Thomas Wazelle

Tommy sings the role of Emil opposite his wife, soprano Ann Hoyt Wazelle as Marie, in the world premiere of Barbara Harbach’s Opera O Pioneers! at the Touhill Performing Arts Center in St. Louis, MO. The opera is conducted by Maestro Scott Schoonover and directed by Mark Meier.

Tommy sings the role of Camille opposite his fiance Ann Hoyt as Valancienne in “Union Avenue Opera’s production of Die Lustige Witwe, conducted by maestro Scott Schoonver and directed by Jolly Stewart.

Tommy sings in a concert of love songs with his fiance Ann Hoyt at the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts in Menomonie, WI. A portion of the proceeds go to benefit the local food pantry.

Tommy performed the role of Ferrando in Mozart’s opera Cosi fan tutte in Haifa, Israel with the New Israeli Opera and the New Haifa Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Ori Leshman and the direction of Niv Hoffman.

Tommy performed the role of Mr. Bennett in Séance on a Wet Afternoon with composer Stephen Schwartz, Lauren Flanigan and the American Opera Projects at the Angel Orensanz Center in Manhattan and & the South Oxford Space in Brooklyn.

Tommy performed in the Composers & the Voice: Six Scenes produced by American Opera Projects at South Oxford Space in Brooklyn, NY, singing leading roles in Paul’s Case by Gregory Spears, Love/Hate by Jack Perla, and Antinuous and Handrian by Clint Borzoni.

Tommy joins the cast of Showboat at the Gateway Playhouse as the gambling wayfarer, Gaylord Ravenal.

Tommy sang the Brahms Liebeslieder Walzes as part of the Music at Southampton: Sustainable Treasures concert series.

Tommy joins soprano Ann Hoyt in a concert of My Favorite Songs from A to Z at the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts in Menomonie, WI.

Tommy sings Tamino in The Magic Flute as a guest artist with the University of Memphis.

Tommy returned to Indianapolis for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s Yuletide Celebration with Sandy Patti and the African Children’s Choir.

Tommy returns to the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv-Yafo to sing the title role of Alexander Zemlinsky’s tragic one act opera, Der Zwerg under the baton of Maestro Paul Nadler and the direction of David Drisin.

Tommy performed classics from The Guys and Dolls of Broadway with the Westfield Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro David Wroe.

Tommy sang with Sandi Patty and Maestro Jack Everly in Sandi Patty on Broadway with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

Tommy performed in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s Yuletide Celebration with Santa Claus and Maestro Jack Everly.

Tommy performed with Tulsa Opera in the new opera The Little Prince singing the roles of the Lamplighter, the Drunkard, and a Baobab under the baton of Maestra Carol I. Crawford. The opera, written in 2004, is by Rachel Portman. You might have heard her music in such films as The Lake House and Cider House Rules.

Tommy performed the role of Reverend Samuel Parris in the Isreali premiere of Robert Ward’s opera The Crucible at the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv-Yafo. The opera is based on Arthur Miller’s play about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, and the production was conducted by Stephen Byess and directed by David Drisin.

He sang the role of Don Basilio in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with Tulsa Opera, conducted by Kostis Protopapas and directed by Joshua Major.

American tenor THOMAS WAZELLE is praised as much for his dramatic stage presence and imaginative acting as for his sweet and expressive tenor. His ever growing repertoire shows a dedication to both old and new works as well as the versatility to inhabit a wide range of roles, including the title role in Der Zwerg, Reverend Parris in The Crucible, Ernesto in Don Pasquale, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, and Ravenal in Showboat. Tulsa World wrote of his Tulsa Opera performance: “Thomas Wazelle’s strong, keening tenor was suited perfectly for the lovelorn Ernesto, and his arias, the lament of ‘Poor Ernesto’ as he bemoans the loss of his love and his potential fortune, and his serenade to Norina, were the vocal highlights of the afternoon.”

Recently, Thomas made his Israeli Opera and Haifa Orchestra debut as Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte. He also made his Union Avenue Opera debut singing Camille in a production of Die lustige Witwe that was spoken and sung entirely in German. And this fall, Thomas created the leading role of Emil in the world premiere of Barbara Harbach’s new opera O Pioneers! at the Touhill Center for the Performing arts in St Louis. He began the 2008-2009 season in Long Island as Gaylord Ravenal in Showboat at the Gateway Playhouse under the direction of Bill Theisen of the Skylight Opera, and sang the Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes as part of the Music at Southampton: Sustainable Treasures concert series. He performed with the American Opera Projects in their annual Composers & the Voice: Six Scenes, creating leading roles in Paul’s Case by Gregory Spears, Love/Hate by Jack Perla, and Antinuous and Handrian by Clint Borzoni, and the role of Mr. Bennett in the world premiere of Stephen Schwartz’s new opera Séance on a Wet Afternoon with renowned soprano Lauren Flanigan at the Angel Orensanz Center in Manhattan.

During the 2007-2008 and 2006-2007 seasons, Thomas sang the title role in the Israeli premiere of Alexander von Zemlinsky’s tragic one act opera Der Zwerg, Reverend Parris in the Israeli premiere of The Crucible, and selections from L’amico Fritz, Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, and Les Pêcheurs de Perles conducted by Paul Nadler and the Israeli Camery Orchestra, and under the direction of internationally acclaimed director David Drisin at IVAI. Thomas also sang Tamino in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte as a guest artist at the University of Memphis, and he created roles in several new operas, singing the Hunger Artist in Jeff Myers’ The Hunger Art with the American Lyric Theatre, and the role of Stevie in Michael Dellaira’s The Secret Agent. At Tulsa Opera, he sang the roles of the Lamplighter and the Drunkard in Rachel Portman’s new opera The Little Prince with Carol I. Crawford, and he made his debut with Sandi Patty in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s famous Yuletide Celebration, and he made an appearance as a soloist in their new spring production Sandi Patty on Broadway. He was also a featured artist in The Guys and Dolls of Broadway with David Wroe and the Westfield Symphony Orchestra in New Jersey.

The 2005-2006 season featured his IVAI debut singing Martin in the Isreali premiere of Copland’s Tenderland, his Tulsa Opera debut as a studio artist singing Ernesto in a fully staged production of Don Pasquale, covering Beppe in I Pagliacci and the title role in Gounod’s Faust, and he made his Des Moines Metro Opera debut covering the Earl of Essex in Britten’s Gloriana. He sang Alfred in Die Fledermaus with Opera in the Heights, the Evangelist and tenor arias in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the New York Choral Symphony Society, made his Nevada Opera debut as Frederic in Pirates of Penzance, and he returned to Tulsa Opera as the Officer in Ariadne Auf Naxos and Don Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro conducted by Kostis Protopapas.

In 2003-2004, Tommy was a featured artist on the Italian cruise ship Costa Atlantica. The increasing demand for his thrilling vocal abilities prompted the cruse line to invite him to develop additional shows featuring his rarely diverse talents in Broadway, pop, jazz and opera.

This young tenor’s talent has been singled out by the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions where he was named a regional finalist, and he was a state and region winner of the National Association of Teachers of Singing Vocal Competition, and an encouragement award from the Gerda Lissner Foundation.

Other Musical theatre credits include the Balladeer in Assassins (Sondheim), Tommy in Tommy, Tom in Babes in Toyland, Nathan Rothschild in The Rothschild’s, John Astor in Titanic (Yeston), the Professor in South Pacific, and Joseph Buquet in Yeston’s Phantom at Gateway Playhouse.