Dr. Kenneth J. Pereira

Kenneth J. Pereira, baritone, enjoys an active career on the operatic, concert, and recital stages. His operatic roles include Puccini's Marcello in La Bohème, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, the title role in Gianni Schicchi, and Mozart's Il Conte Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte among others. Internationally, he has appeared as the baritone soloist in numerous opera gala performances in both Italy and Mexico in works by Verdi, Puccini, and Donizetti.  He has performed with the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (baritone soloist), as well as performing excerpts from Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn.  Dr. Pereira also has been a soloist with the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra in their performances of Handel’s Messiah and J.S. Bach’s beloved cantata, Ich habe genug, BWV 82.  Prior to his arrival in the Chippewa Valley, Dr. Pereira appeared regularly as a soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Raymond Leppard in works by Beethoven and Haydn. He is also a featured soloist on the orchestra's 2008 recording of classical and traditional Christmas music.  

Born and raised in northern California, Dr. Pereira graduated Magna cum Laude from California State University, Stanislaus. He holds a Doctorate of Music in Voice Performance and Literature from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, where he also completed a Master of Music Degree in Voice. Dr. Pereira serves as a Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, where he teaches applied voice, Opera and Musical Theatre Workshop, and directs main stage opera productions.  He is also the artistic director of Eauxpera, a collective of operatic artists who perform opera in non-traditional venues throughout the Chippewa Valley Region, and InCanto Italia, a young artist program for Italian language and music in Lucca, Italy.