O. Neal Medina, bass

Role: Cadmus & Somnus

Recent MIOpera Appearance: King Balthazar Menotti’s in Amahl and the Night Visitors

Known for his versatility, Mr. Medina is a singer whose roles encompass a wide variety of opera seria, opera buffo and operetta. His triumph as Zoroastro in Handel’s Orlando with Chicago Opera Theater proved to critics his command of the operatic stage.  

A native of Chicago, Medina received his training from the Chicago College of Performing Arts.  He was a participant in L’Accademia Verdiana in Busetto Italy where he studied with Carlo Bergonzi. He later accepted a position as a young artist at Chicago Opera Theater and was an apprentice artist for two seasons at the Santa Fe Opera where he covered many roles including Peneos (Strauss’ Daphne), Dr Bartolo (Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Don Profondo (Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims), Don Alfonso (Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte), Seneca(Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea). 

Mr. Medina has also performed the roles of Dr. Bartolo (Mozart’s) Le nozze di Figaro, Snug in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Major General and Sergeant of Police( Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance), Leporello (Mozart’s Don Giovanni), Sarastro (Mozart’s The Magic Flute), Sparafucile (Verdi’s Rigoletto). 

Mr. Medina was a first place and grand prize winner of the Bel Canto Foundation Competition, placed as a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was a first place winner of the 2019 MIOpera International Vocal Competition.