American Bass Wm. Clay Thompson has been praised by Opera News for his “mahogany-timbred” voice. A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Mr. Thompson is a Ryan Opera Center artist at Lyric Opera of Chicago where he sang Zuniga in Carmen on the mainstage last season and covered roles in Ernani, Le comte Ory, and others. This season, he sings the King in Aïda with the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Known for his “…strong, rich, and warm color, [with] the ability to cross over into bass-baritone repertoire,” the recent seasons saw him make his Metropolitan Opera début in the Octet in Brett Dean’s Hamlet. In addition, he covered the Master of Ceremonies in Cinderella with the Metropolitan Opera and sang Zuniga in Carmen with Arizona Opera. He also covered the role of Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Santa Fe Opera as well as cancelled performances as Zuniga in Carmen with Arizona Opera and Lyric Opera of Kansas City.
Other recent engagements include reprising the role of Suleyman Pasha in The Ghosts of Versailles at the Chateau de Versailles Spectacles in France, Handel’s Messiah with Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra, a series of Opera UNTRAPPED online concerts with Wolf Trap Opera, and his return the Minnesota Opera as Leporello in Don Giovanni (cancelled). As a resident artist with Minnesota Opera, he gave performances as Dottore Grenvil in La Traviata, the French General in Silent Night, Crébillon in La rondine, Charles Comiskey in the world premiere of Joel Puckett’s The Fix, Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro, Second Prison Guard in Dead Man Walking, Count Ceprano in Rigoletto, and Palémon in Thaïs, as well as having covered Don Bartolo (Le nozze di Figaro), Warden Benton (Dead Man Walking), Sparafucile (Rigoletto), and the title role in Don Pasquale. Additionally, joined The Glimmerglass Festival, where he performed as Suleyman Pasha in The Ghosts of Versailles, Dottore Grenvil in Francesca Zambello’s La Traviata, and the title role in Noah’s Flood.
As a member of the Young Artist Program at the Glimmerglass Festival, he was seen as The Poacher in E. Loren Meeker’s new production of The Cunning Little Vixen, Father Palmer in Silent Night, and Gladhand in Francesca Zambello’s production of West Side Story.
As a Studio Artist with Wolf Trap Opera, Mr. Thompson sang Benoit and Alcindoro in La bohème, Suleyman Pasha in The Ghosts of Versailles, Yakuside in Madama Butterfly, and covered the role of Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia. As a Young Artist at the Seagle Music Colony, he performed the roles of Olin Blitch in Susannah, Mordred in Camelot, and Superintendent Budd in Albert Herring.
Mr. Thompson sang the role of Zuniga in Carmen at Fort Worth Opera’s 2017 Festival, and in previous seasons has been seen as Colline in La bohème with SOO Opera Theatre, Raymond Buck in the world premiere of JFK with Fort Worth Opera, and Billy Jackrabbit in La fanciulla del West with Kentucky Opera.
Mr. Thompson was a winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Kentucky District in 2013, and was Encouragement Award Winner in New Orleans District in 2014, and the Tulsa District in 2016 and 2017.
A graduate of the University of North Texas, Mr. Thompson performed the title role in Le nozze di Figaro, Daniel Webster in The Mother of Us All, and Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni. With the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, his roles included Leporello in Don Giovanni, Don Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, and the Police Sergeant in The Pirates of Penzance.