Dean Murphy in The Queen of Spades (Photo: Marcus Lieberenz)
Over the past few seasons, American baritone Dean Murphy has established himself as one of the most exciting young singers to emerge from Germany’s operatic ensemble system.
He first came to my attention at the Deutsche Oper Berlin as the Heerufer in Lohengrin – a role that may not dominate the evening, but certainly doesn’t pass unnoticed when sung with conviction. When Murphy opened his mouth, it was one of those rare moments that makes you sit up and wonder: who on earth is that? The voice that emerged had presence and authority; it demanded attention.
Since joining the Deutsche Oper ensemble seven seasons ago, he has taken on a wide range of roles, from Germont in La traviata to Yeletsky in The Queen of Spades, steadily building a reputation for musical assurance and stylistic intelligence. Now, as he prepares to leave ensemble life and pursue a freelance career, the timing feels right. Fresh from singing Rossini’s Figaro in San Diego and with Mozart’s Count Almaviva awaiting him in Boston next season – a homecoming of sorts – this feels like a natural moment to step out on his own.
As his time in the Deutsche Oper ensemble draws to a close, Murphy is full of gratitude for what the company has given him. “It was exactly the right place for me to be”, he says. “I was able to learn many roles and styles of music in a relatively safe environment.” Central to that experience was the theatre’s Opera Director, Christoph Seuferle, whom Murphy praises warmly. “He is one of the kindest and most respected people in this business and is also very clever with which roles he gives to you and when.” The result was a steady expansion of repertoire. “He gave me so many roles that I didn’t even realise I would be able to do, and they fit like a glove.”
With Seuferle now leaving the company, Murphy feels the moment has arrived to move on. “I feel as though I have enough roles under my belt, and now that Christoph is leaving, it’s time for me to spread my wings and go for a full-blown freelance career.” Looking back on his time in Berlin, he sees it as a period of both musical and personal development. “I feel as though I have done a lot of growing up here”, he reflects. “I’ve built my voice and learned so much about how to prepare my roles both musically and dramatically.” Ensemble life, with its relentless pace, can sometimes feel demanding. “Sometimes I wish we had more time… but that’s simply how the German system goes.”
“He gave me so many roles that I didn’t even realise I would be able to do, and they fit like a glove”
Still, the experience has left a lasting impression. “The most important thing I’ve learned is to cherish every time you get to go on stage but also don’t let yourself get too nervous.” Freelance life, he hopes, will offer the chance to approach roles with more space and perspective. “I’m looking forward to having more time to dig deeper into roles and to also meet more people – to collaborate with and audiences to sing for! Every city’s audience really brings a different vibe to the performance and I enjoy getting to absorb each audience’s energy.”
Murphy’s path into opera began with a moment of revelation. Watching Renée Fleming sing Rusalka’s “Song to the Moon” at the 1991 Richard Tucker Gala proved decisive. “When she went up to the B flat at the end, I immediately got goosebumps”, he recalls. “I haven’t looked back since that moment.”
Dean Murphy in The Queen of Spades (Photo: Marcus Lieberenz)
Teachers soon played a decisive role in shaping his musical instincts. During his undergraduate years he worked closely with the pianist Eric Trudel, who, he says, “really taught me what it takes to prepare music properly, with attention to detail and language.” Trudel also introduced him to the voice teacher Valerie Sorel, with whom Murphy has now studied for more than a decade. “She really built my voice and taught me how to do so on my own too.” Alongside Sorel he continues to work closely with the coach Elda Laro at Deutsche Oper Berlin. “I coach nearly everything I do with her.”
It was during college that Murphy realised where his voice truly lay. “That’s when I realised that I was a baritone”, he says. When he first began working with Sorel, the voice was still developing. “When I came to her, I had no high notes – couldn’t sing above an E flat… and now Rossini’s Figaro is my most-performed role!” The experience reinforced his belief in the importance of having sound guidance. “Having the right voice teacher on your side throughout this career is absolutely necessary.”
That grounding has allowed Murphy to move comfortably between different styles of repertoire. He recently sang Figaro in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia in San Diego and will soon return to his home city of Boston to sing Count Almaviva in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. “I truly cannot express how excited I am to sing such an important role as my debut in my home city!” he says. The connection runs deep: the first opera he ever attended there was, fittingly, Il barbiere di Siviglia.
“I truly cannot express how excited I am to sing such an important role as my debut in my home city!”
Of the two Figaro operas, however, his sympathies lie firmly with Mozart. “I strongly prefer singing the Count”, he admits. “He’s much more complex and there’s more to dig into dramatically.” Rossini’s Figaro, by contrast, is largely defined by vocal brilliance. “He’s fun but he’s not a very deep character – people are mostly looking for the vocal fireworks with him.” With Mozart, the emotional range is broader. “With the Count I get to sing beautiful music and also have the chance to show how emotionally erratic he is.”
Another role that has made a strong impression on him is Yeletsky in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades. The famous aria “Ya vas lyublyu” demands long legato lines, while the later casino scene pushes the voice in a far more dramatic direction. “Yeletsky absolutely poses some technical difficulties… you really have to learn how to sing soaring legato lines”, he says. “But I really enjoyed singing Yeletsky because I got the chance to show my ability to sing lyrically, but also let loose at the end.”
Dean Murphy (on the left) in Lohengrin (Photo: Bettina Stoess)
As his voice continues to develop, Murphy remains careful about how he approaches heavier repertoire. “I’m consciously holding back from singing roles that would require me to sing with an orchestra that I can’t compete with.” Still, he has no shortage of ambitions. Among the roles he hopes to explore are Billy Budd, Hamlet (Thomas), Rodrigo, Malatesta and Don Giovanni. Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin is already on the horizon.
“My soul really feels the romantic repertoire more than anything else”, he says. “And I will sing Onegin in a future season… I’m looking forward to that. I think the final scene between Onegin and Tatyana is one of the best scenes in all of opera.”
But in the meantime, he returns to the Deutsche Oper stage as Demetrius in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. “People always say that the lovers in Midsummer tend to fall flat – which can be true”, he says with a smile. Still, he is enthusiastic about the production and the ensemble around him. “I’m looking forward to revisiting Demetrius and breathing some new life into him with a fantastic bunch of singers from the ensemble.”
“I have eight performances left on that stage and it’s bittersweet indeed. I’ve grown up here”
Leaving the Deutsche Oper after so many seasons inevitably brings mixed emotions. “It has just started to hit me”, he says. “I have eight performances left on that stage and it’s bittersweet indeed. I’ve grown up here.” He arrived at the company at twenty-five, left briefly to join the opera studio in Zürich, and returned in 2020 as a full ensemble member. Since then he has sung more than 250 performances. “Needless to say, this has become my home.”
What stands out most, he says, is the atmosphere within the company. “The people here are fantastic and very nurturing – especially as mentioned earlier, Christoph Seuferle. He has such great ears and really knows voices.” Murphy is quick to emphasise how much the experience has meant to him. “I’ve really felt as though I’ve been taken care of here.” He hopes it won’t be a permanent farewell. “I will miss it very very much. I hope I get the chance to return in the future.”
For now, though, the focus is firmly on what lies ahead. “What excites me most is getting to dive into new repertoire and work with new people”, he says. “I strongly believe this is how you grow as an artist and continue to hone in on what you do best.”
Beyond the operatic roles already on his wish list, he is also eager to explore more concert repertoire, including works such as Carmina Burana, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem.
Above all, Murphy retains a clear sense of perspective about the profession he has chosen. “I’m ultimately very excited for the fact that things are continuing and I’m able to make a living from singing”, he says. “It’s truly a dream come true – and I never thought I would even get to where I am today.”
Dean Murphy sings Demetrius in the Deutsche Oper’s revival of Ted Huffman’s staging of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in May. Details of his future performances can be found here.