Derek Carson hails from the suburban haven of Meridian, Idaho. He has just returned to the Boise area after receiving a Bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Idaho at the Lionel Hampton School of Music. Derek kick-started his love for classical music early in his life as Amahl in Opera Idaho’s 2010 and 2011 productions of Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors. He is thrilled to be working with Opera Idaho again for the 2024-2025 season, and made his Boise debut as the shoemaker Pinellino in Opera Idaho’s 2024 production of Gianni Schicchi. Some of Mr. Carson’s favorite roles have been: Alfredo in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Frederick in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, and Tamino in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Derek has a few special talents outside of singing, including the inexplicable ability to do the splits, an affinity for backbends, a love of dance and choreography, and an extensive knowledge of back-cracking techniques.