Luke Sutliff

Baritone Luke Sutliff wowed the audience and the critics at the opening night of Orfeo. He stepped in to substitute for Rolando Villazon after the Mexican opera star injured his back during the production’s final dress rehearsal. Writing for The Santa Fe New Mexican’s Pasatiempo Magazine, Spencer Fordin recounted his experience: “The heavy lifting in this production belongs to the title character, and on opening night, it fell to Luke Sutliff, who managed it all with aplomb to win over both the audience and the opera gods. At the end of the night, he soared to heaven and savored a lengthy standing ovation.” Reviewers in national publications concurred. Joshua Barone of The New York Times praised Sutliff’s “thoroughly assured interpretation and stage presence,” and The New Yorker’s Alex Ross admired Mr. Sutliff’s “keen expressivity.”    

photo: courtesy of The Santa Fe Opera

Mr. Sutliff is no stranger to the Santa Fe Opera’s stage. He was an Apprentice Singer in 2021 and 2022. He sang the roles of El Dancaϊro in our recent production of Carmen and Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and has covered principal roles in Barber of Seville, The Lord of Cries, and Pelléas & Mélisande. We look forward to his portrayal of Belcore in Elixir of Love in 2024.

Luke Sutliff joined the Houston Grand Opera’s Studio for young artists in 2021. With that respected company, he has sung roles in Romeo et Juliette, Werther, Tosca, Salome, Dialogue of the Carmelites, and The Wrecker. Following his bachelor studies at the Juilliard School, he earned a Master of Music from Rice University’s Shepard School.

This Denver native has won numerous awards. This includes the Shoshana Foundation’s Richard F. Gold Career Grant, the Richard Tucker Foundation’s Sara Tucker Study Grant, and the Sullivan Foundations’ Career Development Grant. He was a District Winner in the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions and a finalist for the 33rd annual Eleanor McCollum Competition at Houston Grand Opera.