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BIOGRAPHY |
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At the beginning of the season 2025/26 JAMES KEE can be seen in TANNHÄUSER at the Magdeburg Theatre. In this very role he already succeeded before at the Meiningen State Theatre, on the Wartburg in Eisenach, at the Heidenheim Festival , the Teatro Comunale di Modena and the Teatro Regio Emilia in Italy.
Before, he sang FLORESTAN in “Fidelio” at the Magdeburg Theatre and at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino 2025 he portrayed ARMINTORE LA ROCCA in Henze’s “Der Junge Lord”.
He made his role debut as SIEGFRIED in Wagner’s “Götterdämmerung” in the season 23/24 at the Klagenfurt Theatre and also portrayed this very role in 24/25 at the Bern Theatre.
He sang ALBERT GREGOR in “Vec Makropulos” and the LOGE in “Das Rheingold” at the Mainfranken Theatre Würzburg.
Before, he was a member of the Rostock ensemble. Here, he had already been celebrated as MAX in by Weber's “Der Freischütz”, as EISENSTEIN in “Die Fledermaus”, as BALDUIN ZEDLAU in Strauss' “Wiener Blut”, EDWIN in “Die Czardasfürstin”, PETER IVANOW in “Zar und Zimmermann”, but also as CANIO in Leoncavallo's “I Pagliacci” and in a Puccini-Pasticcio, FLORESTAN in Beethoven's “Fidelio” and SYMON in Millöcker's “Der Bettelstudent”.
James Kee began his vocal studies at the Curtis Institute of music in Philadelphia (USA). Master classes, he attended a.o. with Marilyn Horne, Dolora Zajick, Thomas Hampson and James Levine. Discovered as a young vocal talent - he sang baritone - he made his way to major international companies such as the Houston Grand Opera and later even to the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
When he moved to the dramatic repertoire, he was accompanied by his current teacher Robert Gambill. First, James sang at the Rostock Popular Theatre tenor parts such as ISMAELE in Verdi's “Nabucco”, EISENSTEIN and the TENOR SOLO PART in Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
James Kee's passion for Contemporary Music has also been featured in numerous concerts and CD recordings of works by major composers such as Ned Rorem, Richard Danielpour, Jake Heggie and Andre Previn.
Born in the US, the artist won a number of prestigious awards, including the 1st Prize of the Mario Lanza Competition, the 2nd Prize of the Eleanor McCollum Competition and the 3rd Prize of the Middle Atlantic Region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition.
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| REVIEWS |
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| Teatro comunale di Modena – Tannhäuser – TANNHÄUSER |
| A enormous gain is the top-class cast with five great voices, which are necessary for the five main roles: bright and powerful in their lyrical and dramatical singing ( in the essential passages), always without any coercion , James Kee’s voice ( in the title role on November 13), with a phrasing range which is truly extraordinary,… |
Roma
ilroma.net |
| Festival Heidenheim – Tannhäuser - TANNHÄUSER |
| The American James Kee in the title role shows his powerful tenor voice with perfectly effortless high notes. |
| Orpheus, Antje Rößler - Sept/Oct. 2022 |
| With the Rome Narrative, in which he works through his experiences at the Holy See in Wolfram’s presence, the American tenor James Kee literally surpassed himself. His performance was simply perfect, radiating pure drama and even in the accurate vocal exaggeration he stuck to the score. He only had one goal: the way to Mount Venus, back into the arms of the goddess of love, which he once had wantonly left. In the dramatical parts Kee convinced with perfect stage presence, willing to explore his vocal limits. |
| DAS OPERNGLAS 9/2022 , J.-M.Wienecke |
| In his intimately sung Rome Narrative, which James Kee performed from the first row next to us, he suddenly is a different man. Remorseful and wise. What Kee presents us here with profound tenoral brilliance is impressively modern. |
feuilletonscout
feuilletonscout.com |
| James Kee portrayal of the Enfant terrible is fantastic and as a singer he does not only persevere ( which is a real achievement, considering the long narration in the last act) ,he even got better. |
Stuttgarter Nachrichten
PDF |
| This destruction of all hopes is vocally and dramatically portrayed in a most impressive way by… James Kee with a phenomenal soul transmigration as Tannhäuser. |
Online Merker
www.onlinemerker.de |
| Mainfranken Theater Würzburg - Die Sache Makropulos - ALBERT GREGOR |
| And James Kee portrays the character of Albert Gregor with tenoral emphasis. |
| OPERNWELT 03/22 , Gerhard R. Koch |
| Mainfrankentheater Würzburg – Die Sache Makropulos – ALBERT GREGOR |
| Apart from Ilia Papandreou, Kosma Ranuer as rugged-robust Jaroslaw Prus and James Kee as vigorously demanding Albert Gregor were vocally truly convincing in this good ensemble. |
Die Deutsche Bühne
www.die-deutsche-buehne.de |
| Volkstheater Rostock – Der Bajazzo - CANIO |
| James J. Kee sang the part of the deceived Canio. His aria „Vesti la giubba„... was convincingly performed with plenty of emotions. The audience was impressed... „a fantastic voice and secure, splendid heights. All with a perfect sound – round, beautiful, fantastic! „ A great success for the American tenor. |
Das Opernmagazin
www.opernmagazin.de |
| Volkstheater Rostock – Fidelio - FLORESTAN |
| Superbe James J. Kee as Floristan in Rostock . |
junge Welt
www.jungewelt.de |
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