Acclaimed vocal artist Steven Combs has appeared with many musical organizations including the National Cathedral Choral Society, the Washington Bach Consort, the Washington Chorus, the National Philharmonic, the Master Chorale of Washington and the Metropolitan Opera. He has performed at Lincoln Center, Washington National Cathedral, the National Gallery of Art and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
As a Bach specialist Steven has performed the bass arias in Bach's B Minor Mass and the arias and roles in Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions with many groups including the Washington Bach Consort, the Choral Arts Society of Washington, Fairfax Choral Society, the Cantate Chamber Singers, Oratorio Society of Virginia, the Rockbridge Choral Society and the Virginia Consort. At the National Cathedral he performed the role of “Adam” in a National Public Radio broadcast of Haydn’s “Creation” under the baton of Leonard Slatkin and was a featured soloist in the North American premiere of Ståle Kleiberg’s “Requiem.”
At the Kennedy Center Concert Hall Steven made his National Symphony debut in Magic Circle Mime Company's Production of "The Mozart Experience." With the Master Chorale of Washington, he was featured in the debut performance and recording of Donald McCullough’s highly acclaimed “Holocaust Cantata: The Voice of Poland.” Steven also accompanied the Chorale on a tour of Poland and Germany in performances of that same work. Other appearances at the Kennedy Center have included Mozart’s “Requiem” with the Washington Chorus and acclaimed performances of Orff’s “Carmina Burana” with both the Washington Ballet and the Master Chorale of Washington. Other concert performances have included Handel’s Messiah with the Handel Choir of Baltimore and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Northeastern Philharmonic and American University Symphony Orchestra.
On the opera stage, Steven made his Metropolitan Opera debut in the world premiere of John Corigliano's "The Ghosts of Versailles.” Steven sang the title role in Colin Graham's first staging of Britten's "Billy Budd" at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. He has performed other principal roles with the Metropolitan Opera, The Minnesota Opera, the Florentine Opera and the Boston Lyric Opera. He performed with the Children’s Chorus of Washington in “The Nightingale” by Imant Raminsh. Steven has also performed the role of the Ferryman in Cantate’s production of Benjamin Britten’s “Curlew River”. Recently at the National Cathedral, Steven performed the role of “Samuel” in Malcom Bruno's reconstruction of Henry Purcell’s “Saul and the Witch of Endor”.
Steven is a past winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the recipient of a Sullivan Award and a Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation study grant. Steven holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Vocal Performance and is a winner of the Washington Vocal Arts Society’s Discovery Series Competition. On the recital stage he has performed Benamin Britten’s “Songs and Proverbs of William Blake”, Poulenc’s “Le Bal Masque” with the LeDroit Chamber Players and Mahler’s “Des Knaben Wunderhorn” lieder with the American University Symphony Orchestra.
As a Bach specialist Steven has performed the bass arias in Bach's B Minor Mass and the arias and roles in Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions with many groups including the Washington Bach Consort, the Choral Arts Society of Washington, Fairfax Choral Society, the Cantate Chamber Singers, Oratorio Society of Virginia, the Rockbridge Choral Society and the Virginia Consort. At the National Cathedral he performed the role of “Adam” in a National Public Radio broadcast of Haydn’s “Creation” under the baton of Leonard Slatkin and was a featured soloist in the North American premiere of Ståle Kleiberg’s “Requiem.”
At the Kennedy Center Concert Hall Steven made his National Symphony debut in Magic Circle Mime Company's Production of "The Mozart Experience." With the Master Chorale of Washington, he was featured in the debut performance and recording of Donald McCullough’s highly acclaimed “Holocaust Cantata: The Voice of Poland.” Steven also accompanied the Chorale on a tour of Poland and Germany in performances of that same work. Other appearances at the Kennedy Center have included Mozart’s “Requiem” with the Washington Chorus and acclaimed performances of Orff’s “Carmina Burana” with both the Washington Ballet and the Master Chorale of Washington. Other concert performances have included Handel’s Messiah with the Handel Choir of Baltimore and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Northeastern Philharmonic and American University Symphony Orchestra.
On the opera stage, Steven made his Metropolitan Opera debut in the world premiere of John Corigliano's "The Ghosts of Versailles.” Steven sang the title role in Colin Graham's first staging of Britten's "Billy Budd" at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. He has performed other principal roles with the Metropolitan Opera, The Minnesota Opera, the Florentine Opera and the Boston Lyric Opera. He performed with the Children’s Chorus of Washington in “The Nightingale” by Imant Raminsh. Steven has also performed the role of the Ferryman in Cantate’s production of Benjamin Britten’s “Curlew River”. Recently at the National Cathedral, Steven performed the role of “Samuel” in Malcom Bruno's reconstruction of Henry Purcell’s “Saul and the Witch of Endor”.
Steven is a past winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the recipient of a Sullivan Award and a Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation study grant. Steven holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Vocal Performance and is a winner of the Washington Vocal Arts Society’s Discovery Series Competition. On the recital stage he has performed Benamin Britten’s “Songs and Proverbs of William Blake”, Poulenc’s “Le Bal Masque” with the LeDroit Chamber Players and Mahler’s “Des Knaben Wunderhorn” lieder with the American University Symphony Orchestra.