Byron Mayes

Baritone Byron Mayes has been lauded for his "deep, projecting, mature, and rounded” voice and "energetic and commanding" presence. As a former member of the Opera Santa Barbara Chrisman Studio Artist program, he performed the roles of Sam in Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti, Fiorello in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Crebillion in Puccini's La Rondine, and Dr. Gregg in Douglas Moore's Gallantry. He has also performed the title role in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Philly in the American Premiere of Franz Lehar’s The Mock Marriage, Petrus in Jeremy Gill's Letters from Quebec to Providence in the Rain, and Belcore in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore. Mr. Mayes is a former fellow at the Music Academy of the West, where he was one of the 2020 Digital Challenge Winners as well as 2021 Fast Pitch Award Winners. In addition, he was the 2017 First Prize recipient in the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation Competition in Santa Barbara and the 2018 Legacy Award winner in the National Opera Association's Carolyn Bailey Argento Vocal Competition. Mr. Mayes is a graduate of Columbus State University, cum laude, and a Doctoral candidate at University of California, Santa Barbara.