Rodney Sharp is a proud native of Fort Worth, Texas and holds a B.A. in Music, Voice Performance from Prairie View A&M University also a M.M. in Opera Performance from Arizona State University. Some of Rodney’s favorite roles performed are Peter in Hansel und Gretel, the title role in Gianni Schicchi, and Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress. He was a soloist in concert works like Mozart’s Requiem, Kodaly’s Missa Brevis, and Schubert's Mass in G. Praised for his "...deep and robust voice combining strong vocalism and magnetic presence, he is a natural scene stealer."  His versatility allows him to sing in other genres like musical theatre, gospel and jazz standards. Rodney is an advocate for classical music by African American composers and strives to preserve the traditions of African American Spirituals. This season Rodney is a Resident Artist at Utah Opera where will sharpen his artistic skills and gain many hours of performance experience. He will cover roles like Peter in Hansel und Gretel, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Tonio in Pagliacci and will make his Utah Opera debut performing the role of Commissioner in Madama Butterfly. In addition to participating in the mainstage productions, he will be touring with his fellow Resident Artist in an outreach and educational program that visits schools and communities within the state of Utah with the goal to spread the good word of Opera.