American bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen is in regular demand by the world's leading opera companies and orchestras for his vibrant and handsome stage presence and his distinctive vocalism. He returns to The Metropolitan Opera in the 2012-13 season in Richard Eyre's production of Carmen as Escamillo. Mr. Ketelsen will then make his role debut as Enrico VIII in Minnesota Opera's production of Anna Bolena and later in the season he repeats his celebrated Leporello in three different productions of Don Giovanni at Houston Grand Opera, Teatro Real in Madrid, and at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence.

Highlights of Ketelsen's previous season include Mr. Flint in Billy Budd, and Leporello in Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan Opera, Basillio in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Don Fernando in Fidelio at Houston Grand Opera, and the title role of Le nozze di Figaro at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence. Concert appearances include Brahms' Requiem with the San Francisco Symphony, Beethoven's Fidelio with the National Symphony Orchestra, and Rossini's Moïse et Pharaon with the Collegiate Chorale at Carnegie Hall as well as Teatro Comunale di Bologna's Japanese tour as Escamillo in Carmen.

Mr. Ketelsen made his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut as Masetto in Don Giovanni conducted by Christoph Eschenbach and continued his career there singing the title role of Figaro, and Mephistopheles in Faust, both conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. His trademark role of Escamillo has been seen at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Bayrische Staatsoper, and the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. At the Royal Opera House Covent Garden he made his role debut as Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress and debuted at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence as Leporello in a new production of Don Giovanni. He joined the Canadian Opera Company in a role debut as Alidoro in Cenerentola. Ever in demand, Ketelsen has performed at many of the world's leading opera houses including: Teatro Carlo Felice, Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, the Minnesota Opera, LA Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu, New York City Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Pacific, Royal Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Michigan Opera Theater, De Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam Hamburg State Opera, Madison Opera, Washington National Opera, Opera Theater of Saint Louis, Michigan Opera Theater, the Teatro Real in Madrid, Orlando Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, and Minnesota Opera.

In concert, Mr. Ketelsen made his Carnegie Hall debut with Haydn's Creation with the Oratorio Society of New York and repeated this work with Music of the Baroque in Chicago. In addition, he has collaborated with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Berlioz's Lélio, de Falla's El Retablo del Maese Pedro, and Kaija Saariaho's Cinq reflets au l'Amour de loin, and with the Philharmonia Orchestra in Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex. With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra he has sung both Stravinsky's Pulcinella and Hector Berlioz's Lélio under the baton of Pierre Boulez in both Chicago and at Carnegie Hall. Having performed with the Saint Louis Symphony in Messiah, and with the Seattle Symphony in Mozart's Requiem under Itzhak Perlman, Ketelsen has also performed with the Orchestre National de France, the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Pasadena Symphony, the Pacific Symphony, Richmond Symphony, and Indianapolis Symphony. Among the newest additions to his concert repertoire is Mahler's Eighth Symphony in Madison under John DeMain and Haydn's Harmoniemesse under Franz Welser-Möst in Cleveland. He was also featured in recital with Elizabeth Futral.

Mr. Ketelsen has won First Prize in several international vocal competitions, including the Metropolitan Opera National Council, the Richard Tucker Music Foundation (Career Grant), the George London Foundation, the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation, the Sullivan Foundation, Opera Index, the MacAllister Awards, Fort Worth Opera, National Opera Association, Connecticut Opera, and the Liederkranz Foundation.