Biography

With his “dark, powerful bass-baritone” (Traunsteiner Tagblatt) and “perfect [comedic] timing” (Washington Classical Review), Andrew Gilstrap has begun to establish himself as a versatile artist known for musical sophistication and acting ability. During the 2023-24 season, Mr. Gilstrap returned to The Atlanta Opera to sing Horace Derwent in The Shining and the baritone solos in Frankenstein, then made his Chattanooga Symphony and Opera debut in Handel’s Messiah. Additional engagements include his Arizona Opera debut as Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia, singing Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem with the Georgia Tech Symphony Orchestra, a return to The Atlanta Opera to perform Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and a world premiere of Marcus Norris and Adamma Ebo’s Forsyth County is Flooding, also with The Atlanta Opera.

 

In the fall of 2022, Mr. Gilstrap reprised his role in the Bayerische Staatsoper’s production of Haydn’s L’infedeltà delusa, a role he premiered during his time in their Opernstudio. He then returned to Minnesota Opera to cover roles in Edward Tulane and made his The Atlanta Opera debut in Madama Butterfly and Don Giovanni as Masetto. In the summer of 2023, Mr. Gilstrap returned to Wolf Trap Opera to portray Leporello in Don Giovanni. 

 

During the 2021-22 season, Mr. Gilstrap was a member of the Opernstudio at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. While in Munich he performed myriad roles, recitals, and concerts. Selected highlights include Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro, Il padre di Nencio in L’infedeltà delusa, and Deuxième Sentinelle in Les Troyens. 

 

In the 2020-21 season, Mr. Gilstrap was contracted to make several role debuts as a young artist with The Dallas Opera. Canceled engagements included Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro, the Jailer in Tosca, and the Herald in Lohengrin. In the summer of 2021, he attended Des Moines Metro Opera as an ensemble artist where he portrayed Sourin in Queen of Spades and covered the title role in Sweeney Todd. 

 

Mr. Gilstrap was a Resident Artist with Minnesota Opera in the 2019-20 season. During his tenure, he sang Der Pfleger in Elektra, Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Immigration Officer in Flight, and was slated to sing Masetto and cover Leporello in Don Giovanni (COVID). The previous summer, he attended Des Moines Metro Opera as an apprentice artist. While there, he covered the Doktor in Wozzeck and performed roles in La bohème and Candide. 

 

Mr. Gilstrap spent two years in the Wolf Trap Studio (2017 and 2018) while he earned his Master of Music from the University of Houston, which he completed in 2018. While in the Wolf Trap Studio, he performed Gregorio in Roméo et Juliette, Usciere in Rigoletto, and the Goldsmith in The Juniper Tree. 

Mr. Gilstrap graduated with his Bachelor of Music from the University of Houston in 2016, where he studied with Timothy Jones. While at the University of Houston, he made debuts with Opera in the Heights as Zuniga in Le Tragédie de Carmen (2015) and Mercury Chamber Orchestra in a program of Mexican Baroque Christmas songs (2015). During his undergraduate, he joined the Ohio Light Opera for two seasons and the College Light Opera Company for one season. Highlighted roles at both companies include The Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (CLOC, 2016) and the Sergeant of Police in Pirates of Penzance (OLO, 2014).