Informed by the desire to empower all around him through his voice, British-born stage and screen thespian and operatic lyric tenor Ruben Paul Whitter became sharply enveloped in a world of resilience; radiance; and resplendence in his early twenties after the narcissistic abuse; domestic abuse; as well as homelessness survival badges of honour were successionally bestowed upon him. Comprising of works that pay homage to opera’s sonic; spiritual; and theatrical origins, Whitter’s comprehensive yet expansive multi-linguistic repertoire reflects his placement as a global citizen and – being a digital native – aids in the immortalisation of opera in the 21st Century. Whitter inspires audiences through an eclectically diverse array of adventures that champion equality and inclusion (A tangled night, Nottingham Playhouse – Robin) whilst forwarding the positive narrative of the world’s ultimate artform in receptive populations whether they be contemporary (Shakespeare: Full Fathom Five, NTU Music Centre – Concierto), traditional, (Der Silbesse, Buxton Opera House w/ English Touring Opera – Youth) or online (The Deer Rising, Streetwise Online – Leafo).
Though endemic lines of various artistic expressions can be drawn retrospectively (Rigoletto, The Orchard Theatre – Courtier – 2014); during the most vulnerable – definitive – and pivotal moment of his entire life; Streetwise Opera became instrumental in facilitating Ruben Paul Whitter’s introduction to the concept and process of growing his vocally-based talents and combining them with his antecedental acting palette on the operatic stage. A reputation for Whitter performing arias and recitatives within culturally significant buildings that place community at the forefront of their visions such as art galleries (The Magic Flute, New Art Exchange – Prince), cathedrals (Pucinni: Che Gelida Manina; Verdi: Va Pensiero – Friary Church Nottingham – Concierto) as well as fesitval stages (Shakespeare: Assassin’s Chorus – Nottingham Light Night – Concierto) was bloomed during the extensive time Whitter engaged with the répétiteurs at Streetwise Opera which also included practitioners, directors, and choreographers. Additionally, Whitter has refined showmanship: advocating for the mental health of his fellow performers and revelling in the character-driven energy on stage due to an admixture of his own moral compass and being a Streetwise Opera alumni. Whitter garners acclaim when sought out for his more personable contributions for staged productions within renaissance-inspired settings (Queen Anne – 2022) and has independently gained an affinity for vocal-based performances in art nouveau and neoclassical style buildings.
Eagerly, Ruben Paul Whitter is always sharing his blossoming knowledge of history; art; music; and acting in active, engaging rapports with enthusiastic fans and casual audience members all over the world – most prominently through social media sites such as Quora; Likee; and Youtube – in which audiences build anticipation for and revel in the realization of his artistic process for the operatic stage. Whitter regularly champions and uplifts the operatic works he stars in, or co-creates alongside his fellow collaborators, on podcast interviews which are hosted globally.
One of many distinctive themes present throughout Ruben Paul Whitter’s original analogue operatic vocal bodies of work is ‘royalty’ with ‘true love’ being a prominent narrative driver of Whitter’s original operatic films. Always deepening his knowledge of how best to translate emotion from the mind of the librettist to the audience’s hearts through his vibrato, a string of group masterclasses and individualized workshops help shape the direction of Whitter’s résumé in addition to the repertoire that arises. Whitter’s vocal range of E2-C#5 and unique range of acting skills are easily translatable within songspiel; opera seria; opera buffa; or opera comique on a stage of any description that dually allows his lyric tenor vocal to entertain and inspire the awaiting audience.
