Frederick Ballentine looking away to his right with his hand resting on his head

Frederick Ballentine

Tenor

Hailing from Norfolk, Virginia, Frederick Ballentine is the 2021 recipient of the Kennedy Center’s Marian Anderson Award.

Currently for ENO:  Log The Rhinegold.

Previously for ENO: George Bailey It’s a Wonderful Life, Nick The Handmaid’s Tale, Sporting Life Porgy and Bess

Career Highlights

During the 2017/18 Season, he returned to Washington National Opera for his second year as a member of the Domingo–Cafritz Young Artist Program, where he performed the Messenger Aida, Herald Don Carlo and Cacambo Candide. He also appeared with Cincinnati Opera as Steersman Der fliegende Höllander. Recent engagements include Sporting Life in a return the Glimmerglass Festival, First Armed Man The Magic Flute (Seattle Opera) and Reverend Parris in Robert Ward’s The Crucible (Glimmerglass Festival), as well as a return to Los Angeles Opera, where he was a Domingo–Colburn–Stein Young Artist, to sing Amon Akhnaten. He sang Herr Vogelsang with Houston Grand Opera in a digital production of Mozart’s The Impresario followed by a recital with Lawrence Brownlee for HGO’s Giving Voice series, celebrating treasured Black artists.

Notable engagements elsewhere: Sportin’ Life (Metropolitan Opera); Don José Carmen (Seattle Opera); Drum Major Wozzeck (Staatstheater Kassel); Jack O’Brien/Toby Higgins Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Opera Vlaanderen); inrecital at the Kennedy Center; Judah in the world premiere of Castor and Patience (Cincinnati Opera).

Forthcoming: Sam Susanna (Opera Theater of Saint Louis).

Last updated: 30th June 2023