Baritones and Basses

Laurentiu Rotaru
Sarastro

Bass-baritone Laurentiu Rotaru is a native of Romania currently residing in Connecticut. He performed with The National Opera of Bucharest and as a soloist in numerous ensembles in Bucharest, touring Romania, Greece, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Canada and The United States. In October 2004 Mr. Rotaru made his Carnegie Hall debut, performing in a concert with Connecticut Lyric Opera. Other venues where he performed include Opera Theater of Connecticut, Mississippi Opera, Valley Lyric Opera in Pennsylvania, St. Bonaventure Quick Center for The Arts in New York, Raleigh Opera of North Carolina, Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Boston Festival Orchestra, Shreveport Opera of Louisiana, etc.  His operatic repertoire encompasses roles such as Leporello in Don Giovanni, Don Basilio and Dr Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Méphistophélès in Faust, Sparafucile in Rigoletto,  Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Frère Laurent in Romeo et Juliettte, Gremin in Eugene Onegin and Geronte in Manon Lescaut.  He started his intensive music training at The Conservatory of Bucharest – Romania and in USA earned a Bachelor Degree in Music Performance from Central Connecticut State University, and a Master of Music degree from University of Connecticut. He won numerous competitions such as NATS and The Connecticut Guild Opera Competition, Metropolitan Opera Guild – New England Region, Gerda Lissner and Verismo Competition.   

Matthew Gamble
Papageno

Lyric baritone Matthew Gamble made his professional debut in the title role of Don Giovanni in a special concert performance at the Prague Castle in the Czech Republic.  Following these performances he was further engaged as the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro and Papageno in Die Zauberflote.  He is currently in the 75th Anniversary National Tour of the Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess performing the roles of Jim and the Funeral Soloist. Recent engagements include Carmina Burana with the Cobb Symphony, Pirates of Penzance with the Atlanta Lyric Theatre, and Betto in Gianni Schicchi under the baton of Maestro Anton Coppola.

Gregory Sheppard
Speaker/2nd Priest  

Gregory Sheppard, bass has been heard in opera, concert and recital throughout the United States and in Europe.  He has performed leading roles with New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera (Western Opera Tour), Glimmerglass Opera, Philadelphia Opera and numerous others.  His solo appearances with orchestra’s include Verdi Messe di Requiem with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Mozart Requiem with the New Haven Symphony as well as the orchestra’s of Buffalo, Rochester, Denver, Sioux City, Chattanooga, Springfield, Norfolk and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Little Orchestra Society at Lincoln Center.  In Europe he has been heard in Tan Dunn’s Peonies Pavilion at the Vienna Festival and premieres in Munich for the Biennale Festival, Savonlinna Opera (Finland) and Orchestra I solisti di Roma (Rome, Florence, Venice, Sienna)  A winner of numerous awards, he is a Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions finalist and study grant winner.  Upcoming appearances include Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Buffalo Opera, Tonio in I Pagliacci with Ottawa Opera (Canada), soloist in the Lord Nelson Mass with the Roy Prescod Chorale and recitals in New York, Washington, DC, St. Augustine, Florida among others.