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Mezzo-Soprano noted for her “commanding and dramatic presence” (Opera News), mezzo-soprano Renée Tatum continues to garner recognition in the most demanding of operatic repertoire. In the 2022-23 season, Ms. Tatum returns to the Metropolitan Opera for Rigoletto, performs a debut recital with The Boston Wagner Society, sings Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Palm Beach Opera, sings a recital with the Needham Concert Society, Mozart’s Missa Brevis and Vesperae solennes de confessore with the Masterworks Chorale, and ends the season with Mahler’s Rückertlieder. Future seasons include Flosshilde and Waltraute in Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen in concert with The Dallas Symphony.

Last season, Ms. Tatum made her Atlanta Opera debut as Cornelia in Giulio Cesare, followed by a recital with the Boston Artists Ensemble. Later in the season, she debuted Fricka in Das Rheingold with Nashville Opera and Margret in Wozzeck with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She also continued her long relationship with The Metropolitan Opera in their new production of Rigoletto and Ariadne auf Naxos. Ms. Tatum’s relationship with The Met spans 11 years and has included nearly 100 performances including Fenena in Nabucco, 3rd Lady and 2nd Lady in The Magic Flute, Emilia in Otello, Inez in Il Trovatore, Adonella in Francesca da Rimini, and Waltraute and Flosshilde in Robert LePage’s Der Ring des Nibelungen.

Tatum began the 2019-20 season as Flosshilde in Wagner’s Götterdämmerung with The National Theater in Taiwan, followed by her role debut as Kundry in Parsifal for Indiana University Opera Theatre. She also returned to The Metropolitan Opera as the Third Lady in The Magic Flute, Azucena in Il Trovatore with Pensacola Opera, and joined Rochester Philharmonic for The Mother of Us All. Scheduled performances in that season and in the 20-21 season included Giulio Cesare and The Champion with Boston Lyric Opera, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Jacksonville Symphony and Indianapolis Symphony, Maddalena in Rigoletto with Mill City Summer Opera, and productions of Giulio Cesare and The Magic Flute at The Met. She has recently been heard as Flosshilde and Waltraute in San Francisco Opera’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Flosshilde in Das Rheingold at The Tanglewood Festival, Francisca in West Side Story at Grand Tetons Music Festival, Jenny in Threepenny Opera for Boston Lyric Opera, and Parsifal at The Metropolitan Opera. Concert performances included Penderecki’s Credo with Indianapolis Symphony, Durufle’s Requiem with Back Bay Chorale, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with The Cecelia Chorus of NYC. She was also heard in concert with Warren Jones at Manchester Music Festival and in a concert presentation of Das Rheingold with New York Philharmonic.

She has appeared as Flosshilde and Grimgerde in Der Ring des Nibelungen with the Seattle Opera, Götterdammerung with the Houston Grand Opera and The National Taichung Theatre in Taiwan, Olga in Eugene Onegin with Boston Youth Symphony, Handel’s Messiah with Pacific Symphony, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with Pacific Chorale, Mozart’s Requiem with Omaha Symphony and Rochester Philharmonic, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with San Diego Symphony. Additionally, she has been heard as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Toledo Opera, Flosshilde and Waltraute for Washington National Opera, Flosshilde in Gotterdammerung with Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Third Lady in The Magic Flute and Grimgerde in Die Walküre at Houston Grand Opera. Ms. Tatum also joined The Hyogo Performing Arts Festival in Japan as Flora in Verdi’s La Traviata, sang Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony and Mozart’s Requiem with The Eastern Music Festival, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with The Boston Symphony Orchestra at The Tanglewood Music Festival. Additional concert appearances include Salome with Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Requiem with the Santa Cruz Symphony, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with The Indianapolis Symphony, NY Philharmonic and Orange County Philharmonic Society.

Ms. Tatum holds degrees from The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and California State University Fullerton. She was also an Adler Fellow with The San Francisco Opera and a graduate of the Lindemann Young Artist Program at The Metropolitan Opera. She has taught voice through the Office of the Arts at Harvard University, was an Artist in Residence at the Longy School of Music in Boston and is a regular masterclass presenter.

Her discography includes: Der Ring des Nibelungen on The Avie Label with Seattle Opera as well as a film version of Handel’s Giulio Cesare with The Atlanta Opera. Ms. Tatum has also appeared in Die Walkürie, Francesca da Rimini, Otello and Rusalka, all part of The Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD Series released on Decca.

Andrew Skoog, tenor, is Professor of Voice and Voice Area Coordinator. Professor Skoog is also conductor of the University of Tennessee Men’s Chorale.

Professor Skoog made his New York debut at Carnegie Hall as tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by John Rutter, internationally acclaimed composer and conductor.  He returned to Carnegie Hall as tenor soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana with Andrew Litton and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.  In addition, Skoog has sung the piece with the American Symphony Orchestra in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center.  In demand for orchestral engagements, Skoog made his international debut singing Carmina Burana with the Bergen Philharmonic in Bergen, Norway.

Critics hail him as ideal in Carmina Burana because of his “full, lyric delivery in the demanding, high tessitura.” As a Carmina specialist, Skoog has performed this role forty-seven times in his career, including with the Minnesota Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Toledo Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Albany Symphony, Bangor Symphony, Baton Rouge Symphony, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Tulsa Symphony, Victoria Symphony, Midland Symphony and Valley Symphony Orchestras. Other engagements include Rachmaninoff’s The Bells in a return appearance with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, Berlioz’ Requiem with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, as well as performances of Britten’s Saint Nicolas, Handel’s Messiah, Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes, Mozart’s Requiem and Ramirez’s Misa Criolla.  Prior to the COVID pandemic, he appeared in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Buffalo Philharmonic and Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with the University of Tennessee Chamber Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with the Knoxville Handel Society, Turandot with Knoxville Opera where he sang the role of Pong, and five performances of Carmina Burana with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Atlanta Wind Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Chattanooga Ballet and Delta Symphony Orchestra.

Also sought after for Messiah, Skoog has performed this work with the Duke University Chapel Choir and Symphony Orchestra, the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, and with numerous orchestras throughout the United States.  He has performed Dvorak’s Stabat Mater with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Choral Society of Durham at Duke University, Franck’s Die Sieben Worte Jesu am Kreuz, Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Petite Messe Solonnelle, Beethoven’s Christus am Ölberge and Mass in C Major, and Dvorak’s Mass in D.

Skoog is recognized for his moving performances of the Evangelist in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.  Other orchestral appearances include Mozart’s Requiem with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Verdi’s Requiem with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Dallas, Corpus Christi, Victoria, and East Texas Symphony Orchestras.  He appeared for two seasons at the OK Mozart International Festival, and as tenor soloist with the Canterbury Choral Society in Bruckner’s Te Deum and Mozart’s Coronation Mass.  Mr. Skoog’s passionate, artistic performances of Benjamin Britten works have attracted attention, with praise for his performances of the Canticles, Abraham and Isaac with the Dallas Opera Project, and Saint Nicolas with members of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

Twice a Metropolitan Opera regional finalist, Skoog made his professional operatic debut as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with the Lyric Opera of San Antonio.  His operatic credits include such roles as Sam Polk in Susannah, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, Camille in The Merry Widow, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Pong in Turandot, Satyavan in Savitri, The Prince in The Love for Three Oranges, The Teapot in L’Enfant et Les Sortileges, as well as roles in Carmen, The Pirates of Penzance, Rita, and Werther.  An alumnus of the Des Moines Metro Opera Apprentice Program, Skoog was a finalist in the Dallas Opera Career Development Grant Auditions, and coached in master classes with John Wustman and the late Jerry Hadley.

In 2011, Skoog was the recipient of a Sandra G. Powell Excellence Professorship. Earlier that year, he received the Distinguished Faculty Award in Teaching awarded by the student body of the UT School of Music. Skoog has served as faculty advisor for the Theta Omicron chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity since 2006. He is a charter member and past-president of the Tennessee chapter of National Association of Teachers of Singing and is past-president of the UT chapter of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

Before his appointment at the University of Tennessee in 2003, Skoog was Instructor of Voice and Choral Music at Tyler Junior College (1995-2003) and the University of Texas at Tyler (1993-1995). During his tenure in Texas, his choirs performed at Carnegie Hall, Westminster Hall in London, England, the 2000 London New Year’s Day Parade, and for the Texas Music Educators Association.