Orson Gay II

• 2022 Inaugural Hurst Artist
• Best Overall Singer - NATS Recital Virginia
• First Place - NATS Virginia
• First Place - NATS Mid-Atlantic Region
• Winner - Concerto Competition - Old Dominion University

“Orson Van Gay II was an ardent Alfredo...his sound was fluent and his high notes golden.” - Maria Nocking, Broadway World

An operatic tenor, recitalist, actor and a Fulbright Scholar encapsulates the unbound talents of this refined, confident and compelling artist. For his performances as Li’L Big Man (aka “Cherubino”) in Figaro! (90210) the LA Weekly wrote: "Van Gay unleashes a seductively smooth pop voice when Li’l B-Man transforms an ode to Barbara from a sexist rap into a soulful love song."

Recent and Upcoming: In the 2019-20 season, he created the role of Raymond Santana in the world première of Anthony Davis’s Central Park Five with Long Beach Opera and made his role debut as Rodolfo in La bohème with Pacific Opera Projects. He was Nemorino with the Phoenicia Int. Festival of the Voice and sang the romantic lead of the Young Man in Last Romance with Kansas New Theater. Equally at home as a recitalist, Mr. Van Gay has appeared with the Portsmouth Community Concert, Inc.(VA), the Rio Hondo College and at Carnegie Hall in a recital with Wang Wei.

Mr. Van Gay has sung extensively with the Los Angeles Opera in many venues including their “Connects”, “City of Hope” “IAMLA, series. He debuted the role of Bernard Curson in the world première of Figaro 90210 with the company and was Ramerrez in The Prospector in two different seasons. Other operatic roles include Alfredo (La traviata), Ben (The Night of the Living Dead) and the title roles of Candide and Orpheus.

He joined the Cal Philharmonic Orchestra in celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s 100th anniversary and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 as tenor soloist at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Reviewed by George van Wagner he stated “beautifully sung and strongly acted...audience members were visibly moved.” He has sung the haunting role of Orlando in The Industry’s nationally acclaimed production of Hopscotch. In addition to performing in the romantic and Germanic languages of opera, Mr. Van Gay was selected to perform in Mandarin last season making his debut with SINO U.S. Performing Arts Organization as tenor soloist for their concert series with performances in Los Angeles and Phoenix, Arizona.

He premiered Golden; a composition based on the life of Polish composer, Igancy Jan Paderewski by Nathan Wang in Los Angeles and sang the role of Prince in the world première of Ricky Ian Gordon’s Morning Star.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Vocal Performance from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia and has been honored by the NATS organization on several occasions.

As a native of southern California, Mr. Van Gay is also an actor in several nationally recognized television series. He has been featured in major television commercials and starred on a variety of shows for Netflix; including foreign film and television. In 2020 he co- starred on the Disney series Coop & Cami Ask the World.

More on Orson Van Gay ll at: http://www.orsonvangay.com