Bio
Based in Austin, Texas, baritone Stephen Maus is a versatile performer whose work ranges from medieval Gregorian chant to newly composed operas. In addition to opera, Stephen's repertoire includes choral music, art song, and musical theater. Select roles include the title role in Le nozze di Figaro, Golaud in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte, and Leporello in Don Giovanni. His performance as Polyphemus in Acis & Galatea garnered praise for his "very convincing portrayal of the villain, with clean mastery of Handel's difficult coloratura."
Stephen has also been in demand as an oratorio soloist, with credits including Handel’s Messiah with the Toledo Masterworks Chorale, Bach's St. John Passion, and Haydn's Theresienmesse. As a member of the Texas Tech University Choir, Stephen has worked with composers Eric Whitacre and Stephen Paulus, and performed at the National Endowment for the Arts' American Masterpieces Festival with Grammy Award-winning group Conspirare. Stephen was also a founding member of the vocal ensemble Canticum Novum, a professional group based in Lubbock, TX.
Stephen completed a Bachelor's degree in voice at Texas Tech University, where he studied voice with baritone Gerald Dolter. While still an undergraduate, Stephen was selected as a Texas Music Scholar, and was a Division X semifinalist at the Texoma Regional NATS Conference. He was awarded the Presidential Plus Scholarship for academic excellence, the John and Mary Gillas Voice Scholarship, and worked as an accompanist and vocal coach for the voice area.
As of May 2012, Stephen completed a Master's degree in Vocal Performance at Bowling Green State University, where he studied with bass-baritone Sean Cooper and worked as a graduate assistant teaching private and group voice classes. Other honors include 3rd place in the Graduate Division at the Buckeye Regional NATS Conference.
Currently Stephen works as a private voice teacher and accompanist/vocal coach in the Round Rock Independent School District. In addition, Stephen is a soloist with the St. Mary Cathedral Schola Cantorum, and regularly performs with Austin Opera. As a teacher, Stephen has given master classes at Youth Opera of El Paso, where he was a guest artist, and at the Aspen Music Festival. Over the past few summers Stephen has been a Guest Artist with Spotlight on Opera and a Young Artist with Opera NEO and Ash Lawn Opera (now Charlottesville Opera). Stephen spent the summer of 2018 as a Young Artist with the Aspen Opera Center, singing the role of The Officer in Il barbiere di Siviglia, as well as opera scenes performances as the title role in Don Pasquale and Simone in Gianni Schicchi. Recent roles with Austin Opera include German Soldier 3 in Kevin Puts' Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night, the Court Usher in Verdi's Rigoletto, and Mike Groom in Joby Talbot's Everest. Most recently Stephen made his role debut of Vodnik in a live virtual production of Dvorak's Rusalka with Luke Housner's Summer Opera Workshop, and next summer has been invited back to sing the role of Alberich in live virtual production of Das Rheingold.
Stephen has also been in demand as an oratorio soloist, with credits including Handel’s Messiah with the Toledo Masterworks Chorale, Bach's St. John Passion, and Haydn's Theresienmesse. As a member of the Texas Tech University Choir, Stephen has worked with composers Eric Whitacre and Stephen Paulus, and performed at the National Endowment for the Arts' American Masterpieces Festival with Grammy Award-winning group Conspirare. Stephen was also a founding member of the vocal ensemble Canticum Novum, a professional group based in Lubbock, TX.
Stephen completed a Bachelor's degree in voice at Texas Tech University, where he studied voice with baritone Gerald Dolter. While still an undergraduate, Stephen was selected as a Texas Music Scholar, and was a Division X semifinalist at the Texoma Regional NATS Conference. He was awarded the Presidential Plus Scholarship for academic excellence, the John and Mary Gillas Voice Scholarship, and worked as an accompanist and vocal coach for the voice area.
As of May 2012, Stephen completed a Master's degree in Vocal Performance at Bowling Green State University, where he studied with bass-baritone Sean Cooper and worked as a graduate assistant teaching private and group voice classes. Other honors include 3rd place in the Graduate Division at the Buckeye Regional NATS Conference.
Currently Stephen works as a private voice teacher and accompanist/vocal coach in the Round Rock Independent School District. In addition, Stephen is a soloist with the St. Mary Cathedral Schola Cantorum, and regularly performs with Austin Opera. As a teacher, Stephen has given master classes at Youth Opera of El Paso, where he was a guest artist, and at the Aspen Music Festival. Over the past few summers Stephen has been a Guest Artist with Spotlight on Opera and a Young Artist with Opera NEO and Ash Lawn Opera (now Charlottesville Opera). Stephen spent the summer of 2018 as a Young Artist with the Aspen Opera Center, singing the role of The Officer in Il barbiere di Siviglia, as well as opera scenes performances as the title role in Don Pasquale and Simone in Gianni Schicchi. Recent roles with Austin Opera include German Soldier 3 in Kevin Puts' Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night, the Court Usher in Verdi's Rigoletto, and Mike Groom in Joby Talbot's Everest. Most recently Stephen made his role debut of Vodnik in a live virtual production of Dvorak's Rusalka with Luke Housner's Summer Opera Workshop, and next summer has been invited back to sing the role of Alberich in live virtual production of Das Rheingold.