Richard Todd Payne
Dramatic Baritone
A native of Munford, Tennessee, Dr Richard Todd Payne, Tenured & Associate Professor of Voice at Missouri State University in Springfield, is a dramatic baritone whose voice is described as "magnificent", "impassioned", and "stentorian". He is sought after nationally for his commanding presence and ringing tones in opera, recital, and oratorio.
In the summers of 1994 and 1995, Payne was chosen among 50 young artists world-wide to participate in the Israel Summer Vocal Arts Institute held in Tel Aviv. While there he studied with Metropolitan Opera veterans Sherrill Milnes, Joan Dornemann, and Louis Quilico while performing in numerous productions. In January 1999, Todd was the featured soloist at the inauguration of newly elected Illinois governor George Ryan, and later made his European debut in Eisendstadt, Austria as the bass soloist in Haydn's Die Jahareszeiten and Beethoven's Mass in C. Learn More
During the summer of 2001, Payne participated in Santa Fe Opera's Apprentice Program where he performed in Lucia di Lammermoor, Falstaff, The Egyptian Helen, and Wozzeck. His professional credits include performances with Opera Memphis, Indianapolis Opera, Illinois Opera Theater, Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre St. Louis, Chicago Opera Theatre, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, Danville Symphony, Eastern Illinois Symphony, Rockford Symphony, and the Memphis Symphony. He has performed the title roles in Tartuffe, Gianni Schicchi, Rigoletto and The Marriage of Figaro. Other roles include Ned in Treemonisha, Dr. Bartolo in The Barber of Seville, Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola, Don Pippo in L'Oca del Cairo, Escamillo in Carmen, Marcello in La Boheme and many others. He debuted the role of “Daddy King" in the Illinois premier of a dramatic oratorio entitled Make it Plain: The Life of Martin Luther King, Sr.
On the campus of Missouri State University and in the Springfield community Todd has presented annual recitals that varied from classical to jazz. In 2003 he portrayed the role of Balthazar in Menotti’s Amahl in the Night Visitors with Springfield Regional Opera with whom he debuted as Alidoro in Rossini's La Cenerentola. In 2004 he was guest soloist with the Springfield Symphony, and received rave reviews for his performance Aaron Copland’s Old American Songs. He has been the bass soloist for Missouri State University’s annual President’s Concert in Mahler’s, Symphony No 8, Beethoven’s, Mass in C, and Orff’s, Carmina Burana. He also inaugurated Founder's Park Brown Bag Lunch Concert Series that was televised on TV-23.
He serves on African-American Heritage Committee, African-American Studies Program Committee, Faculty Advisor for Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity for Men, and Faculty Advisor to Missouri State University Gospel Choir.
In 2008 Todd was the bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah for the Rockford Lutheran Chorale and performed the title role in Rigoletto with the Springfield [Missouri] Regional Opera. In 2009 he performed as Simon in Scott Joplin’s “Treemonisha” with Opera Memphis.
Todd Payne holds a Bachelor's degree in music from Memphis State University and received the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Vocal Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is currently a newly tenured Associate Professor of Voice at Missouri State University in Springfield.
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