A native of California’s San Joaquin Valley, baritone Russell Cusick is pleased to be making his EO debut in the role of Scarpia. After undergraduate studies at The University of Nevada, Reno, Cusick continued at the Manhattan School of Music and three years with Juilliard Opera Center. Cusick has performed in opera, concert and musical theater throughout the U.S., Asia, The Middle East and Europe.   Last summer he performed scenes from Rigoletto, Don Giovanni and Don Carlo in the premiere season of Opera Aegean, conducted by Sherrill Milnes. Roles performed include, Nick Shadow in The Rakes Progress, General Paez in the world premiere of Thea Musgraves’ Simon Bolivar at Virginia Opera, Mackheath in The Threepenny Opera, Junius in The Rape of Lucretia, Schaunard in La Boheme, Germont in La traviata and many more. Cusick has received career grants from the Puccini Foundation and the Gerda Lissner Foundation in New York.