Keith Miller, Director Opera and Opera Young Artist Program

Mr. Miller comes to the Crested Butte Music Festival from one of the most prestigious opera stages in the world, the New York Met. Shortly after graduating from Academy of Vocal Arts in 2006, Miller tried out for the Met's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. He didn't get in. What he did get was an offer for a full season with the company, starting with a dramatic new production of Madama Butterfly. Since then he has been a regular performer at the Met, appearing in such operas as Carmen, Tosca, War and Peace, Macbeth, Faust, Rigoletto, Eugene Onegin, Andrea Chenier, and Gianni Schicchi, among others.

A Colorado native, Miller's first career was not on the stage but on the field. A star fullback for the University of Colorado, Miller played in several college bowl games and was a Colorado torchbearer for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He had a promising pro career in his future, playing for the European and Arena Football Leagues with imminent NFL potential. But after attending "Phantom of the Opera", Miller found a new passion. Self-trained, Miller decided to pursue his growing obsession with music instead of football. An audition in Minnesota landed him four offers, including a spot at the Pine Mountain Music Festival in Michigan. Subsequently, he was admitted to Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts. Miller's unconventional start and astounding success, exemplifies his focus, drive and talent.

This marks Miller's eighth season with the Crested Butte Music Festival and his third year as the Festival's Director of Opera and the Opera Young Artist Program. While at Crested Butte Mr. Miller has sung roles in Rigoletto, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi, Falstaff, Le nozze di Figaro and La bohème. Miller, in collaboration with others, started the Opera Children's Chorus, a vocal training program for children between the ages of 7 and 12 and is initiating a teen program for the summer of 2011. Miller also worked with youngsters during a 2009 weeklong stint as an artist-in-residence with the Savannah Children's Choir that culminated in a free public recital. Miller said, "I want to inspire youngsters to find a dream and give them the tools to achieve it."

Read more at the official Crested Butte Music Festival website »