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Bio

Mark Calkins was born and raised in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. He is a recipient of the Ted & Roberta Mann and Berneking Fellowships from the University of Minnesota. Associate Professor Calkins joined the faculty of Berea College, Berea, KY in 2009. He also teaches voice at the Kentucky Conservatory Theatre. He was named Thursday Musical’s “Teacher of the Year” in 2009.

Associate Professor Calkins recently returned from sabbatical during which he studied vocal cross-training for 21st century singers. While on sabbatical Mark performed in recital and in concert in Illinois, New Mexico, and Chongqing, China. He also taught 21 Master Classes in classical singing throughout the United States and in Beijing and Chongqing, China. Mark teaches a master class in Broadway Performing each year at the renowned Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts and in classical vocal technique for the Kentucky ACDA Summer Choral Conservatory.

Mark maintains a private studio of young professional singers. He teaches master classes in music theatre and classical voice performance at the university and pre-professional levels across the nation, in Italy, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, China, and Mexico.

In January 2009, Mark and his wife, Cynthia Lawrence, appeared in recital at the 4th International Conference on the Physiology and Acoustics of Singing at the University of Texas, San Antonio. Professor Calkins is currently the President of the Kentucky Chapter of the National Association of Teachers Singing and served as KY NATS Auditions Coordinator. In 2011, he served as Mid-South NATS Regional Coordinator.

Mark is a former member of the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists. This is the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s young artist development program.

He was featured as Cassio in Otello on A&E’s nationwide production of Spotlight Colorado. He also starred in a National PBS Television broadcast and World Premiere of Robert Greenleafs’ Under the Arbor.

Calkins has appeared in leading roles with opera companies throughout North America and Europe. He has performed, to critical acclaim:

Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia,
Lindoro in L’Italiana in Algeri,
The Prince in La Cenerentola,
The Count in Le Comte Ory, and
Oreste in Ermione

Calkins has performed in many Opera houses, such as:

Opera De Nantes, France
Dublin Grand Opera, Ireland
Cologne Opera, Germany
The Lyric Opera of Chicago
Birmingham Opera
Chautauqua Opera
Chicago Opera Theater
Castleward Opera, Northern Ireland
Kentucky Opera
Cincinnati Opera
Toledo Opera
Minnesota Opera
Opera Omaha
Mobile Opera
Central City Opera
Dayton Opera

Concert engagements include appearances in Europe’s Music festivals. He performed Rossini’s Stabat Mater with Roger Norrington. Norrington conducted the London Classical Players. These engagements took place in:

Salzburg, Bregenz, Villach, Austria
Merano, Italy
Bremen, Germany

He has appeared throughout the U.S. in Broadway touring productions of Phantom of the Opera.

His recent collegiate students include:

Many statewide Kentucky and Minnesota NATS competition winners
2009 Thursday Musical competition and 2009 MTNA winners
Performers in leading roles in the College operas/shows
Soloists and section leaders in the College choirs
Metropolitan Opera National Council District and Regional Winners

Some of his students have been awarded Graduate Assistantships in prominent programs such as:

The University of Kentucky, Lexington
I.U. Bloomington
SIU Carbondale
Denver University
University of Colorado, Boulder

Recent performances include:

In Concert at Chongqing University, 2019
Presenting a Recital and Master Class at University of New Mexico, Las Vegas 2019
Presenting a Recital and Master Class in July 2011 for the Ky Governor’s School for the Arts
Nadir in Bizet’s Les Pecheurs de Perles with FM Opera
Camille in the Operafestival di Roma production of La vedova allegra (The Merry Widow, Lehar) in Rome, Italy
Count Almaviva in productions of Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Acadiana Orchestra, Louisiana
Opera Fort Collins, Colorado
Don Ottavio in Rome, Italy in the Operafestival di Roma production of Don Giovanni.