For over 20 years, in repertoire from Baroque through present day, Keith Phares has appeared in leading roles with Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Seattle Opera, the New York City Opera, Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, São Paolo Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and elsewhere; in collaboration with Hal Prince, Francesca Zambello, Frank Corsaro, Richard Hickox, Marin Alsop, Sir Colin Davis, Sir Thomas Allen, among others; and in recital with the Marilyn Horne Foundation, The American Modern Ensemble, WordSong, Illuminarts, LyricFest and Brooklyn Art Song Society.

Highlights from this past season include Paterson’s and Cote’s In Real Life with Mostly Modern Festival – The Netherlands, the premiere of Hilliard & Boresi’s monodrama Inbox Zero in a staged reading with UrbanArias, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls with Charlottesville Opera, and a return to Toledo Opera as Dandini in La cenerentola. This summer he reprises the role of Sky Masterson at Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, and in the Spring of 2025 he returns again to Toledo Opera as Emile in South Pacific.

Recently he sang Danilo with Toledo Opera, Ty in the premiere of Kuster’s and Campbell’s A Thousand Acres with Des Moines Metro Opera marking the company’s 50th Anniversary season, Fredrik Egerman opposite Patricia Racette in Arizona Opera’s A Little Night Music, Robert Cohen’s Alzheimer’s Stories at Carnegie Hall, the premiere of Herschel Garfein’s King of the River with the American Modern Ensemble, and Daddy Lowell/Mr. Floyd in Borzoni’s and de los Santos’s The Copper Queen film (premiere) with Arizona Opera. 

An ardent exponent of contemporary American opera, Phares sang Kynaston on the Grammy-nominated recording of Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players, Charlie in the premiere and recording of Heggie's and Scheer’s​ Three Decembers with Houston Grand Opera and San Francisco Opera, the Father in the premiere and recording of Spears’s and Walat’s ​Paul's Case​, Dr. Ludwig Binswanger in the premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's ​Ellen West​, Hurstwood in the premiere of Aldridge's and Garfein’s Sister Carrie and the title role in the premiere and live, Grammy-winning recording of Aldridge's and Garfein’s  ​Elmer Gantry.

Keith Phares is an Assistant Professor of Voice at BGSU.