his time in Saint Louis, Mr. Schrimper made his debut with Opera in the Heights as Marullo in Rigoletto. He was also an apprentice and principal artist with Des Moines Metro Opera for several seasons. During the summer of 2022, Mr. Schrimper covered Snug in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Jimmy in Geter/Palmer's American Apollo. He also covered the spoken roles of Detective, Policeman and Coroner in Porgy and Bess, taking the stage as Coroner in the season's final performance. Spring of 2022 he performed the role of Armored Man 2 and covered the role of Sarastro/Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte. In 2021, Mr. Schrimper performed the role of Estonian Frank/Interrogator in Fellow Travelers.  He also covered the role of Le Satyre in Platée. 

 

 Mr. Schrimper has been a principal artist with other companies including Cedar Rapids Opera in Michael Ching's Speed Dating Tonight! as Dater #5 / Car Man.  He also performed the role of Escamillo in Carmen with the Opera Project DSM. As a soloist with the Ft. Dodge Choral Society, he has performed Carl Orff's Carmina Burana and Puccini's Gloria.

 

Mr. Schrimper has received a District Encouragement Award from The Met Laffont Competition and has been a finalist in both the Houston Saengerbund Awards and the Schubert Club. He received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Drake University in addition to studying in Verona and Vicenza, Italy with Opera Viva and International Lyrica Academy. He currently studies voice privately with Nova Thomas, and is based in Houston, TX.