Tenor Kellan Dunlap is a frequent performer of opera and song literature. He was recently awarded first place in the National Student Auditions with the National Association of Teachers of Singing, named a semi-finalist in the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition, a finalist in the Federation of the Artsong Competition, and a quarterfinalist in the Wigmore Hall/Bollinger International Song Competition. He was a winner of The Presser Foundation’s 2024 Theodore Presser Graduate Music Award as well as a Meritorious Achievement Award of his alma mater, Oakland University. Recent oratorio work includes performances of Messiah and covering the tenor solo in the Mozart Requiem. He sang as the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah this past December with conductor Madeleine Krick. Venues have included the Detroit Concert Hall, Varner Hall, Devos Hall, and Duncan Recital Hall.

He is an alumnus of the Des Moines Metro Opera and OPERA San Antonio Apprentice Artist Programs where he covered Nicola d’Inverno in the world premiere of American Apollo and First Jew in Salome. At these programs, he also performed scene work as David in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Pedrillo in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Novice in Billy Budd, Die Hexe in Hänsel und Gretel, and Frederick in Pirates of Penzance. Recent operatic roles include Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia, Triquet in Eugene Onegin, Ferrando in Così fan tutte, Acis in Acis and Galatea, Duke in Patience, and 1st Officer in Dialogues of the Carmelites.

He recently performed the role of Bégearss in The Ghosts of Versailles with Shepherd School Opera as well as Spoletta in Tosca and Sellem in The Rake’s Progress with The Glimmerglass Festival. He completed his Bachelor of Music at Oakland University and is a Master of Music student at the Shepherd School of Music where he studies with Robin Rice. Next season, Dunlap will join the Opernstudio at the Staatstheater Nürnberg where he will perform as Gastone in La Traviata, Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte, Der Haushofmeister bei der Feldmarschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, and Abdallo in Nabucco.