Spartan Profiles: Nathaniel Peake

TRIUMPH AT THE MET

In March, not quite two years after receiving his masters of music from MSU, he found himself on the world’s premier opera stage—auditioning for the 2010 National Council Grand Finals of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, an event that identifies the world’s best young opera singers.

The contestant from Humble, TX, competed against nearly 1,500 others. When all was sung and done, Tenor Nathaniel Peake, MM ’08, was declared one of five winners.  “This has been a huge boost to my career,” says Peake, who won $15,000 and more importantly, exposure to the world’s “Who’s Who” in opera.  “I have all of a sudden been thrust onto the radar of some pretty incredible people.  New York is the mecca for opera singers, and everyone who is influential in this business was there that Sunday afternoon.”  He promptly adds, “I definitely want to be back on the MET stage. It's an addicting sensation.” 

Nathaniel gives credit to his MSU experience, which was encouraged by Patryk Wroblewski, his mentor at the University of Houston.  “He was intent on me studying with a tenor, and thought Richard Fracker would be the best guy,” recalls Nathaniel, who came to East Lansing to audition for the voice program.  “I truly valued the time I spent with Dean Forger,” says Nathaniel. “He's an incredibly brilliant man and . . .  the perfect man to head up the College of Music. The entire voice faculty at MSU is incredible.  I cannot tell you how lucky I was to have gone to MSU.”

Nathaniel touts MSU’s student to professor ratio and the opportunities to travel that he received as a student.  “I got to go to China, which was an incredible cultural experience as well as a profound professional experience,” he recalls.  “I also got to travel to Florida, Colorado, and California performing with the faculty at development events.”