Dr. Thomas Rowell

Education

• Bachelor of Music in Music Education
  Union University

• Master of Music in Vocal Performance
  Austin Peay State University

• Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance
  Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Biography

Dr. Thomas L. Rowell, tenor, is the Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Music, Coordinator of Vocal Studies, and directs USA Opera Theatre. He teaches studio voice, vocal diction, vocal pedagogy, opera history, and song literature. Dr. Rowell maintains a very active performing schedule as a recitalist, soloist and roles with regional opera companies. He has appeared as tenor soloist with Nashville Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Mobile Symphony, Northwest Florida Symphony, Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, Mobile Pops, Baldwin Pops, University of South Alabama Symphony Band and Wind Ensemble, University of Alabama Orchestra, Bluffton University Orchestra, and Choral Society of Pensacola.

Rowell has performed over thirty operatic roles with regional opera companies such as Mobile Opera, Pensacola Opera, and First Coast Opera (St. Augustine). His roles include Judge Danforth in The Crucible, Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Don Basilio/Don Curzio in Le Nozze di Figaro, Ruiz in Il Trovatore, Gastone in La Traviata, Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte, Incredible in Andrea Chenier, Der Steuermann in Der Fliegende Holländer, both Pong and Pang in Turandot, Nick in La Fanciulla del West, Ko Ko in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado, Goro in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Schmidt in Massenet’s Werther, the roles of Edmondo, the Dancing Master, and the Lamplighter in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, Beppe in I Pagliacci, Frick/Prosper in Offenbach’s La Vie Parisienne, Mr. Scratch in The Devil and Daniel Webster, the roles of Rinnuccio, Gherardo, Maestro Spinelloccio, and Maestro Amantio di Nicolao in Gianni Schicchi, Father Grenville in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, Tinca in  Il Tabarro, Prunier in Puccini’s La Rondine, and he originated the role of John C. Calhoun in George Mabry’s chamber opera An Elegant Obsession. Internationally, Dr. Rowell has performed in both Europe and Asia in operatic roles and as soloist. This season, he will perform the role of the narrator in Johann Sebastian Bach’s Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht (“Coffee Cantata”) in a virtual production with Mobile Opera and will direct USA Opera Theatre’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado.

In addition to his teaching and performing, Dr. Rowell has served as choral clinician and conductor of Mobile County Honor Choir, Alabama Independent Schools Association State Honor Choir, Mobile Opera Chorus, and Bella Voce of Mobile, Mobile’s premiere women’s chorus.

Dr. Rowell is active in the Alabama Chapter of National Association of Teachers of Singing, having served as Registrar and Chapter President, and has served as Registrar for the Southeastern Region of NATS.