Reginald Bennett, bass-baritone

Mr. Bennett is a recent graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music where he studied voice and opera.  For the past year he has been teaching music in Beacon, New York, giving recitals in New York’s Hudson Valley, and performing with the Delaware Valley Opera.  DVO’s Artistic Director is Ron De Fesi, who directed First Coast Opera’s production of Madama Butterfly this past January and February.  This concert marks his first appearance here since the January, 2000 debut concert of FCO. 

While studying in Boston, Mr. Bennett took a special interest in the vocal music of Duke Ellington and began singing Ellington's pieces in recital.  He also felt that he could do justice to African-American spirituals, and has become an authoritative interpreter of this remarkable body of music.

While in high school, Mr. Bennett was a student of Anthony Fast, FCO’s Executive Director.  At that time, Fast, Norris, and a small group of music lovers got together to encourage and facilitate Mr. Bennett’s road to college and the study of voice and opera.  The idea for his return to St. Augustine and a joint recital with Ms. Norris came about a year ago when Fast, Norris and Bennett spent a day together at Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, located in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts.  Fast, Norris, and Bennett have been friends for many years,  and Mr. Bennett is the second generation of his family to have been a student of Mr. Fast’s at Beacon (NY) High School.  Mr. Fast taught Bennett’s mother in the early 1970s.  

Reginald Bennett, Jr. is a bass-baritone and poet of unique artistic  distinction.  Born in Queens, NY, he was raised 90 miles north in Beacon where he began singing at the age of four in his church choir.  Through his parents he was exposed to a variety of music genres at an early age.  This has had a direct influence on his diverse artistic output which yields to the contrasting disciplines of classical and hip hop music.  Mr. Bennett has a growing list of performance credits to his name, including “A Tribute to Paul Robeson” at New York University where he shared the stage with Amiri Baraka, Ben Vereen and Malik Yoba.  National Anthem performances include The Staples Center (Los Angeles), and Dutchess Stadium (NY).  Opera experience includes Marullo in Rigoletto, Porgy and Bess, The Marriage of Figaro, Cendrillon, Signor Deluso, Four Saints in Three Acts, Alice in Wonderland, Viva la Mamma, Lady Bathory to name a few. In 1996, he traveled and performed as featured soloist in Italy, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and Germany with the American Music Abroad Program.  It was this experience that led to his devoting his life to expressing himself through song.  Mr. Bennett graduated from The Boston Conservatory where he studied with Sheila Fiumarello and Robert Honeysucker.  In 2002, he appeared in a WGBH TV Arts Boston program as an ensemble member of The Construction of Boston. With the Cantata Singers he also appeared at Boston’s Symphony Hall in the compelling performance of Slavery Documents and Slavery Documents 2. The same year he was a featured background vocalist on the Record/Heavy Rotation Records (Berklee School of Music) collaboration entitled Shekanih 13 Artists of the trip hip hop song “Into Me”. An active community member, he strongly believes in the empowerment of today’s youth, and has initiated mentor programs to manifest his vision.

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