FRED C. VANNESS, JR. is a Grammy-nominated tenor recognized for his work on both the operatic and concert stage. A former Boston Lyric Opera Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist, he currently performs with The Metropolitan Opera as a member of the Extra Chorus and recently covered the roles of Peter the Honeyman and Nelson in Porgy and Bess.
His operatic credits include performances with Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, MassOpera, Opera del West, Toronto Summer Opera, NEMPAC Opera Project, and Longwood Opera, appearing in productions such as Lysistrata, A Christmas Carol, Omar, Freedom Ride, Candide, Don Giovanni, Carmen, and La bohème. He is also featured on the Grammy-nominated recording of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X by Boston Modern Orchestra Project.
A sought-after soloist, Mr. VanNess has appeared with numerous orchestras and choruses, including Commonwealth Chorale, Masterworks Chorale, Castle of Our Skins, Firebird Pops Orchestra, Salem Philharmonic Orchestra, and Nashoba Valley Chorale. His repertoire includes Elijah, The Ballad of the Brown King, Schöpfungsmesse, Judas Maccabaeus, and Handel’s Messiah.
In addition to his performance career, Mr. VanNess created and performs the one-man show When I Think of Home…. He holds a Graduate Performance Diploma in Opera from the Longy School of Music and a Master of Music from Louisiana State University.