Roy Hage left ACS Beirut at age 16 to follow his dream of becoming a professional opera tenor. He not only accomplished his goal but has also become Lebanon’s first GRAMMY® nominee.
A regular performer while at ACS, he graced our stage with performances for the US Ambassador, visiting dignitaries, commencement exercises, and also in productions of Sound of Music, Grease, and Our Town.
With no other place in the region to pursue his training and with no prospects of performing opera in the region, he turned to the internet and his mentor at ACS Ms. Laura Reece who encouraged him to apply to the world’s top boarding school for the arts, Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, USA. Accepted with scholarship, he began his studies there and continued on to the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory, Yale University, and Curtis Institute of Music.
Philadelphia’s Curtis may not be a household name to those outside of the realm of classical music, but it’s reputation in the music world surpasses even that of its cousin, NYC’s Juilliard. Curtis has the lowest acceptance rate of any higher education institution in the US.
Roy has performed over 70 operatic and symphonic works in 8 languages with the world’s leading orchestras, music festivals, and opera companies. He has appeared on national and international television and is featured as Georgia Boy on the multi-GRAMMY® nominated recording of Jennifer Higdon’s opera Cold Mountain.
Roy has performed with premier ensembles including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, Cleveland Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, Teatro Signorelli, Maryland Lyric Opera, Aspen Music Festival, Chautauqua Music Festival, and Miami Music Festival.
Roy has worked with conductors of historic importance including Maestros Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Richard Bonynge, Corrado Rovaris, Christofer Macatsoris, Caren Levine, George Manahan, Rossen Milanov, Xian Zhang, Stephen Lord, James Gaffigan, David Robertson, and Michael Christie.
Some of the 40+ roles Roy has performed include the title roles in The Tales of Hoffmann, Roméo et Juliette, The Rake’s Progress, Candide, La Clemenza di Tito, and Pelléas and Melisande in addition to the Duke (Rigoletto), Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore), Alfredo (La Traviata), Tamino (The Magic Flute), Le Chevalier des Grieux (Manon), Ruggero (La Rondine), Prunier (La Rondine), Judge Danforth (The Crucible), Jeník (The Bartered Bride), The Italian Singer (Capriccio), and Chevalier de la Force (Dialogues des Carmélites). His performances have been broadcast on US and Lebanese television and radio.
Roy was interviewed on MTV last summer (2019) and sang “Nessun dorma,” live to global audiences. “It was a homecoming for me! I’ve dedicated my heart and soul to a number of music and LGBTQ+ organizations in Lebanon and it was incredible to finally ‘do’ what I’ve done for over a million people on operatic stages!”
Roy’s performance, accomplishments, and work as an Officer in the Lebanese Armed have attracted the attention and support of esteemed Lebanese Members of Parliament and even former President of Lebanon, Amine Gemmayel.
“My next steps are founding Lebanon’s first Opera Company in the coming few years! Not a theatre, just yet! But a company. I’m excited to share a beautiful and wondrous art form that, quite literally, saved my life. We Lebanese have many stories to share and healing to accomplish. Lebanon needs this, now more than ever!”
Follow Roy on his Instagram @RoyTheTenor or learn more by visiting https://www.royhage.com