BIOGRAPHY
“Indian-American tenor ALOK KUMAR is described by The Guardian as “a knockout… technically assured, his singing resonates with the raw pathos of a man on the edge – and his acting… equally compelling;” by Bachtrack as “a commanding presence with a depth and resounding resonance, exhilarating as he faced up Carmen at the end” and The Spectator remarks “Kumar’s tenor is certainly ardent. There’s something in the way he socks those top notes towards the gods…”
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Fresh off debuts in Austria, Canada and Australia, and returns to Scotland, Hong Kong and the United States, ALOK KUMAR makes an unprecedented 2025 concert appearance in his native India. Opening Portland Opera’s 2025-2026 season, he reprises the role of RODOLFO in La bohème following his Metropolitan Opera return as CAESAR* in John Adams’s Antony and Cleopatra, and concerts with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9.
In 2024 MR. KUMAR made several house debuts, including those with Vancouver Opera as DON JOSÉ in Carmen, Volksoper Wien as LAZARUS in Adams’s Gospel According to the Other Mary, State Opera South Australia in Adelaide as EDGARDO in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Fort Worth Opera as RODOLFO in La bohème. In the titled roles of Gounod's FAUST and Massenet's WERTHER he was featured with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera following his highly acclaimed 2023 Scottish Opera debut and four-city tour as DON JOSÉ in Carmen. That same year, he returned to Hong Kong as PERCY in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena, and made his Portland Opera debut in Sankaram’s Thumbprint.
“Of his 2024 Australian debut as EDGARDO in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Glam Adelaide raves: “And then there was Alok Kumar as Edgardo, another extraordinary voice from the world stage” “[Kumar] has the ability to hold you in the palm of his hand…” “... the range of emotional access in [Kumar’s] vocal work goes the full gamut” “[Kumar’s] vocal dexterity is a masterclass for the tenor voice.” ”
In concert, he appears with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra (2025) for Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9, following most recent invitations from each San Diego Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra and The New Choral Society for Verdi’s Requiem, Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West, and Mozart’s Requiem.
ALOK KUMAR has collaborated with conductors Marek Janowski, Sir Simon Rattle, Susanna Mälkki, Stéphane Denève, Marco Armiliato, James Conlon, Bertrand de Billy, Lothar Koenigs, Carlo Rizzi, Riccardo Frizza, Kensho Watanabe, Valerio Galli, Joseph Rescigno, Ramón Tebar, Lio Kuokman and Maria Badstue, and in productions led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Valery Gergiev and John Adams. Most recently he was invited to sing by Rafael Payare and Franz Welser-Möst, and in 2024, appeared with Miguel Harth Bedoya, Les Dala, Nicole Paiement, Stuart Stratford, Dane Lam and Lucia Marin.
Internationally renowned venues MR. KUMAR has been featured as guest artist with orchestra, include 2023 appearances with Scottish Opera: at Festival Theatre in Edinburgh, Theatre Royal in Glasgow, His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen and Eden Court in Inverness; following invitations by the Royal Opera House to be featured with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2017: at Symphony Hall in Birmingham, Curve Theater in Leister, Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, and a return in 2020 to perform at Royal Festival Hall. He has also appeared at Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium) in New York, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Spoleto Festival in Spoleto, Le Domaine Forget Int’l Music Festival in Quebec, and Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico.
He has made a series of monumental débuts in the United Kingdom, beginning with an invitation by the Royal Opera House to have MR. KUMAR create the leading tenor role, CHYAVANA, for the 2017 world premiere of Ravi Shankar’s only opera, Sukanya. Also, in collaboration with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Singers, and 59 Productions, Sukanya was taken on a 4-city tour. KUMAR reappeared with the LPO at Royal Festival Hall in 2020, when the complete opera was revived as part of the Shankar Centennial Celebration, in anticipation of the BBC album release, in which he is featured.
In 2019-2020, MR. KUMAR debuted with Opera Omaha as PINKERTON in Madama Butterfly, and returned to The Metropolitan Opera stage for role debuts as THE ITALIAN SINGER in Der Rosenkavalier and DER STEUERMAN in Der fliegende Holländer. Amongst cancellations of the 2020 pandemic, KUMAR was to have company debuts with Opera Hong Kong as DON JOSÉ in Carmen, Virginia Opera as RADAMÈS in Aida, and in concert was to perform Verdi’s Requiem in New York, and Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 with Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Since making his 2018 stage debut, The Metropolitan Opera has regularly invited ALOK KUMAR to join their subsequent seasons. In 2025 he returned to the Met Opera for Antony and Cleopatra (CAESAR*), following lead role undertakings in productions of The Hours (LOUIS*), The Rake’s Progress (TOM RAKEWELL*), and Gianni Schicchi (RINUCCIO*). In other roles, he has also been seen and heard across the globe in Met - Live in HD broadcasts of Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West (2018), Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor (2021), and Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos (2022).
Past appearances include those with Michigan Opera Theater, Florida Grand Opera and Palm Beach Opera as DON JOSÉ in Carmen and the DUCA DI MANTOVA in Rigoletto. Other leading roles performed around the country include ALFREDO in La Traviata, MACDUFF in Macbeth, and as CALAF in Turandot. In recent seasons he has also sung with Los Angeles Opera in La Traviata, subsequently invited for lead roles in Moses and The Count of Monte Cristo. Additionally, MR. KUMAR was invited to partake in the creation of Ricky Ian Gordon’s Intimate Apparel with Lincoln Center and appeared in Houston Grand Opera’s HGOco serial web opera entitled “Star Cross’d.”
ALOK KUMAR is an alumnus of The Peabody Conservatory of Music, Rice University - Shepherd School of Music, Santa Fe Opera - Apprentice Program, Boston University - Opera Institute, and Suffolk Law School in MA.
When he is not on the road performing, ALOK KUMAR maintains a private law practice in Los Angeles, California - where he resides with his wife and daughter.
*indicates 1st cover
SOCIAL MEDIA
SCHEDULE
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
NOV 15, 2025 - Portland, OR
Portland Opera
Puccini: La Bohème - Rodolfo
Nicholas Fox, Conductor
Cara Consilvio, Director
TICKETS AND DETAILS
NOV 21, 2025 - Portland, OR
Portland Opera
Puccini: La Bohème - Rodolfo
Nicholas Fox, Conductor
Cara Consilvio, Director
TICKETS AND DETAILS
NOV 23, 2025 - Portland, OR
Portland Opera
Puccini: La Bohème - Rodolfo
Nicholas Fox, Conductor
Cara Consilvio, Director
TICKETS AND DETAILS
PAST PERFORMANCE Highlights
MAY 12 - JUN 7 2025 - New York, NY
Metropolitan Opera
Adams: Antony and Cleopatra - (Caesar)
John Adams, Conductor
Elkhanah Pulitzer, Director
MAR 9, 2025 - Honolulu, HI
Hawaii Symphony Orchestra
Beethoven: Ode to Joy - Tenor Soloist
Dane Lam, Conductor
NOV 8 - 16, 2024 - Adelaide, Australia
State Opera of South Australia
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor - Edgardo
Lucía Marín, Conductor
Laura Hansford, Rev. Director
JUN 15 - 30, 2024 - Vienna, Austria
Volksoper Wien
Adams: The Gospel According to the
Other Mary - Lazarus
Nicole Paiement, Conductor
Lisenka Heijboer Castañón, Director
APR 27 - MAY 4, 2024 - Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Opera
Bizet: Carmen - Don José
Les Dala, Conductor
Rachel Peake, Director
APR 5 & 7, 2024 - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Opera
Puccini: La Bohème - Rodolfo
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Conductor
Chuck Hudson, Director
MAR 1 & 3, 2024 - Glasgow, Scotland
Scottish National Opera
French Collection Concert
Stuart Stratford, Conductor
DEC 9 & 10, 2023 - Hong Kong
Musica Viva Hong Kong
Donizetti: Anna Bolena - Percy
Jeffrey Lueng Shu-ming, Conductor
Lo Kingman, Director
MAY 12 - JUN 17, 2023 - Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh SCOTLAND
Scottish Opera
Bizet: Carmen - Don José
Dane Lam, Conductor
John Fulljames, Director
MAR 18 - MAR 26, 2023 - Portland, OR
Portland Opera
Sankaram: Thumbprint - Faiz
Maria Badstue, Conductor
Omer Ben Seadia, Director
NOV 22 - DEC 15, 2022 - New York, NY
Metropolitan Opera
Puts: The Hours - Louis (Cover)
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Conductor
Phelim McDermott, Producer
NOV 3 - DEC 3, 2022 - New York, NY
Metropolitan Opera
Verdi: Don Carlo - Conte di Lerma
Carlo Rizzi, Conductor
David McVicar, Producer
OCT 23, 2022 - Scarsdale, NY
The New Choral Society
Mozart: Requiem - Tenor
Dr. John T. King, Conductor
OCT 1 & 2, 2022 - San Diego, CA
San Diego Symphony
Verdi: Messa da Requiem - Tenor (Cover)
Rafael Payare, Conductor
MAR 1 - MAR 17, 2022 - New York, NY
Metropolitan Opera
Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos - Scaramuccio
Marek Janowski, Conductor
Stephen Pickover, Director
APR 23 - MAY 21, 2022 - New York, NY
Metropolitan Opera
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor - (Normanno)
Riccardo Frizza, Conductor
Simon Stone, Director
MAY 30 - JUN 11, 2022 - New York, NY
Metropolitan Opera
Stravinsky: The Rake’s Progress - (Rakewell (c))
Susanna Mälkki, Conductor
Knighten Smit, Director
APR 16 - MAY 6, 2021 - New York, NY
Metropolitan Opera
Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten (Die Stimme)
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Conductor
Herbert Wernicke, Director
CANCELLED DUE TO PANDEMIC
JAN 14, 15, 16 & 17, 2021 - Hong Kong
Opera Hong Kong
Bizet: Carmen (Don José)
Gianna Fratta, Conductor
Enrico Castiglione, Director
CANCELLED DUE TO PANDEMIC
SEP 21 - DEC 12, 2020 - New York, NY
Metropolitan Opera
Verdi: Aida (Un Messaggero)
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Conductor
Michael Mayer, Director
CANCELLED DUE TO PANDEMIC
MAY 29 - 31, 2020 - Guadalajara, MX
Orquesta Filarmonica de Jalisco
Beethoven: Ninth Symphony
Jesus Medina, Conductor
CANCELLED DUE TO PANDEMIC
MAR 2 - MAR 27, 2020 - New York, NY
Metropolitan Opera
Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer (Steuermann)
Valery Gergiev/Patrick Furrer, Conductor
François Girard, Stage Director/Producer
CANCELLED MID RUN DUE TO PANDEMIC
JAN 15, 2020 - London, UK
London Phil. Orchestra/Royal Opera House
Shankar: Sukanya (Chyavana)
David Murphy, Conductor
Suba Das, Director
DEC 2019 - JAN 2020 - New York, NY
Metropolitan Opera
Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier (Italian Singer)
Sir Simon Rattle, Conductor
Robert Carsen, Revival Stage Director
NOV 1 & 3, 2019 - Omaha, NE
Opera Omaha
Puccini: Madama Butterfly - Pinkerton
Joseph Rescigno, Conductor
Leslie Swackhamer, Director
Jun 26, 2019 - Saratoga, NY
Mostly Modern Festival
Paterson: Spring Songs
JUN 1 - JUN 22, 2019 - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles Opera
Verdi: La Traviata (Gastone)
James Conlon, Conductor
Marta Domingo, Director
JAN 26, 2019 - New York, NY
Metropolitan Opera/Lincoln Center Theater
Gordon: Intimate Apparel (Mr. Marks)
Ricky Ian Gordon, Composer
Bartlett Sher, Stage Director
NOV 23 - DEC 15, 2018 - New York, NY
Metropolitan Opera
Puccini: Gianni Schicchi (Rinuccio (c))
Bertrand de Billy, Conductor
Gregory Keller, Revival Stage Director
OCT 4 - OCT 27, 2018 - New York, NY
Metropolitan Opera
Puccini: La Fanciulla del West (Harry)
Marco Armiliato, Conductor
Gregory Keller, Revival Stage Director
APR 26, 2018 - New York, NY
Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
Paterson: Spring Songs (World Premier)
Geoffrey Burleson, Pianist
Paterson: Batters Box
Blair McMillen, Pianist
MAY 12 - MAY 19, 2017 - London, UK
London Phil. Orchestra/Royal Opera House
Shankar: Sukanya (Chyavana)
David Murphy, Conductor
Suba Das, Director
MAR 11, 2017 - Palm Beach, FL
Palm Beach Opera
Verdi: Rigoletto (Duca)
Antonello Allemandi, Conductor
Jay Lesenger, Director
NOV 13 & 18, 2016 - Miami, FL
Florida Grand Opera
Bizet: Carmen (Don José)
Ramón Tebar, Conductor
Bernard Uzan, Director
OCT 23, 2016 - Detroit, MI
Michigan Opera Theater
Bizet: Carmen (Don José)
Valerio Galli, Conductor
Ron Daniels, Director
JUN 3- JUN 11, 2016 - Middlebury, VT
Opera Company of Middlebury
Verdi: Macbeth (Macduff)
Emmanuel Plasson, Conductor
Douglas Anderson, Director
JUN 21, 2015 – Los Angeles, CA
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Galvany: Oh My Son (Jesus)
Dean Anderson, Conductor
MAR 24, 2015 – Sanibel Isle, FL
Sanibel Music Festival
Puccini Concert
Kyle Swann, Conductor
Alan Mann, Director
AUG 22, 2014 – Quebec, Canada
Le Domaine Forget Festival
Bizet/Brooks: La Tragédie de Carmen (Don José)
Paul Nadler, Conductor
SEPT 7 & 8, 2013 – Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati Pops
Puccini: Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
John Morris Russell, Conductor
MAR 23 & 24, 2013 - Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra
Verdi: La Traviata (Alfredo)
Stuart Malina, Conductor
PROJECTS
THE FOUR SEASONS
Composer - Robert Paterson
Robert Paterson’s The Four Seasons consists of four song cycles, with a total of twenty-one songs, for four different voice types: soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and bass-baritone. Each voice type represents a different season: Summer Songs (soprano), Autumn Songs (mezzo-soprano), Winter Songs (bass-baritone), and Spring Songs (tenor). The four critically-acclaimed singers on this album, soprano, Marnie Breckenridge, mezzo-soprano, Blythe Gaissert, tenor Alok Kumar, and bass-baritone David Neal have worked closely with Paterson, and gave the world premieres of these works with American Modern Ensemble, one of America’s most beloved new music ensembles.
SUKANYA
Composer - Ravi Shankar
Librettist – Amit Chaudhury
After a terrible mistake leaves the ancient sage Chyavana blinded, the beautiful princess Sukanya finds herself marrying for the sake of her kingdom. As a pair of swaggering, meddling gods watch this unlikely union blossom, will love grow in the strangest of circumstances?
Taken from the legendary Sanskrit texts of the Mahābhārata, the story of Sukanya has been brought to life in this innovative production with music by Indian music legend Ravi Shankar and combines traditional Indian instruments with Western orchestra and singers. This performance is directed by Curve Associate Director Suba Das and unites dance choreographed by the Aakash Odedra Company.
CONTACT
GABRIELLA CAMPOS: World & General Management
Opera & Symphony
(North & South America)
gabriellacamposartists@gmail.com
(617) 851-3906
In collaboration with:
ATHOLE STILL ARTISTS (Europe)
&
ONLY STAGE (Italy)
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