Constantine Novotny

Lecturer, Music
[email protected]

Constantine Novotny is a baritone who holds a BM from Oakland University in Vocal Performance, an MM from Wichita State University in Opera Performance, and an MM from the University of Notre Dame in Vocal Performance- Sacred Music. His voice has been commended for its “clarity, expressiveness, and warm timbre” by San Francisco Classical Voice. 

He has performed as a featured soloist on a one-on-a-part production of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the American Bach Soloists, Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers and Bach’s B minor Mass with Audivi, Bach’s Sei Lob und Ehr BWV 117 and Mozart’s Missa Brevis in F with the Monadnock Chorus, Haydn’s Paukenmesse with the UMS Choral Union, and various other ensembles across the United States.

While living in New York City, Constantine was a staff singer at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields, a nine-voice ensemble specializing in Renaissance and contemporary repertoire. The church also produced a concert series of which he was a featured soloist. These concerts included Membra Jesu Nostri by Dietrich Buxtehude and the Marian Vespers of Chiara Margarita Cozzolani. 

Other choral experiences include a previous staff appointment at St. James Church of Manhattan, frequent substitutions with the Choir of Men and Boys at St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue and the School Cantorum of St. Vincent-Ferrer, a production of Mozart’s Requiem with Musica Sacra, Handel’s Messiah with The Apollo’s Fire Singers and the New York Philharmonic, Bach’s Easter Oratorio & Jesu meine Freude with the American Classical Orchestra, and Talbot’s Path of Miracles with Audivi.

Operatic credits include roles performed with Detroit’s Opera MODO, notably as Sid in Britten’s Albert Herring and as the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni (with characters and sets based on Rocky Horror Picture Show). He has also performed the small role of Guesselin in Puts’ Silent Night with the Michigan Opera Theatre, and as Doctor Grenville in Verdi’s La Traviata with Arbor Opera. Constantine regularly performed operatic roles during his academic studies, especially at Wichita State University, where he performed and coached the title role of Mozart’s Don Giovanni alongside renowned bass-baritone Samuel Ramey as the Samuel Ramey Fellowship Award recipient. He also performed as the Pirate King in Opera Notre Dame’s Pirates of Penzance and as Peter in Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel with South Bend Lyric Opera.

Constantine is also the principal songwriter, lead singer, pianist, and guitarist of the indie-rock band The Sundots. They have performed in venues all over New York City and the Metro-Detroit area and have currently released two LPs and one EP available on all streaming platforms. He also composes choral works and keyboard pieces.