Malcolm MACKENZIE

With a voice described as having a “rich vocal range full of inviting nuance,” Malcolm MacKenzie is quickly capturing attention in the dramatic baritone repertoire. Opera News recently raved that "his rich, warm, and dark tone was bolstered by a relentless legato line which amplified the sensuous sleaziness of his Scarpia" and praised him as a “confident, commanding Count di Luna . . . of robust tone, ardent address, arching phrases and genuine baritonal squillo." In the upcoming 2026–2027 season, Mr. MacKenzie makes his debut with Houston Grand Opera as Elder McLean in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, returns to the Metropolitan Opera to cover a role in Massenet’s Manon, and sings Benoit/Alcindoro in La bohème. He will also return to the role of Di Luna in Il Trovatore with New Orleans Opera.

Mr. MacKenzie has been heard at leading opera houses throughout the U.S. and Europe, appearing at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Paris Opera (Bastille), Finland’s Savonlinna Festival, Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, San Diego Opera, Arizona Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and Pittsburgh Opera in roles including Simon Boccanegra in Simon Boccanegra, Baron Scarpia in Tosca, the title role in Rigoletto, Iago in Otello, Tonio in I pagliacci, Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni, Count di Luna in Il trovatore, Renato in Un ballo in maschera, Jack Rance in La fanciulla del West, Marcello in La bohème, Germont in La traviata, and Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro.

In the 2025–2026 season, Mr. MacKenzie returned to the Metropolitan Opera for their production of Innocence, sang Pandolfe in Cendrillon with North Carolina Opera, and appeared with Austin Opera for their 40th Anniversary Gala concert celebration. Earlier in 2025, he returned to the Metropolitan Opera to sing the role of Stubb in their highly acclaimed production of Moby-Dick. He also sang Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with both Austin Opera and Opera San Antonio. Additional recent engagements include Mark Torrence in The Shining with Atlanta Opera, Germont in La traviata with both Eugene Opera and Knoxville Opera, Uncle John in Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie’s The Grapes of Wrath with MasterVoices for his Carnegie Hall debut, and a cover of Owen/Johnson in San Francisco Opera’s production of Omar. Previous seasons saw him reprise Mark Torrence in The Shining at Atlanta Opera, sing Germont in La traviata with Eugene Opera and Knoxville Opera, appear as Uncle John in The Grapes of Wrath with MasterVoices, and cover Owen/Johnson in Omar and the Father-in-Law in Kaija Saariaho’s Innocence at San Francisco Opera.

In 2022, Mr. MacKenzie created the role of Johnson/Owen in the world premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Omar by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels. Other recent engagements include returns to North Carolina Opera as Baron Scarpia in Tosca, Colorado Opera as Germont in La traviata, and Pittsburgh Opera as Stubb in Jake Heggie’s Moby-Dick; role debuts as the title role in Rigoletto with North Carolina Opera and Baron Scarpia in Tosca with Opera Omaha; Tonio in I pagliacci with Dayton Opera; creating the role of Roger Chillingworth in the world premiere of Lori Laitman’s The Scarlet Letter with Colorado Opera; returning to LA Opera as Stubb in Moby-Dick; Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with Eugene Opera; Giorgio Germont in La traviata with Virginia Opera; Schaunard in La bohème with San Diego Opera; a return to the Metropolitan Opera as Dancaïre in Carmen; the title role in Simon Boccanegra with Kentucky Opera; Belcore in L'elisir d'amore with San Diego Opera; Iago in Otello with Nashville Opera; Count di Luna in Il trovatore with Arizona Opera; Alfio/Tonio in Cavalleria rusticana/I pagliacci with Arizona Opera; and Jack Rance in La fanciulla del West with Nashville Opera.

On the concert stage, Mr. MacKenzie has performed frequently as the baritone soloist in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, most recently with the Modesto Symphony, New West Symphony, the Symphony Orchestra of the University of California, Davis, and the Savannah Symphony. He has also appeared with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Pacific Chorale, the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra, and the Madison Symphony.

Mr. Mackenzie earned his undergraduate degree at UCLA and served on the faculty of the University of California at Davis as an Adjunct Professor of Voice.