Hailed by Opera News for the “richness and pliability of his [voice],” American countertenor Tai Oney has been a prizewinner in several competitions, including claiming a prestigious Sullivan Foundation Award and a US-Postgraduate Fulbright Award. A Finalist in the Cesti Singing Competition, Semi-Finalist in the Palm Beach Opera Competition, and a second place Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Tai made his professional opera debut with Opera Boston in collaboration with Boston Baroque performing the role of Athamas in Handel’s Semele.  

 

Among his many solo appearances, Tai has performed in Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Paukenmesse, Bach’s St. John’s Passion, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Honegger’s King David, to name a few. Tai has been seen as PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA in Seven Angels, OTTONE in L'Incoronazione di Poppea, TIRINTO in the London Handel Festival's production of Imeneo, and OBERON in a scenes production of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream with esteemed opera director, John Copley CBE. He also performed with English Touring Opera in their Vespers concerts in addition to the cover for NERONE and NARCISO in Agrippina.  

 

Tai has been seen as TESEO in Handel’s Arianna in Creta with the London Handel Festival; CHERUBINO in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro with Opéra de Baugé; DALISO in Handel's secular cantata Il Duello Amoroso with the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music; PRINCE ORLOVSKY in Die Fledermaus with Finnish National Opera; and, recently, sang the role of ADOLFO in Faramondo with Brisbane Baroque, Australia; ORONTE in the American premiere of Richard the Lionheart with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; ARSAMENE in Xerses with Longborough Festival Opera; HAMLET in The Firework-Maker's Daughter at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (Linbury Studio); joined the Dallas Opera and San Diego Opera  as a cover for ROANE HECKLE in the world premiere of Jake Heggie's Great Scott; SPIRIT/SORCERESS in Dido and Aeneas with Birmingham Opera Company; ENDIMIONE in La Calisto with English Touring Opera; REFUGEE in Flight with Opera Parallèle (San Francisco); APOLLO in a new production of Death in Venice with Deutsche Oper Berlin; ALTO SOLOIST in Handel's Messiah with The Hanover Band; and CLERIO MORO in Erismena with the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence to name a few.



Tai has been a member of the Central City Opera and a guest artist for the Palm Beach Opera young artist program. He holds degrees from Stetson University, Boston University, the New England Conservatory of Music (GDip), the Royal College of Music International Opera School (ArtDip), and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Music Education from Boston University.