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Rubin Casas
Rubin Casas ("Bishop Ruiz") - Bass
Bass Rubin Casas' impressive vocal and physical presence lends him naturally to the lyric bass repertoire. He will soon sing Ruiz in the premiere of Rio de Sangre for Florentine Opera. Mr. Casas' 2009 Opera New Jersey debut as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor was hailed as "darkly compelling." Mr. Casas joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in 2007-08, covering roles in Satyagraha, Macbeth, War and Peace and The Gambler. Of his recent portrayal of the title role of Don Pasquale with the Spokane Opera, the Spokane Spokesman wrote, "Rubin Casas also impressed in the title role. He labored under the handicap of performing in what looked like a Bozo the Clown fright wig—he was supposed to be an old fool, after all – but he is clearly no fool dramatically or vocally. His voice was expressive throughout and he stole at least one scene as he got down on his knees like a smitten schoolboy and panted over Norina."
Recent engagements include his Carnegie Hall debut in La fanciulla del West with the Opera Orchestra of New York under the baton of Eve Queler. Mr. Casas returned to sing with the company once again in Mignon. He has also made his Alice Tully Hall debut in Rossini's rarely performed La cambiale di matrimonio. Other recent roles include Leporello in Don Giovanni, Il Bonzo in Madama Butterfly, and Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro.
During his tenure as a resident with Virginia Opera Mr. Casas performed may roles including Der Pfleger des Orestes in Elektra, Silvano in Un ballo in maschera, and the Wolf in Barab's Little Red Riding Hood. While with the company he also covered Orestes in Elektra, Scarpia in Tosca, and Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Additional roles include Dulcamara in L'elisir d'amore, Masetto in Don Giovanni, and Sciarrone in Tosca.
In concert Mr. Casas recently sang the Brahms Requiem with the Monmouth Chorus and Orchestra in Red Bank, New Jersey. Other oratorio and concert appearances include performances with the New Haven, Meriden, and Princeton Symphony Orchestras and a gala performance with Orchestra Miami, celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Ricordi Publishing.
Having received his Master of Music from Yale University School of Music while in the Opera Program there he was seen as Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, Don Prudenzio in Il viaggio a Reims, Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors and Crespel in Les Contes d'Hoffmann. He was twice a member of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program and a member of the Des Moines Metro Opera Young Artists Program and received his BA at the University of Texas.