# Key'mon Winkfield Murrah

Key'mon Winkfield Murrah ([ki'mon wɪŋkfiːld məˈrɑ]; born January 20, 1990) is an American countertenor singer. He has performed leading roles with many opera companies and concert venues, including Bavarian State Opera and the Los Angeles Opera.

## Education and career

He was born in 1990 in Louisville, Kentucky. After singing in the church choir as a child, at 9 years old, Murrah joined a boys choir of majority black students at the West Louisville Performing Arts Academy performing spirituals, jazz, and classical music across the country.
He began his classical music studies as a vocal major at the Youth Performing Arts School, a comprehensive magnet high school for the performing arts. In 2007 he attended the Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts. He received a bachelor's degree in Arts administration at the University of Kentucky. During his studies, he participated in several performances organized by the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, Louisville Chorus, and the Bluegrass Opera Company. He continued his studies at the International Vocal Arts Institute.
In 2019, Murrah made his professional debut as Asprano in Vivaldi's Motezuma at the American Baroque Opera Company. In 2020 he participated in the Joyce DiDonato Master Class series at Carnegie Hall, toured with the American Spiritual Ensemble, was a young artist at the Glimmerglass Festival, joined the Studio Artist Program at the Florida Grand Opera, and debuted Bertarido from Handel's Rodelinda as a Fleming Artist at the Aspen Music Festival and School.
In his 2021–2022 season, he was the 1st-place winner of the 33rd Annual Houston Grand Opera Concert of Arias, the grand prize winner of the Premiere Opera Foundation + NYIOP International Vocal Competition, and a finalist and encouragement award winner of Operalia. He also made debuts at the Seattle Opera as Orfeo in Gluck's Orfeo and at Grand Rapids Symphony as the alto soloist in Bach's Mass in B minor.
In the 2022–23 season, Murrah's performances included his debut at the Bavarian State Opera in Dido and Aeneas, Handel's Messiah with St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, a debut with San Diego Opera in the world premiere of El último sueño de Frida y Diego by Gabriela Frank, Detroit Opera in the title role in Serse for, and the Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse in Bach's Christmas Oratorio. In June, he won first prize in the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition.
In 2023, Murrah made his debuts at the Los Angeles Opera, Edwardsville Opera, New Jersey Symphony, Komische Oper Berlin as Hamor in Handel's Jephtha, and Cologne Opera in concert. In May, Murrah also won the Giulio Gari Vocal Competition.

## Awards

* 2nd place, Emerging Soloists Competition (2019)
* Semi-finalist, Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition (2020)
* 1st Prize, Camille Coloratura Awards (2020)
* 2nd place, Rochester International Vocal Competition (2020)
* 1st-place winner, Houston Grand Opera Concert of Arias (2021)
* Grand prize Winner, Premiere Opera Foundation + NYIOP International Vocal Competition (2021)
* Encouragement Award/ Finalist, Operalia (2021)
* Grant Winner, Career Bridges (2021)
* Grant Winner, Sullivan Foundation (2022)
* 1st place Winner, International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition (2022)
* 1st place Winner, Giulio Gari Vocal Competition (2023)
* Marian Anderson Vocal Award (2024)