American baritone Troy Cook made notable debuts in past seasons as Ford in Hamburgische Staatsoper’s Falstaff, following his debut with the company as Marcello in La bohème, and with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte.
Troy's 2024-2025 season begins with his home company, Opera Philadelphia, singing the role of Paul Devon in the North American premiere of The Listeners. A champion of new music, he bows in Virginia Opera’s world premiere, Loving v. Virginia (Geter/Murphy Moo), portraying ACLU attorney Bernard Cohen. Cook joins Spoleto Festival USA reprising the role of Athanael in a newly produced concert version of Thaïs. Also during the season, Cook revives his hugely popular Major-General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance for Knoxville Opera, bows as Giorgio Germont in Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s performances of La traviata (conducted by JoAnn Falletta), joins the American Symphony Orchestra for a concert of works by C.P.E. Bach, and sings Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra
During the 2023-2024 season, Troy Cook made an anticipated role debut as Athanaël in Massenet’s Thaïs with Utah Opera, and returned to several favorite portrayals, including Giorgio Germont for Florida Grand Opera, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Boston Lyric Opera, and Major-General Stanley with Kentucky Opera. In the summer, he took the stage with Glimmerglass Opera as both Tonio in Pagliacci and Major-General Stanley.
The baritone's engagements during the 2022-2023 season included returns to Opera Philadelphia, reprising Marcello in La bohème in his fourth different production with the company, and Virginia Opera, for his role debut as Major General Stanley. With Palm Beach Opera, he made his company debut in one of his most-frequently performed roles, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, and also sang Germont in La traviata with Inland Northwest Opera. During the summer, he returned to Bard Summerscape, appearing as Mr. Page in the Music Festival's presentation of Vaughan Williams' Sir John in Love.
Mr. Cook’s 2019-2020 season begins with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra as he joins them for a night of arias and ensembles to open their concert season. He then travels to Oregon to make his house debut with Portland Opera as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, followed by another house debut with Teatro San Carlo Napoli as “Watty” Watkins in Gershwin & Gershwin’s Lady Be Good. He also returns to the Indianopolis Symphony as the baritone soloist for Handel's Messiah. He returns to Lyric Opera of Kansas City as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, and brings his Father Palmer, the role he created in the acclaimed American opera Silent Night, to Utah Opera, where he will also be seen as Athanaël in Thaïs.
Previous seasons found Troy singing Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with Opera Philadelphia, returning in spring to sing Marcello in La bohème. He also appeared with Minnesota Opera and Austin Opera to reprise the role of Father Palmer in Silent Night, and appeared with the Tucson Symphony for Handel’s Messiah. He finished the season with Central City Opera as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly. He also appeared in recital with the Tuesday Musical Club.
He also created the role of John Cree in the world premiere of Elizabeth Cree with Opera Philadelphia. He bowed as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with Florida Grand Opera, Rodrigo in Don Carlo with Washington National Opera, and Falke in Die Fledermaus with Utah Opera and Des Moines Metro Opera. He also appeared in concert with the Charlotte Symphony and Memphis Symphony for Handel’s Messiah. Troy sang his first Peter in Hansel and Gretel in a return to Lyric Opera of Kansas City, followed by his Atlanta Opera debut as Father Palmer in his second production of Silent Night. He made his debut at the San Diego Opera as Ford in Falstaff, and a role debut in the title role in Eugene Onegin at the Syracuse Opera. He also made his Washington National Opera debut as Sharpless in the eye popping Kaneko Production of Madama Butterfly.
Troy began the 2015-2016 season as Jupiter in Virginia Opera’s production of Orpheus in the Underworld, followed by debuts with the Dallas Opera as de Brètigny in Manon and the Macau Festival as Valentin in Faust. He finishes the season with a return to North Carolina Opera as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, a role which also serves as his debut with Austin Opera. He concludes the 15/16 season with his debut at the Des Moines Metro Opera as Brètigny in Manon and Young Galileo in Phillip Glass’ Galileo Galilei. On the concert stage, he sang Handel’s Messiah with the Pacific Symphony and Indianapolis Symphony.
The 2014-2015 season brought important role debuts for the baritone, including Germont in La Traviata with Central City Opera and a critically acclaimed Rodrigo in Don Carlo with Opera Philadelphia. He appeared in Lady Be Good at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, made his company debut with Utah Opera as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, and returned to the role of the Marquis de la Force in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites with both the Portland and Winston-Salem Symphonies. Additionally, he debuted with the San Francisco Symphony for Handel’s Messiah, and appeared in concert with both the Portland Symphony and AZ Music Fest.
The 2013-2014 season brought performances as Paolo in Simon Boccanegra with Kentucky Opera, Riccardo in Boston Lyric Opera’s I puritani, Marcello in La bohème with Pittsburgh Opera and North Carolina Opera, and the Marquis de la Force in Dialogues des Carmélites with Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Mr. Cook also appeared in concert with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and Winston Salem Symphony. He closed the season as Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music with Central City Opera.
During the 2012-2013 season, Troy Cook appeared as Marcello in La bohème and Father Palmer in Silent Night with Opera Philadelphia, in Handel’s Messiah with the Boise Philharmonic, and Lord Cecil in Maria Stuarda with Washington Concert Opera. He concluded the season with a debut as Silvio in Pagliacci with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and in a return to Central City Opera as Gaylord Ravenal in Show Boat.
Troy Cook’s 2011-2012 season included appearances with Minnesota Opera, as Father Palmer in the world premiere of Silent Night; the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, as Marcello in La bohème; Opera Philadelphia, as Lescaut in Manon Lescaut; and the Winston-Salem Symphony, for performances of Carmina Burana. Additionally, he joined Opera Rara for a recording of Donizetti’s Caterina Cornaro.
In the 2010-2011 season, Mr. Cook returned to Lyric Opera of Kansas City as the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, sang his first Escamillo in Carmen at Green Mountain Opera Festival, and appeared on the concert stage in performances of the Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Pacific Symphony and the Arizona Musicfest, the St. John Passion with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and Handel’s Messiah with the Winston-Salem Symphony.
He returned to Opera Philadelphia as Sharpless to open the 2009-10 season, appeared at the Teatro Arriaga in Bilbao for Poulenc’s Les mamelles de Tirésias and was recently seen in Santander and Bilbao for Il viaggio a Rheims. He also performed concerts with the Portland Symphony and the Arizona Musicfest and was Albert in Kentucky Opera’s Werther. 2009-2010 also included Marcello in Florida Grand Opera’s new La bohème and just prior he was Enrico at Amigos Canarias de la Opera's Lucia di Lammermoor in Las Palmas.
Troy Cook opened 2007-08 as Zurga with Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Just prior, he sang in a gala concert with Opera Pacific, as Marcello in La bohème with Berkshire Opera and performed Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia for Opera Omaha. 2007 began with his German debut with the Semperoper Dresden as Marcello, and he also performed Marcello in his Opera Philadelphia debut to open their season. In addition, he returned to the American Ballet Theater in New York and Washington D.C. for the Kindertotenlieder. In 2006 he was Sharpless for Berkshire Opera and debuted with La Monnaie, Brussels in a gala concert of Pagliacci. In spring 2006, he performed with the LA Philharmonic in a world-premiere conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen; bowed as Enrico in Kansas City’s Lucia; appeared as a soloist in Carmina burana with the San Antonio Symphony, and performed Zurga in with Opera Carolina. He also sang in a Richard Tucker Foundation concert in New York City. In 2004/05 he returned to San Francisco Opera as Mr. Flint in Billy Budd, where he appeared the previous season as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia.
Other recent appearances include Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Fort Worth Opera, Guglielmo with Santa Fe Opera and Toledo Opera, solo recitals under the auspices of the Marilyn Horne Foundation and Carmina Burana with the American Ballet Theater at Lincoln Center. Mr. Cook also appeared with the Metropolitan Opera in L’enfant et les sortileges and in a new production of Sly in 2001. In the fall of 2000 he made his European debut as Giacomo in Beatrix Cenci with the Grand Théâtre de Genève followed by Schaunard in La bohème and Morales in Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera.
