Ryan Speedo Green facts for kids
Ryan Speedo Green (born April 1, 1986) is an American bass-baritone opera singer. He is known for his powerful voice and performances in major opera houses around the world.
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Life and Career
Green was born in Suffolk, Virginia. He grew up in a challenging environment. His middle name, Speedo, comes from his father, who was a bodybuilder and named him after his favorite sporting brand. Ryan has embraced this unique name and made it his own.
Education and Early Achievements
Green studied music at the Hartt School of Music, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree. He then continued his studies at Florida State University, earning a Master of Music degree. He won several important singing competitions early in his career. In March 2011, he was one of the five winners of the prestigious Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
After an article about him appeared in The New York Times, a book about his life was published. The book, titled Sing for Your Life: A Story of Race, Music, and Family, came out in October 2016. In 2014, he received the George London Foundation Award. He also won first prize from the Gerda Lissner Foundation. Green was a finalist in the Palm Beach Opera's singing competition. He also completed the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.
Opera Performances
Green has performed in many famous operas. He sang the Commendatore in Don Giovanni at the Juilliard School in New York. He also performed this role at Opera Colorado in Denver. While at Opera Colorado in 2010–11, he also sang Colline in La bohème and Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola. In 2012, he sang Colline again for Central City Opera. In 2014, he performed as Zuniga in Carmen for the Wolf Trap Opera Company in Vienna, Virginia.
Metropolitan Opera Debuts
Ryan Speedo Green made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in the 2012–13 season. He appeared as Mandarin in Puccini's Turandot. He also sang as a Grail Knight in Parsifal. In the next season, he performed as the Bonze in Madama Butterfly and as the Jailer in Tosca. During the 2014–15 season, he sang Rambo in The Death of Klinghoffer at the Met. Green returned to the Met in 2016 as Colline. In 2018, he sang Oroe in Semiramide. In 2025, he performed as Queequeg in the Met's first production of Jake Heggie's Moby-Dick.
Vienna State Opera and Guest Appearances
In 2014, Green became a member of the Vienna State Opera in Austria. His roles there included Angelotti in Tosca and Sparafucile in Rigoletto. He also sang Basilio in The Barber of Seville and a Jew in Salome. Other roles included Fouquier-Tinville in Andrea Chénier and a Monk in Don Carlos. He performed as Titurel in Parsifal, the King in Aida, Timur in Turandot, and Varlaam in Boris Godunov.
As a guest artist, he appeared in Opéra de Lille's 2016 production of Il trovatore as Ferrando. Later that year, Green made his debut at the Salzburg Festival. He sang as one of the Kings in Die Liebe der Danae.
Concert Performances
Beyond opera, Green has also performed in many concerts. He has sung in Handel's Messiah. He also performed in Mozart's Requiem and Coronation Mass. He sang in Verdi's Messa da Requiem. He has performed Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 several times, starting in 2014 with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Honors and Awards
- 2011: Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
- 2011: Sara Tucker Study Grant
- 2014: George London Foundation Award
- 2014: First prize from the Gerda Lissner Foundation
- 2014: Leonore Annenberg Fund for the Performing and Visual Arts Grant
- 2014: Richard Tucker Career Grant
