Richard Trey Smagur, of Clarkesville, Georgia, has been noted for his "attractive lyric tenor" and "vivid presence" (Opera Today) and was named a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2017. Mr. Smagur’s 2021-2022 season began with a return to Houston Grand Opera to perform the role of Don José in Carmen.  He then went on to make his house and role debut as First Armored Man in the Metropolitan Operas Holiday Presentation of The Magic Flute.  Smagur returns to both HGO and the Met this season.  At HGO, he will perform the final scene in Of Mice and Men in a memorial concert for Carlisle Floyd.  He will also cover Junger Diener at the Metropolitan Opera in Strauss’ Elektra and perform as the tenor soloist for Reno Philharmonics presentation of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.

Mr. Smagur had the honor of performing last year extensively during the pandemic as a member of the Atlanta Opera Company players.  This included making a role debut as Canio in Pagliacci, performing in concerts highlighting the music of Kurt Weill and Broadway, and singing Don José in a new production of Threepenny Carmen.  All of these productions were performed live, as well as filmed and put online to be viewed under Atlanta Operas platform, Spotlight Media.  Mr. Smagur also performed digitally with HGO, singing the Witch in Humperdincks Hansel and Gretel.  This production was made available via the streaming platform HGO Digital.   

​An alum of the Houston Grand Opera studio, Mr. Smagur's notable roles and debuts included Steuermann in Der fliegende Holländer and Young Servant in Elektra during his tenure with the company. Smagur also made his Houston Symphony debut as a recitalist performing Schumann’s Dichterliebe in the winter of 2019.  During the 2020 season, Mr. Smagur also made his debut with the Dallas Symphony as Narraboth in Salome, under the baton of Fabio Luisi.

​Notable past performances include returning to the Santa Fe Opera to make his principal role debut as Števa Buryja in Jenufa to great success. Mr. Smagur also appeared as the tenor soloist in Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde at The Aspen Music Festival & School under the baton of Patrick Summers.