Critical acclaim of Ryan’s performances, interviews & press features
“Intended or not, McKinny’s Count Almaviva evokes the type of buff, bare-chested swagger and imperious self-importance associated with Vladimir Putin. And with his strong voice and robust authority, that’s just how McKinny plays him. He is a man that sees himself in total control of his world with little regard for those that he hurts, including his wife....
“Audiences despise Billy’s character, but baritone Ryan McKinny’s portrayal, while making no attempt to justify his offenses, reveals the protagonist’s humanity through his confusion and uncertainty. McKinny’s resonant voice, especially effective on “Soliloquy,” gives credibility to his job as the sometimes harsh, sometimes...
“Bass-baritone Ryan McKinny was a sonorous Escamillo, bringing Bizet much the same vocal heft he contributed to “Das Rheingold” as Donner, the god of thunder.” Steven Brown, Houston Chronicle “Houston favorite Ryan McKinny is astounding as the confident, handsome, and altogether glamorous toreador Escamillo. His polished and luxurious bass-baritone...
“Ryan McKinny, who played Rigoletto, is one of the finest singers of his generation. The dark but burnished resonance of his bass-baritone made each iteration of the curse motif (“Quel vecchio maledivami!”) something to savor, and the high-ranging parts added an intensity and crucial vulnerability to the role.” Gregory Barnett, Opera News “During...
Los Angeles-born and Juilliard-trained baritone Ryan McKinny has made Houston his home. A+C music writer Cortney Jacobs caught up with the rising singer and Houston Grand Opera Studio alum the day before he started rehearsals at HGO for Rigoletto, which runs Jan. 24-Feb. 9. McKinny continues his HGO roll with Das Rheingold April 11-26, followed...
Houston Grand Opera’s audiences will soon be hearing a lot from bass-baritone Ryan McKinny. He plays one of the most powerful roles in Italian opera, the tormented jester at the center of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” beginning Friday. The company will bring him back in April for double duty, as the charismatic toreador Escamillo in Georges...
