Daniel Byerly, 29, of Jersey City isn’t ready just yet to give up his day job in the financial district in New York. But his debut with the New Jersey Association of Verismo in “Carmen” on April 26 marked another milestone in his career as an opera singer.
Byerly, a tenor, performed the role of Le Remendado in the grand opera’s production at the Bergen Performing Arts Center. Although it was a minor part, Byerly laughs and says he got to play a critical role as comic relief.
Byerly grew up in Pittsburgh and moved to Hudson County about five years ago. “I spent a couple of years in Hoboken then moved to Jersey City,” he said.
He started performing in his teens and in high school, but didn’t seriously consider opera until he was in college.
“I performed in a number of shows in high school,” he said, “things like ‘The Sound of Music’, ‘Music Man’, and ‘Footloose, the Musical’. I sang in the church when I grew up. I was always interested in music.”
“Opera for me is definitely passion before profit.” – Daniel Byerly
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One of his teachers took him to see a performance in New York City. It was an eye-opening moment, not just because of the opera, but the whole experience.
“That was my first time in New York,” he said.
The opera, he recalled, was long, a full five acts. But it left an indelible impression on him.
On a path to the stage
As an undergrad in university, he focused on music, and attended Berkeley College.
He said his training took a lot of hours of practice to build up his vocal strength and stamina.
Since moving to the metropolitan area in 2010, Byerly has lived a double life, financial worker during the work week, opera singer whenever he can find the time.
In 2014 he performed as Oronte in Verdi’s “I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata” with The Singers’ Theater of Washington. In fall 2014 he joined Light Opera of New York for a specially granted production of Sigmund Romberg’s “The New Moon.” His Lincoln Center debut came in March 2015 with New York Lyric Opera, singing partial roles of four separate Mozart operas.
He has also performed Alfredo in Giuseppe Verdi’s “La Traviata”, Nemorino in Gaetano Donizetti’s “L’Elisir D’Amore”, Don Ottavio in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”, and Choni in Sadao Bekku’s “A Story of Three Women” (in Japanese) in Merkin Hall at the Kaufman Center in New York City.
He has also sung George Frideric Handel’s oratorio, “Messiah”, in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, performing with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Was he ever discouraged?
“Of course, at least once a year I get discouraged,” he said. “Then I get up the next day and do it again.”
He said he gets inspired by listening to some of the great opera singers such as Enrico Caruso, and the people in the performance company he is working with.
“These are very well-respected people who have sung in venues around the world,” he said. “Just spending time and learning from them is a huge benefit.”
There is a magic when it all comes together, when a production is fully staged and everyone is in costume. He said he likes getting the whole story at once.
“This is a great experience, even for the audience,” he said. “This is all about the craft of storytelling.”
He said the role of Le Remendado is particularly important to the whole performance because it gives the audience a comic moment in an otherwise serious opera.
“This is a very serious opera,” he said. “It’s about the passions of human life.”
His role is about smugglers trying to make a profit.
Opera isn’t going to pay the bills just yet, which is why he keeps his day job on Wall Street.
“Opera for me is definitely passion before profit,” he said.
Concert engagements awaiting him this spring include Verdi’s “La Traviata”, and oratorio and art song selections.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.