Rod Kelly Hines

baritone

ARTISTIC COUNCIL, TOUR MANAGER

MEMBER SINCE: 2021

HOMETOWN: Detroit, MI

EDUCATION: M.M. Vocal Performance, Georgia State University; B.A. Vocal Performance, Claflin University

Rod Kelly Hines is a classically trained baritone and versatile artist who enjoys performing in a variety of genres. He feels most at home in choral ensembles, enjoying the spectrum of artistry that he is able to explore within a vast range of musical styles. From 2018-2021 he was a member of the Brooklyn-based ensemble Choral Chameleon, under the direction of Vince Peterson. In 2019 he became an inaugural member of EXIGENCE Vocal Ensemble, directed by Dr. Eugene Rogers. He received a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA, where he performed roles such as: Papageno in Die Zauberflöte (Mozart), Peter in Hansel and Gretel (Humperdinck), and Masetto in Don Giovanni (Mozart). He was also a featured soloist in the opera Silent Night by Kevin Puts, presented by The Atlanta Opera in their 2017-18 season.

GET TO KNOW ROD

1. When did you know you wanted to sing professionally?

The experience of hearing operatic singing for the first time was a revelation for me. I’d already fallen in love with singing choral music, but it was hearing the voice of Leontyne Price singing Verdi that made me want to sing professionally. (Still waiting for my voice to sound like hers though!)

2. If you could commission any composer for Cantus (alive or deceased) who would it be and why?

Tough question! There are so many wonderful living composers that I get to call my friends, but I think I would commission the singular and inimitable talent that is Joel Thompson to compose for Cantus. I’ve had the honor of performing his Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, and I am always overwhelmed and surprised by the intensity and range of colors and textures that he is able to create.

3. What country would you most like to visit as a member of Cantus?

I’d love to travel to France! I’ve always loved the French language—it’s my favorite to sing in—and there’s something about Paris in particular that resonates with who I am as a person. Also, I just want to eat all the food!

4. What is your favorite hobby outside of singing?

If I am not singing, I am most likely spending my free time buried in a novel or a collection of short stories. Saying I love to read is an understatement; anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with books. I’m a pretty quiet guy, and reading is the perfect escape for me.

5. If you could hang out with any celebrity (alive or deceased) who would it be and why?

There are so many! But I will stick with the living and say Beyoncé, because she embodies everything I love in an artist and I would love to talk to her about her creative process, fashion, what books she likes, etc. She’s been my idol since childhood.

6. If you had access to a time machine, when and where would you go?

Time travel seems like a slippery slope but I’d love to take a peek at Ancient Egypt. I’ve always been fascinated by that time.

7. What is the most played album in your iTunes library?

Probably a tie between the 1969 recording of Verdi’s Il Trovatore (conducted by Zubin Mehta) and Lemonade by Beyoncé.

8. You’re stranded on an island – which three books or movies do you bring for entertainment?

I’ll go with books: Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, Just Above My Head by James Baldwin, and Underworld by Don DeLillo.

9. Entering your first year with Cantus, what are you most excited about?

I’m most excited about collaborating with the other incredible artists in the ensemble. It will be thrilling to experience how my musicianship and musical ideas complement and are complemented by the others!

10. Share with us one of your greatest days ever.

I’ll just keep it current and say that in what has been a year of ups and downs for me, the day I got the offer from Cantus nearly knocked me over! I was over the moon with happiness!