Steven B. Jepson (born May 28, 1960) is an American singer (a

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

) and actor. In addition to his work in

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

,''

The Beacon News Tribune Publishing Company (briefly Tronc, Inc.) is an American newspaper print and online media publishing company. The company, which was acquired by Alden Global Capital in May 2021, has a portfolio that includes the ''Chicago Tribune'', the ...

''
"Opera Roles Take Aurora Singer Around the World"
February 22, 1998, via HighBeam musical theater, and concert work, he has appeared in films and is a vocal instructor and clinician.

Education

Steven Jepson attended public school in Coralville and Iowa City, graduating from

Iowa City West High School Iowa City West High School is a public high school in Iowa City, Iowa. It serves grades 9-12 for the Iowa City Community School District. Athletics The Trojans compete in the Mississippi Valley Conference in the following sports: *Cross Coun ...

in 1978. He received a bachelor's degree in Music from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

in 1982, where he performed in the UI Opera Theater and the Hawkeye Marching Band. He received a masters degree in Opera Performance and Choral Conducting from

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...

in 1982, and completed three years towards a doctorate degree at the University of Missouri/Kansas City before pursuing his professional career. He returned to Iowa in 2011 and completed the doctorate (opera, opera directing, vocal pedagogy) in 2015. His dissertation focused on the work of little-known French composer

Marcel Delannoy Marcel-François-Georges Delannoy (9 July 1898 – 14 September 1962) was a French composer and critic.Hoérrée A. Marcel Delannoy. In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' Macmillan, London and New York, 1997. He wrote operas, ballets, orchest ...

. During his career, he served on the faculty of many midwestern colleges, including

Graceland University Graceland University is a private university with campuses in Lamoni, Iowa, and Independence, Missouri. The university offers degree completion and master's degree programs at satellite campuses in Centerville and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Trento ...

College of DuPage College of DuPage is a public community college with its main campus in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The college also owns and operates facilities in the Illinois communities of Addison, Carol Stream, Naperville and Westmont. With more than 20,000 s ...

, and Benedictine University, teaching voice, theater, diction, music appreciation, and art song literature. He was a voice instructor at Gaston School of the Arts in Gastonia, North Carolina, where he also produced and directed three productions as Playhouse director. After receiving his doctorate, he worked for eight years as Assistant/Associate Teaching Professor at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...

and a year at the

University of Wisconsin–Platteville University of Wisconsin–Platteville (UW–Platteville) is a public university in Platteville, Wisconsin. Part of the University of Wisconsin System, it offers bachelor's and master's degrees. The university has three colleges that serve over ...

. He is a certified in

vocology Vocology is the science and practice of vocal habilitation, or vocal training and therapy.Titze IR. (1996). What is vocology? Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology, 21:5-6. Its concerns include the nature of speech and language pathology, the defects of ...

from the

National Center for Voice and Speech The National Center for Voice and Speech (NCVS), is a multi-site research and teaching organization dedicated to studying the characteristics, limitations and enhancement of human voice and speech. The NCVS is located in Salt Lake City, Utah with th ...

Opera

Jepson's operatic repertoire includes leading roles in '' Don Pasquale'', '' Il Barbiere di Siviglia'', ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...

'', '' Ariadne auf Naxos'', '' Roméo et Juliette'', '' La bohème'', '' Die Zauberflöte'' and '' Faust''. He is best known for his interpretation of Escamillo in ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

'', a role he has played with several companies in the United States and Europe.

Musical theatre/Concert/Cruise work

Starting with chorus roles in local Iowa City community productions of ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and ...

'', ''Oklahoma!,'' and ''Pippin'', his refined acting ability coupled with a rich, versatile baritone has produced memorable portrayals in musical theater. He has played such diverse roles as Billy Bigelow in ''Carousel'', Juan Peron in ''Evita'', Ko-Ko in ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...

'', The Lord Chancellor in ''

Iolanthe ''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...

'', The Pirate King in '' The Pirates of Penzance,'' Sweeney in ''Sweeney Todd,'' and Cervantes/Don Quixote in ''Man of LaMancha.'' He was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical by the Metrolina Theatre Association and ''Creative Loafing'' Magazine for his portrayal of Emile de Becque in CPCC's ''South Pacific''. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...

's ''Mass in G'' and also sang at Carnegie in

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

's ''

War Requiem The ''War Requiem'', Op. 66, is a large-scale setting of the Requiem composed by Benjamin Britten mostly in 1961 and completed in January 1962. The ''War Requiem'' was performed for the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral, which was b ...

'' under the baton of Robert Shaw. In addition to performing before an audience of 8,000 at a "Carnivale" concert in Mazatlán, Mexico, he has worked as a principal male singer with Jean Ann Ryan Productions aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sky.

Film work

Along with industrial films, Steven Jepson has worked as an extra in major Hollywood films such as ''

Mr. and Mrs. Bridge ''Mr. & Mrs. Bridge'' is a 1990 American drama (film and television), drama film based on the novels by Evan S. Connell of the same name. It is directed by James Ivory, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and produced by Ismail Merchant. ...

'' and ''Stranger than Fiction'', as well as playing the Lieutenant in the independent film ''Inside the Locket''. He is best known as an actor for Admiral Conrad Slater in the award-winning Star Trek independent fan film '' Prelude to Axanar''. He has reprised this role in the fan films ''Interlude'' and ''Dive''.

References

External links

Personal website
1960 births Living people American operatic baritones 20th-century American male opera singers 21st-century American male opera singers Musicians from Iowa City, Iowa Singers from Iowa {{US-opera-singer-stub