Duane McDevitt
as The Pirate King

Duane McDevitt, baritone

A native of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, Duane McDevitt has had an amazingly varied career thus far with credits that include Opera, Operetta, and Musical Theatre. Opera News called Mr. McDevitt “a mellifluous Anthony” (Sweeney Todd) and the New York Times hailed him “a big-hearted Pirate King” (Pirates of Penzance). His casting in the title role in Britten’s Owen Wingrave was called “a stroke of theatrical genius.”

Some of Duane’s signature operatic roles include Papageno in The Magic Flute, Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus, Gregorio in Romeo et Juliette, and Baron Douphol in La Traviata. He has performed across the United States with San Diego Opera, Tulsa Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Opera Pacific, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Delaware, San Diego Lyric Opera, and Connecticut Grand Opera. He also made his Carnegie Hall debut as soloist in Bach’s Magnificat and Festival of Carols by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Equally at home in Crossover and Musical Theatre repertoire, Duane has performed Lionel in the National Tour of Camelot with Robert Goulet, Gaylord Ravenal in Showboat at Allenberry Playhouse, and the Stevedore in William Bolcom’s Casino Paradise at Prince Music Theatre. He is much sought after as a Gilbert and Sullivan artist singing the roles of the Pirate King, Colonel Calverley, Pooh-Bah, the Mikado, Dick Deadeye, Boatswain, the Learned Judge, and the Major General.

In addition, Duane has traveled to over 100 countries with his wife Michele McConnell, performing their duo act Opera on the High Seas and the acclaimed On a Classical Note aboard the ships of Regent Seven Seas and singing for two seasons at the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel in Interlaken, Switzerland.

Duane received his Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance and Bachelor’s of Arts in Musical Theatre degrees from West Chester University and a Master’s in Opera Performance from Florida State University. Duane is currently an adjunct faculty member at New Jersey City University.

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