Ricardo Garcia is thrillingly described as possessing a voice, “at times lilting and lyrical, at times intense with excitement” by KWMR FM. He returns to the Houston Grand Opera Studio in the 2021-22 season where, he joins the company for performances of Roméo in Roméo et Juliette as well as Remendado in Carmen and Papi and Jasper in the world premiere of Thompsons’ Snowy Day, both rescheduled from last season in the wake of COVID-19, and the First Commissioner in Dialogues des Carmélites. He also covers Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. Last season with the company, he sang Hans Sachs’ Trainer in Little’s Vinkensport and scenes of Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore and the Painter in Lulu in the HGO Studio Showcase. In the summer, he sang his first performances of Grimoaldo in Rodelinda at the Aspen Music Festival and Valcour in L’amant anonyme at Wolf Trap Opera. His Boston Lyric Opera debut as Luis Rodrigo Griffith in Champion was unfortunately cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a former Resident Artist of Portland Opera where he sang Bill in A Hand of Bridge and Donald Hopewell in Gallantry and covered Andronico in Bajazet before his spring performances of Beppe in Pagliacci and as a soloist in the company’s Big Night concert also were cancelled by the pandemic.  He joined Music Academy of the West as Jenik in The Bartered Bride, Opera on the James as Fenton in Falstaff, and Tulsa Opera as the Lamplighter and Drunkard in The Little Prince. Mr. Garcia earned his Master of Music Degree at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, at which he sang a host of leading roles, including the Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia, Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw, Bajazet in Tamerlano, Le Mari in Les mamelles de Tiresias, Houssar in Mavra, the title role of Bastianello, Lorenzo in Musto’s Lucrezia, and Younger Thompson in Cipullo’s Glory Denied.  As a Studio Artist with Wolf Trap Opera, he was responsible for the roles of Roméo in Roméo et Juliette and Giocondo in La pietra del paragone. He was also an Apprentice Artist at Santa Fe Opera. On the concert stage, Mr. Garcia has sung Handel’s Messiah with the Pacific Chamber Orchestra, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Eureka Symphony, and Gonzalez‘s Misa Azteca with the Rogue Valley Chorale. While at Wolf Trap Opera, he was tenor soloist in the company’s Bernstein at 100 concert with the National Orchestral Institute. He has been presented in solo recital by Castro Valley Performing Artist and as a distinguished alumnus of Songfest. He is a 2020 winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions New Orleans and Puerto Rico District. Previously in the competition he has won in the San Francisco District and has received encouragement awards at the district level. Prior to earning his Master of Music degree from San Francisco Conservatory, he completed his Bachelor of Arts from the University of the Pacific. Prior to beginning his operatic career, he played professional baseball with the Storm, a high independent league affiliate for the Milwaukee Brewers.