Derrick Ballard

Die verkaufte Braut (Kecal), Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz

“With Derrick Ballard as the matchmaker Kecal, the production landed a direct hit. His flexible, present in every aspect Bassbuffo developed quickly into the audience favorite.”

“Especially Derrick Ballard as the marriage broker Kecal achieved an unusually sympathetic profile, avoiding overacting, and overlaid it with outstanding diction and his superior bass voice.”

“Even the unsympathetic marriage broker Kecal, sung by Derrick Ballard, was allowed to have a bit of affability and humor. Ballard proved himself with excellent vocal and text presence in his garrulous scenes.”

“On the other side, in the category “missed opportunities” is the character Kecal: Derrick Ballard, blessed with a smooth, youthful bass, and the superior singer of the evening, invites a double- or triple-layered character study – but unfortunately he had to play the usual grandfather-with-an-alcohol-problem.”

“The matchmaker and contract-shark Kecal (Derrick Ballard) shows his strengths in his exaggerated, failing industriousness.”

“…and last but not least as the insurance salesman replica Kecal of Derrick Ballard with a sonorous warm bass, who through his expressiveness was even able to bring more shading to his colleagues’ performances.”

“And the marriage broker Kecal, slimy and slick like his gelled hair (superior in sound and presentation: Derrick Ballard), anxiously poured out his troubles while writhing inebriated on the floor, in the hope that all his signatures and contracts would conceal his own heartbreak.”

“Very well done – and almost too sympathetic – is the audacious pony-tailed marriage broker Kecal of Derrick Ballard.”

L’elisir d’amore (Dulcamara), Aalto-Musiktheater Essen

“On even shorter notice…was Derrick Ballard (Dulcamara) thrown into the production: The American sang from the left side of the stage…With appealing timbre, faultlessly phrased bass, which is equally at home in the in the parlando and the rapid tongue-twisters in the aria Uditi, o rustici, Ballard turned out to be a top-class replacement.”

“Derrick Ballard sings the quack doctor with sonorous depth and also was effective comically as a toothless, mumbling old man.”

An Occasional Oratorio, Händel Festspiele (Halle)

“The special thing about the interpreters is their deep text understanding, which bound itself with the precise perception of the many varying moods to an aural experience. Thus was the fear of the people, their trembling before God’s might, in the first of the three parts clearly on display. The first accompanied recitative by bass Derrick Ballard shows the direction, his vocal colorings fit perfectly in the orchestral color.”

Saul (Saul), Oldenburgisches Staatstheater

“With his strikingly sonorous baritone, Derrick Ballard knew how to bring the emotional effects of the aging king from the pure vocal presentation confidently over the footlights, while he melded realistic sounds and Baroque line skillfully in accord with each other.”

“Above all Saul, portrayed by Derrick Ballard, vocally brilliant and dramatically moving.”

“In the title role of Saul, fiercely acted and with his usual dulcet-toned voice, bass-baritone Derrick Ballard.”

Die Walküre (Wotan), Oldenburgisches Staatstheater

“Derrick Ballard was often able to downshift his eloquent, excellent Wotan into a mezzavoce and delivered a classic example of dynamic distinction in the long second act monologue.”

“Derrick Ballard was a vocally ideal Wotan, and with such a healthy baritone, is of course something special in the ensemble. The artist could sing his role in any larger theater. A big voice, excellent diction, and a person with whom a director can work!”

“Derrick Ballard as Wotan was also vocally the center point of the performance. With his striking, solid baritone he always found the right expression for the vehement outbursts of rage and sad resignation.”

“Rarely is the long Wotan monologue together with the Fricka scene so suspenseful. The credit goes certainly to Derrick Ballard, who sang Wotan masterfully. Even if his full, rich sounding baritone is still a bit restricted in volume, he proved himself through his nuanced handling of the role and the effortlessness in the upper register.”

“Derrick Ballard, who was already successful in Oldenburg last season as Leporello and Méphistophélès in Faust, and was awarded the Erna Schlüter Prize in May 2010, also proved himself almost totally as Wotan, with consistently good diction, as a relaxed and at the same time very eloquent storyteller, with his mezza voce qualities together with some powerful exclamations, and only at the very end had to audibly work at singing a few low notes.”

“In the process Derrick Ballard develops a vocal narrative flow of compelling urgency and dramatic cohesion. With a wide vocal spectrum of grandeur and contour, he plumbs the depths of the protagonist’s precarious position between conflict and heroism.”

“Derrick Ballard gives Wotan magnificent vocal appeal, contrasting expression and splendor, demonstrating the hollowness of a living, exalted, fearful, failed despot.”

“…especially Derrick Ballard and Rachael Tovey. Ballard lets his powerful bass-baritone ring out in every vocal nuance as the god Wotan; he sings of fury, pain and doubt in the futility of his godly striving for unrestrained power.”

“Derrick Ballard sings this father of the Gods with profound, expansive voice and convincing stage presence.”

“Derrick Ballard, also in demand as a guest artist, offers a Wotan of imposing creative power.”

Liederabend, Kultursalon Haus Wiegelmann

“Saturday a musical experience to remember came to the completely sold-out Kultursalon Wiegelmann in the form of a recital, in which the American bass-baritone Derrick Ballard presented himself as an excellent song interpreter. In artistically convincing homage to the Romantic composer Robert Schumann, who was born 200 years ago, Ballard offered the composer’s song cycle Dichterliebe, Op. 48…With his flowing, gently controlled baritone and his expressiveness in every vocal register, the singer shaped the total uncertainty of the feelings: the powerfully marching “Im Rhein,” the playful “Hör ich das Liedchen klingen,” the shadowed in melancholy “Ich hab im Traum geweinet,” the energetically triumphant “Die alten, bösen Lieder.” Only a singer like Ballard, who has mastered the technical aspects of performance in all its subtleties, can so vividly shape the meaning of a song, whether energetically or profoundly touching the heart.”

Faust (Méphistophélès), Gastspiel des Oldenburgischen Staatstheaters in Heilbronn

“The ensemble from Oldenburg offers a dramatically and vocally captivating performance; notably Derrick Ballard as a robust, completely worldly Punk-Mephisto, who seems to have sprung directly from the New York underground scene. His bass is tremendously powerful and nevertheless always supple.”

Der Freischütz (Kaspar), Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz

“The hero of both evenings was Gärtnerplatz newcomer Derrick Ballard, whose Caspar was sung with extraordinary fullness of tone, and whose acting painted a brilliant picture of outer self-confidence and inner conflict.”

“And Intendant Ulrich Peters got himself a model Kaspar in the theater with Derrick Ballard. The newcomer succeeded almost perfectly with power, agility in acting and singing, and significant dramatic potential without becoming a caricature.”

“The villain could display his villainy onstage. For example, Derrick Ballard as Caspar, who allied himself with the devil: a debut that makes one want to hear more.”

“The new ensemble member Derrick Ballard was a bona-fide sinister, evil Caspar.”

“Derrick Ballard from the Staatstheater Oldenburg made his debut at Gärtnerplatz as Kaspar: staged as a war-scarred former soldier, he presented a broken, multi-faceted demonic character, and was vocally convincing with a well-focused baritone.”

The Pirates of Penzance (Major-General Stanley), Oldenburgisches Staatstheater

“On the other hand, baritone Derrick Ballard in the role of the Major-General and Henry Kiichli (bass) as Sergeant succeeded; the Major-General’s couplet I am the very model of a modern Major General was especially outstanding, sung at an unbelievable speed.”

“…Derrick Ballard romps through the cascade of words with his baritone voice and lets the language do gymnastics on the high wire.”

“…Derrick Ballard (splendidly acrobatic performance of text)…”

Hercules (Hercules), Theater der Stadt Gera

“Derrick Ballard endows Hercules with a powerful and exquisitely flowing bass-baritone.”

“A visit to East Thüringen is worth it for two artists alone. Howard Arman, the new Musical Director of the Altenburg-Gera Philharmonic Orchestra, lives up to his reputation as a matador of early music…and then there is the young American bass-baritone Derrick Ballard as Hercules. The guest artist from Oldenburg, who will be singing next season in Munich at Gärtnerplatz, has it all—refinement, a feeling for style, power, brilliance, fervency. It’s almost a shame that he will have to decide on one or two major directions. He could set a course for around the world.”

“At the premiere, Derrick Ballard filled out the role of the title hero magnificently, a powerful, clearly intoned young bass-baritone, whose brilliance also showed in his straightforward recitatives.”

"The bass of Derrick Ballard grandly filled the title role out: He sang Hercules, victoriously returning home from war against King Eurytos, brilliantly with a rough voice full of depth and volume.”

“Baritone Derrick Ballard, a last-minute replacement…led the finale with the necessary vocal volume…”

Faust (Méphistophélès), Oldenburgisches Staatstheater

“Opposite the other two stood Derrick Ballard; an always stage-present Mephisto, blazing with an emphatic flowing bass, embodying the mysterious and demonic.”

“Derrick Ballard was simply overwhelming as Mephistopheles: a bass with black color, an elemental force of expression and performance, really a true devil.”

“Mephisto proved to be a parade role for Derrick Ballard, who shone as the seducer, with agility and elegance, bold wickedness and terrifying power, in addition to the splendor of his solid, flexible and warm bass.”

“The most outstanding character in the production is the tempter, personified by Derrick Ballard. Rarely does a Mephisto succeed like this; erotic, diabolic, magnetic and repellent at the same time—and comic to boot. A parade role for this magnificent artist, whose Song to the Golden Calf (“Le veau d’or est toujours debout”) belongs to the high points of the performance.”

“It was a fantastic premiere: A courageous and imaginative staging, excellent vocal presentation—bass-baritone Derrick Ballard was even more outstanding—and accomplished set and costumes make the new production of Gounod’s opera Faust at the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater a great experience.”

“Derrick Ballard gave a tongue-in-cheek, but also profoundly wicked Mephistopheles, who created the ambivalence of his role primarily through his persuasive facial expression. Vocally…impressive with his dominant, sonorous bass-baritone voice.”

Classic meets Pop, EWE Arena

“The first standing ovation came as opera singer Derrick Ballard stayed onstage after his aria from the current Faust production, let his hair down into a wild mane and then, accompanied by the orchestra and the Classic meets Pop Band, belted out the Metallica hit “Nothing else matters.”

“And then there were the magical moments that crowned “Classic meets Pop“…when bass Derrick Ballard, with flowing hair and invigorated with a robust swallow of beer, sang the spine-tingling ballad “Nothing Else Matters” with bombastic orchestral cues.”

Die Welt auf dem Mond (Bohnsack), Oldenburgisches Staatstheater

”Derrick Ballard (Bohnsack) came across especially distinguished and present.”

”Above all Derrick Ballard as Bohnsack, who not only convincingly delivered the humorous moon-addicted “Moon-Jester,” but also satisfied vocally.”

Don Giovanni (Leporello), Oldenburgisches Staatstheater

”And quite special Derrick Ballard’s Leporello, which sparkled vocally and dramatically, presented an agile, substantial bass-baritone, and from whom one would like to hear more roles in Oldenburg.”

”…by far the most outstanding voice of the evening was Derrick Ballard as Leporello.”

”One of the high points of the extremely funny staging is Leporello’s Catalogue Aria, splendidly interpreted by bass-baritone Derrick Ballard. In the starring role of Don Giovanni’s servant, the singer—a prize for the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater—in addition to his powerful voice, proves his comic talent as well.”

”Derrick Ballard was convincing in the role of Leporello, through an outstanding comic performance, well supported by his agile singing.”

”You really should not miss the vocal and dramatic performance of Ballard as Leporello.”

”The superbly singing Derrick Ballard releases himself like an escape artist from a wrapping of the finest lingerie…”

”…above all, the newly engaged Derrick Ballard as a very refined, vocally potent Leporello.”

”Fulfilling the highest standards, sparkling with wit and spirit, Leporello from Derrick Ballard.”

”Derrick Ballard as Leporello was vocally both playful and powerful, theatrically lively as he drolly suffered through a ceremonious game of dress-up (and almost undressing).”

Opening Concert 2009-2010 Season, Oldenburgisches Staatstheater

”…and, as Leporello, the new Spielbass Derrick Ballard instantly captured the audience with his voice and charisma. He was just as imposing as Mephisto in Gounod’s Faust…”

”Also new at the theater and enthusiastically celebrated by the audience: Bass-baritone Derrick Ballard—a further enrichment for the already strong opera ensemble.”

”With Leporello’s aria "Madamina, il catalago è questo" Derrick Ballard sang his way into the heart of the audience and ensured the first highlight of the evening.”

Lucia di Lammermoor (Raimondo), Staatstheater Kassel

”Also Derrick Ballard gave the rediscovered malefactor Raimondo an imposing presence with his velvety baritone…”

”Derrick Ballard (Raimondo) also received bravos for his interpretation, but his smooth bass would have been better suited to a less villainous Raimondo.”

”Derrick Ballard imparted a powerful profile to the opaque Raimondo…”

New Year’s Concert, Staatsorchester Kassel

”…the song "West Wind" by Weill with vocal soloist Derrick Ballard. The bass-baritone wowed in the encore of the concert with his virtuoso parlando in Weill’s "Tchaikovsky and Other Russians" and conducted the beginning of the Radetzky March before the impish music director took over with the baton.”

Hercules (Hercules), Staatstheater Kassel

”Derrick Ballard possesses in the title role not only the appropriate figure, but also an imposing vocal power.”

”Derrick Ballard’s Hercules is admirably powerful vocally, communicated with calculated variations of character in a straightforward warhorse.”

”Derrick Ballard shows a wonderful voice as Hercules…”

”…Derrick Ballard (Hercules) shone with intensive dramatic and vocal presentation of human emotions.”

”Derrick Ballard gives a solid Hercules, who even in his lying-down death scene loses nothing in vocal volume.”

”Hercules himself is so busy dying that he doesn’t have too much to sing, nevertheless Derrick Ballard does it very well.”

Don Giovanni (Leporello), Staatstheater Kassel

”Derrick Ballard makes a star turn out of the role of the servant, always agile and with a strong stage presence. In his vocally rich and varyingly composed arias, Ballard joins serious and comic impressions in a fine way, and makes the character unique.”

”…is in every respect perfectly cast, the same also goes for Derrick Ballard, who even vocally steals the show a bit from his master.”

”…the lively, tremendously present Derrick Ballard in the role of the servant Leporello.”

”…Derrick Ballard as Leporello (powerful and extremely flexible)…”

L’elisir d’amore (Dulcamara), Staatstheater Kassel

”The performance of the singers increased over two and a half hours, but only one was at his best from the very beginning: Derrick Ballard, who sang a sparkling, dazzling Dulcamara, as though Donizetti had composed the role for him.”

”Dulcamara is a starring role for Derrick Ballard. He conveys the scintillating figure with vocal brilliance and comic pep.”

”Derrick Ballard splendidly embodies the quack doctor Dulcamara, who sells Bordeaux instead of love-elixir, through the comedic talent of his ideal bass voice.”

"Derrick Ballard made the charlatan Dulcamara into a starring role."

Domenico Scarlatti Johannespassion, Cantorei Kirchditmold

”With Derrick Ballard (Staatstheater), a strong-voiced bass, as Christus at her side.”

Don Quichotte Liederabend, Staatstheater Kassel

”Once again the clean technique, the dependability of intonation and the vocal beauty of Derrick Ballard was engaging.”

Fauré Requiem, Kasseler Konzertchor

”Vocal soloists in the Fauré were Derrick Ballard and Petra Schmidt—the bass-baritone with a perfect balance of grace and expression…”

Benefit Concert Bettenhäuser & Friends, Karlskirche Kassel

”Highlights were the appearances of Ovidiu Weinschenk and Derrick Ballard. They both…enchanted the audience with their powerful voices…Ballard sang the musical theater songs "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Ol’ Man River" and the gospel song "Deep River" particularly well.”

L’Italiana in Algeri (Mustafà), Staatstheater Kassel

”Derrick Ballard sang the role of the duped Mustafà splendidly with his rich bass voice…”

”…the beautiful timbre of bass Derrick Ballard also made its mark here.”

“Above these, without question, commands the baritone Derrick Ballard as Mustafà, in addition to a flexible voice that is also up to the challenges of the coloratura. His comedic talent makes Mustafà a central figure.”

La damnation de Faust (Brander), Staatstheater Kassel

“Derrick Ballard as Brander sings the famous Song of the Rat “Certain rat, dans une cuisine” with the best. One would have liked to have heard more from him, but he had only the one entrance.”

Il Gedeone (Joas), Staatstheater Kassel

“Emotions also with Joas, Gideon’s father (warm and multi-faceted Derrick Ballard), the Orthodox Jew, who alternates between fear for his son and national interests.”

“The soloists are…truly worth hearing: The noble timbre of bass Derrick Ballard (Joas)…”

“…the mighty bass of Derrick Ballard (Joas)…”

“As Joas, Gedeone’s father, we could enjoy the pure bass voice of Derrick Ballard.”

Simon Boccanegra (Paolo Albiani), Staatstheater Kassel

“Derrick Ballard sings the role of Paolo pleasantly cleanly…”

“Derrick Ballard sings Paolo with a warm baritone…”

Competizione dell’Opera, Dresden

“Then the USA-trained bass-baritone Derrick Ballard entered, and his stage presence and talented presentation of Leporello’s Catalogue Aria (full of ironic and clever suggestiveness) was accompanied by the amusement of the public. It seemed the jury enjoyed it as well, along with his well-balanced vocal presentation, and advanced him as one of 30 competitors in Dresden into the Semifinal round.”

Le nozze di Figaro (Figaro), Staatstheater Kassel

“…the voluminous bass Derrick Ballard as the insubordinate and broken Figaro (Highlights are the cavatina “Se vuol ballare” and the glorious Male-Warning-Aria “Aprite un po’ quegl’occhi”)…”

“…like Derrick Ballard, whose Figaro combined humor and vocal persuasion.”

“No less satisfying was the American singer Derrick Ballard as Figaro. With his beautiful meaty bass he gave a shining debut in Kassel.”

Bel Canto Concert, Eve Queler, piano

“Mr. Ballard’s comic performance of “Non più andrai” from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro was as wonderfully acted as it was sung, and was lively, witty and conversational.”

Verdi Gala, Weill Recital Hall

"…the notably expressive talents of bass-baritone Derrick Ballard, in the nobility of his singing, remind one of Michele Pertusi…"

Tosca (Angelotti), OperaDelaware

“John Lehmeyer's direction found some new touches, such as having Angelotti (Derrick Ballard, strong and sonorous) use a votive candle to search for the chapel key.”

Giulio Cesare (Curio), Opera Theater of Connecticut

“In fact, my greatest regret about this opera was that baritone Ballard only had one major aria to sing. It did not come until about 35 minutes into the piece, but when it did, he was a knockout.”

Incident at San Bajo (Giles), Riverside Opera

“As Giles, a biker wanna-be suffering from a fatal Oedipal complex, bass Derrick Ballard anchored each ensemble with his firm, black-toned voice.”

Messiah, Boulder Philharmonic

“…Ballard…brought to the work a richly gifted bass, still on the youthful side of maturity.”

Concert, Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Tour

“Ballard, a bass baritone, showed a flair for characterization both in the mobility of his facial expressions and the coloring of his voice. He found an appropriately dark tone for the devil’s menace in an excerpt from Gounod’s Faust, and a hearty playfulness for “Non più andrai” from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.”

Die Zauberflöte (Sprecher), Colorado Opera Festival

“Derrick Ballard had an impressive vocal command over the bass of the Speaker.”

Madama Butterfly (Imperial Commissioner), Colorado Opera Festival

“…Derrick Ballard’s Imperial Commissioner was sung with a fetching bass.”

Apprentice Showcase Concert, Santa Fe Opera

“…Derrick Ballard swaggered vocally and physically in Nick Shadow’s natty black garb.”