American bass, DeAndre Simmons, having been hailed as being the performances "class act" by the Los Angeles Times, continues to gain recognition for his beautifully velvet voice, incisive musicianship and captivating stage presence. He has performed with such great opera houses and orchestras as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, San Diego Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl, Columbia Pro Cantare, Opera Panama, Pacific Opera Victoria, Castleton Festival under Maestro Lorin Maazel, Santa Barbara Symphony, Curtis Opera Theatre, London Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, RAI orchestra, New York Philharmonic, New York City Opera, Opera Köln, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Houston Ebony Opera, Opera Atlantic and others. DeAndre has sung in the premiers of several works including the West Coast premier of A Wedding by William Bolcom, the Canadian premier of Regina by Marc Blitzstein - also recorded for broadcast across Canada and the East Coast premier of Margaret Garner by Richard Danielpour and libretto by Toni Morrison. He was also cast as Detective Watts in the workshop of 'Séance on a wet afternoon,' a new opera by musical composer Stephen Schwartz.
DeAndre has officially performed in either musicals, operas, symphonically or in recital in all 50 states. He has performed in Canada, South America, the UK, countries in Africa and throughout Europe. Highlights of his career include singing Mozart's Requiem in the presence of His Holiness Pope John Paul II and was one of only 10 performers asked to participate in a special concert for Nelson Mandela. In 2015 he was invited to perform for the World Childhood Foundation's 16th Anniversary Gala in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden. As an American, DeAndre considers it a distinct honor to have had the privileged to perform for both sitting and non-sitting Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Regan, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon.
Mr. Simmons continues a highly successful run of performances in recital of Schubert's Die Winterreise. With performances in Ontario, Berlin and Bonn, Germany. Of their first performance music critic Daniel Kepl wrote, " Simmons' innate musicianship and vocal presence was apparent from the first notes of the opening song in the cycle, 'Gute Nacht' (Good night). Immediately filling the nave with his authoritative technique and interpretive intellect, it was Simmons' disarmingly silken voice that surprised, tempering his vocal prowess with gentle prescience. " (CASA Magazine) Adding to his stage roles this season, he sings Oroveso in Bellini’s Norma with the Verismo Opera Theatre and then travels to Vienna Austria to sing Amonasro with the newly founded ‘The Grace Bumbry Way’ project. He rounds the season out with further recitals in the US and Europe.
Some performances have included Händel's Messiah with the Santa Barbara Choral Society and Orchestra, Ferrando in 'Il Trovatore' with the Astoria Music Festival, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Santa Barbara Symphony under Nir Kabretti conducting, and Haydn's The Creation with the Bar Choral Society in London, UK. Mozart’s Requiem with Queens College Choral Society and Händel’s Messiah with Grand Junction Symphony and Chorus in Colorado.
