Darrius Morton Biography
Darrius Morton is a lyric tenor based in Marquette, Michigan with his wife and 1 year old son. Darrius is one of the Michigan’s most active solo recitalists, often collaborating with Jan Brodersen (NMU, ‘78) at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church where they present masterworks from the art song repertoire. Equally at home as a recitalist, oratorio soloist, and as an operatic tenor, Morton prefers a schedule with a diverse set of challenges. As a recitalist, Darrius will present the Upper Peninsula’s first performances of Franz Schubert’s Winterreise in the Fall of 2024, with performances at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church and in the Quincy Mine. On the concert stage, Morton has sung the Evangelist in J.S. Bach’s Johannespassion, and frequently appears as tenor soloist in works by Bach, Berlioz, Handel, Hailstork, Orff, and Schubert. On the operatic stage, Mr. Morton most recently has performed the role of Rodolfo in Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème, and holds the honor of being the youngest African-American tenor since George Shirley to sing the piece for professional engagement. In the Summer of 2025, Darrius will perform the title role in Gaetano Donizetti’s first opera, written when he was just 19 years old, Il Pigmalione (1816) with the Pine Mountain Music Festival. The role of Pigmalione contains the longest uninterrupted tenor scene in the Italian operatic repertoire. Darrius is most recently a student of Metropolitan Opera tenor and internationally acclaimed Russell Thomas.
Darrius was raised in rural Northwest Ohio, where he enjoyed playing high school football, as well as spending time with friends and family. He did not begin taking voice lessons until his undergraduate studies, after deciding not to pursue college athletic scholarships and instead prioritize music and academics. He graduated from St. Olaf College in 2020 with a BM in Vocal Performance, where he had opportunities to perform as a soloist for the Minnesota Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Houston Grand Opera and throughout many historic churches and concert halls of the Midwest. During his undergraduate studies, Darrius Morton appeared as a soloist in the world premiere recording of Kevin Puts’ Silent Night, produced by Naxos in their line of American Opera Classics.
In 2021, Mr. Morton settled in Marquette with his wife and has since enjoyed collaborating with the cities’ performance organizations and academic institutions. Recently, Darrius was honored as the 2024 Performing Artist of the year by the City of Marquette. Darrius serves on the board of the Pine Mountain Music Festival and attends Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church where he serves as a vocal musician as well as the substitute organist. Darrius serves as Instructor of Voice at Northern Michigan University, and also teaches a small private studio from his home in Marquette. Darrius hopes to invest in the Upper Peninsula’s vocal performance and pedagogy fields to sustain and progress a tradition of entertainment and expression that has existed long before him.
