American tenor Cody Austin is quickly becoming one of the most promising singing actors of his age. A 2009 graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, his voice has been described with "a warm, rich quality... produced with an evenness that's rare." This season he made his Lyric Opera of Virginia debut as Alfredo in La Traviata. He then portrays Don Jose in La Tragedie de Carmen with Shreveport Opera. His professional debut was with the Opera Company of Philadelphia as Roderigo in Otello in 2009, where he was invited to return the following season to perform Edmondo in Manon Lescaut.
Also in Philadelphia he has performed Tassilo in Countess Maritza with the Concert Operetta Theater and was featured as tenor soloist with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops in a program entitled 'The Great American Tenor' in 2010.
While at the Academy of Vocal Arts, Mr. Austin had the opportunity to perform in Kat’a Kabanova, La Traviata, and Anna Bolena. Prior to AVA he completed graduate work at Indiana University where he sang George Gibbs in the world premiere of Ned Rorem’s Our Town. He has been a young artist at Central City Opera and Opera New Jersey, where he performed in La Traviata and The Merry Widow.
Mr. Austin has also been featured in concert engagements with the New Jersey Master Chorale, the Ambler Symphony, Jupiter Symphony of New York, Ocean City Pops, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops; performing such works as Mendelssohn Elijah, Beethoven Irish Songs, Gounod St. Cecilia Mass and most recently the Verdi Requiem.
He was awarded 2nd place in the Dallas Opera Competition, received the Ralph Appelman Award for Vocal Promise, a Mario Lanza Scholarship, the Alfonso Cavaliere Memorial Scholarship, and the Arthur E. Walters Memorial award.
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