2. OVERVIEW
American baritone Lucas Meachem is an internationally sought-after performer whose
compelling lyric baritone voice and dramatic interpretations have led him to the world’s
most important operatic stages. Hailed by critics as “vocally faultless and a natural
actor” (Classical Chicago Review) with “a clear baritone whose fragments can pierce the
soul” (Forum Opera), and “a rockstar of opera” (Opera Pulse). Meachem has found both
critical and commercial success at home and abroad. His latest award came at the 2016
Grammys where he took home a Grammy for Best Opera Recording as Figaro in Los
Angeles Opera’s Production of The Ghosts of Versailles. Named the winner of San
Francisco Opera’s inaugural “Emerging Star of the Year” Award in 2016, Meachem
highlighted this previous season with a triumphant return to San Francisco in September
as Dr. Malatesta in Laurent Pelly’s production of Donizetti’s comic masterpiece Don
Pasquale. Meachem then returned to his frequent collaborators at Lyric Opera of Chicago
for role debut as Chorèbe in Les Troyens under Principal Conductor Sir Andrew Davis,
followed by his house and role debut as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly at the Dallas
Opera. Following his American success he arrived in Germany at the Dresden Semperoper
to reprise the role of Don Giovanni in a new production he helped create under the direction
of Andreas Kriegenburg. Afterwards he sang the Baritone solo with conductor Emmanuel
Villaume in one of his favorite works, Ein Deutches Requiem with the Prague Philharmonia.
lucasmeachem.com
3. “...[an] earnest, appealing baritone.”
Making the most of his appealing,
flexible voice, Meachem handled
[Figaro]'s substantial vocal
challenges with ease.
“ ”
A clear baritone but whose fragments can pierce
the soul, Lucas Meachem has it all.
“ ”
MEDIA QUOTES
A natural performer, this rock star of
opera held the audience in thrall from the
first raised eyebrow, dazzling everyone
with the power and beauty of his voice.
“ ”
lucasmeachem.com
4. MEDIA QUOTESAs Malatesta, Baritone Lucas Meachem was a
commanding presence, vocally forceful throughout.“ ”
Visibly at ease in the upper register, Lucas Meachem
gratifies, the public…[with] a commanding presence,
and a clear timbre with a nice color.
“ ”
[Lucas Meachem's] voice is beautifully projected, ranging
from wide and powerful to a delicate pianissimo.“ ”
Singing easily with a big, ripe baritone, Meachem
was vocally faultless and a natural actor.“ ”
lucasmeachem.com
5. MEDIA COVERAGE
“Karaoke Is Key to Singer’s Success”
by Pia Catton
“A Conversation with Lucas Meachem
— San Francisco Opera’s Barber of Seville”
by Sean Martinfield
“Take 5 | Lucas Meachem”
“Baritone celebrates his
marriage with unusual recital”
by Joshua Kosman
lucasmeachem.com
6. American baritone Lucas Meachem is an internationally sought-after performer whose compelling
lyric baritone voice and dramatic interpretations have led him to the world’s most important operatic
stages. Hailed by critics as “vocally faultless and a natural actor” (Classical Chicago Review) with “a
clear baritone whose fragments can pierce the soul” (Forum Opera), and “a rock star of opera” (Opera
Pulse), his latest awards came at the 2017 Grammys where he took home a Grammy for Best Opera
Recording as Figaro in Los Angeles Opera’s Production of The Ghosts of Versailles and San Francisco
Opera’s inaugural “Emerging Star of the Year” Award in 2016.
Fresh off his Grammy win, Meachem began his 2017-2018 season returning to the Metropolitan Opera
in one of his signature roles performing as Marcello in Franco Zeffirelli’s production of La bohème.
After, he will debut with Houston Grand Opera in his most iconic role of Figaro in The Barber of Seville.
Then, Meachem will tackle his 50th operatic role as Athanaël in Thaïs with the Minnesota Opera and
finally, Meachem will return to the Dresden Semperoper to reprise the title role of Mozart’s Don
Giovanni. Lucas will then finish out his season with a series of concerts in Salzburg, Montreal, Prague,
Grafenegg, and Napa Valley.
He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2008 in the role of General Rayevsky in Prokofiev’s War &
Peace and returned in 2011 as Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette. Performing often with the Lyric Opera of
Chicago, he made his debut as Oreste in Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride. Since then he has returned to
Chicago Lyric as Valentin in Faust; Chorèbe in Les Troyens; Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream;
and Marcello in La bohème. He has appeared with San Francisco Opera as the title role in Eugene
Onegin, Don Giovanni, and Il barbiere di Siviglia; Papageno in Die Zauberflöte; Dottor Malatesta in Don
Pasquale; Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro; and Fritz/Frank in Korngold’s Die tote Stadt.
A regular performer across Europe, Meachem has made recent debuts in the title role of Figaro in Il
barbiere di Siviglia with the Vienna State Opera and Den Norske Opera in Oslo, Norway; Semperoper
Dresden as the title role in Don Giovanni; Opéra National de Paris as the title role in Britten’s Billy Budd;
Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro. A favorite of audiences in
London, Meachem has appeared with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as the title role in Il
barbiere di Siviglia, Marcello in La bohème, and as Aeneas in Dido & Aeneas.
Born in North Carolina, Lucas Meachem studied music at the Eastman School of Music and Yale
University before becoming an Adler fellow with the San Francisco Opera. BIOGRAPHY
lucasmeachem.com
7. AT A GLANCE
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
• Met Debut as General Rayevsky in War and Peace in 2007 with Gergiev at age 29
• Hollywood Bowl Concert with Gustavo Dudamel as Silvio in Pagliacci
• Vienna Staatsoper debut in title role of Barber of Seville
• Paris Opera debut in title role of Billy Budd
• European Tour with Anna Netrebko and Emmanuel Villaume as Robert and Ibn-Hakia in Iolanta
• Grammy Win as Figaro for LA Opera's Ghosts of Versailles
BIGRAPHICAL INFO:
• Born in Raleigh, North Carolina
• Attended Eastman School of Music and Yale University
• Alum of San Francisco Adler Program
• Lives in Minneapolis with his wife, pianist/vocal coach Irina Meachem
FUN FACTS:
• An avid karaoke singer, Lucas got his big break after being
heard singing Karaoke by opera star Susan Graham
• His wife, Irina Meachem, is a world-class piano accompanist
and vocal coach, and the two frequently perform together
• Lucas and his wife own a beloved rescue dog, Teemo, and are
advocates of animal rights
• Both Lucas and his wife are dedicated vegans
lucasmeachem.com
10. VIDEOS
Barber of Seville at San
Diego Opera
Iolanta at
San Francisco Opera
"Opera in the Park"
Recording of
Figaro's Aria from
Ghosts of Versailles
lucasmeachem.com
11. MORE INFORMATION
PUBLIC RELATIONS AND DIGITAL MARKETING
Unison Media
Andrew Ousley
President
andrew@unison.media
917.331.2337
MANAGEMENT
Opus 3 Artists
Caroline Woodfield
cwoodfield@opus3artists.com
212.584.7526
