Alan Held

Alan Held is a Professor of Voice, Director of Opera Studies, and Area Coordinator of Voice at Wichita State University's College of Fine Arts, School of Music. He is a renowned bass-baritone with a four-decade career spanning major opera houses like The Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and Teatro alla Scala. His roles include iconic parts such as Wotan in Der Ring des Nibelungen, Scarpia in Tosca, and Jochanaan in Salome. He has collaborated with prestigious orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and conductors like Sir Andrew Davis and James Levine.

• Education:
• Millikin University (vocal training)
• Wichita State University (advanced training)

Research interests focus on opera performance, vocal technique, and pedagogy. He has received the Dora Mavor Moore Award and the Birgit Nilsson Prize, and holds an honorary doctorate from Millikin University. Since 2017, he leads WSU’s Opera program, mentoring students in programs like the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Program. He also serves as Music Director for the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Notable recordings include Der Freischütz (Pentatone), Fidelio (EMI Classics), and Cardillac (Harmonia Mundi). Recent engagements include performances with Chautauqua Opera and the Metropolitan Opera.

• Advising & Roles:
• Artist in Residence, Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program (2015-2019)
• Guest Master Teacher, Miami Music Festival Wagner Institute (2016–present)

He is deeply involved in opera education, leading master classes at Yale University and Wolf Trap Opera Company. His career bridges performance, teaching, and institutional leadership in music.