Rod Gilfry stars in Matthew Aucoin opera

Baritone Rod Gilfry, a member of the USC Thornton Vocal Arts & Opera faculty, will star in Matthew Aucoin’s opera, Crossing, on May 25th and 26th at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. Produced in concert by the LA Opera, the work is inspired by poet Walt Whitman’s experiences during the Civil War and features Gilfry as Whitman, himself.

Gilfry has earned critical praise for his portrayal of the iconic American poet since he originated the role in 2015. Critic James Jorden wrote that he “deserves the highest praise for a performance that was paradoxically both a stunning star turn and a self-effacing character portrait.”

A champion of contemporary works, Gilfry will return to LA Opera in February with his “tour-de-force” solo performance in David Lang’s one-act opera, The Loser.