Jeffrey Wells Original Airdate: August 8, 1997

Internationally acclaimed opera singer Jeffrey Wells sometimes tells the story of one of his first musical experiences, an early attempt to sing in the church choir. While he had little difficulty keeping up with the music, the choir director politely asked him not to participate, as his voice was just "too loud." Luckily, Wells did not allow himself to be discouraged by the experience, and today the bass-baritone's voice may be heard distinctly not only in churches, but also in opera houses throughout the world.

Wells made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1988 as Ferrando in "Il Trovatore" and has since appeared with the company in over 250 performances of 27 roles, including the king in "Aida," Timur in "Turandot," and Colline in "La Boheme." A Baton Rouge native, he was enrolled the LSU sacred-music program for three years before transferring to Southeastern, beginning aria study and taking voice lessons in 1976. Hired on the spot when he auditioned for the New York Opera's national touring company in 1980, Wells has created somewhat of a sensation in the opera world. Both his voice and his personality have drawn attention by their prominence, for this Louisiana native has lost little of his Southern drawl, his love for boots and cowboy hats, or his taste for good Cajun food -- usually cooked himself!

Wells has accumulated a score of nationwide and international credits, among them performances in Mexico City, Mexico; Palermo, Italy; Paris and Nice, France; and Seattle, San Francisco, Miami, Dallas and New York, just to name a few. Wells does not confine his work to collaboration with established companies, however, and has also appeared at the Spoleto Festivals in the United States and Italy, and has sung the title role of "Don Giovanni" in Toronto, Detroit, Washington and Los Angeles. Throughout his career, he has performed over 71 different roles in 6 different languages.

One of his most notable performances came in a language rarely performed by American singers -- Russian. After intensive (though extremely brief) drills in language and diction, Wells was chosen for the role over dozens of native Russian vocalists. Although his youth and agility played a vital role in the director's choice, this achievement was undoubtedly aided by what Wells terms his "photographic" ear for dialects and his recognized acting ability.