American Tenor, Dr. Arnold Rawls has been praised for having a  “powerful, clarion-sounding tenor,” a “firm, pliant lyrico sprint tenor with ringing  high notes,” as well as a “flair for acting.” His portrayal of Radamès (Aida)  recently thrilled audiences as he “rose to the occasion, singing the famous ‘Celeste  Aïda’ with a creamy tone and a beautiful sense of Italian lyricism. It included a  dazzling high B-flat that seemed to ring for an eternity.” 

Recent engagements include an Operatic Gala at the Sydney Opera House,  Manrico (Il Trovatore) with Seattle Opera, Radamès (Aida) with Royal Opera  Liege in Belgium. He is also presenting recitals and concerts across the United  States. He has just returned from a command performance with Dame Edna and  Opera Australia in Melbourne.

Other performances include Calaf (Turandot) and Manrico (Il Trovatore) at  the Metropolitan Opera, Radamès (Aida) with Opera Australia and the Pacific  Symphony, and Don Josè (Carmen) with the Bregenzer Festspiele in Austria. He performed the role of Bacchus (Ariadne auf Naxos) with Switzerland’s Theatre St. Gallen, and appeared as Manrico (Il Trovatore) with Opera Australia and the Sacramento Opera. He excelled as Hagenbach (La Wally) with Oper St. Gallen in Switzerland and the Dallas Opera, and as Erik (Die Flegende Höllander) also at Theatre St. Gallen.  

Rawls graduated the University of Oklahoma where he received a Doctor of Musical Arts. He is a former Artist in Residence at Moody Bible Institute of  Chicago and Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas. A native of West Monroe, Louisiana, Rawls and his wife, Julie, have two children – Graham and Madison – and enjoy life at home in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He is a recent recipient of a major grant from the Olga Foraii Foundation of New York City.