Biography

 

Hailed by the New York Times for his fine singing, tenor David Root's voice has been called fresh and mellifluous by The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Equally at home on opera and concert stages, he has performed leading roles with Nevada Opera, The NY Gilbert & Sullivan Players, Lyric Opera Cleveland, One World Symphony, The Vertical Player Repertory, Hudson Opera Theater and Cleveland Concert Opera. On the concert stage Mr. Root has been heard throughout NY, NJ, OH & CT in works ranging from Bach Cantatas to Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex.

 

David was a member of the widely acclaimed professional ensemble The Choir of St. Luke in the Fields from 2010 through 2024 and continues to appear with the ensemble as guest soloist and performer. Mr. Root is featured on the ensemble's world premiere recording of Pierre de Manchicourt's Missa Reges Terrae. Click here for details. He was also a member of The Phoenix Quartet from 2003 until the group folded in 2014. The quartet, comprised of four classically trained singers dedicated to the exploration of the medium of vocal chamber music, was primarily focused on the composition of new music written for vocal quartet and premiered works by Richard Pearson Thomas, K. Scott Warren and Paul Stephan, among others. Between 2010 and 2014, the group released three CDs: A Clear Midnight, Snowflakes & Sugarplums and Fairy Tales & Lullabies.

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Mr. Root has sung with many of New York City's finest ensembles including Voices of Ascension, Musica Sacra, Early Music New York, Gallileo's Daughters, and The Marble Choir. He was also a member of the Associate Chorus of New York City Opera. David is also very proud to have been a member of The Robert Page Singers, later renamed The Cleveland Singers, from 1990 to 1996.

 

In addition to his solo and ensemble singing, Mr. Root is an avid arranger. All three of the Phoenix Quartet's recordings listed above feature original arrangements written by David especially for Phoenix.

 

Other releases include the world premiere recording of Randall Thompson’s The Nativity According to St. Luke in which he sings the part of the angel Gabriel (Koch Classics International). David may also be heard on Bobby McFerrin's groundbreaking recording VOCAbuLarieS, which is described as "Bobby McFerrin music for the 21st century."