Steve Aiken is completing his 9th season as General and Artistic Director of Shreveport Opera. From 1998-2006 he worked alongside Michael Ching as the General Director of Opera Memphis.  He was raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and studied at the University of Alaska. He moved to NYC in the early 1980s where his performing took him throughout the US, Europe and South America. He performed in nearly all of the 50 states in the US, only missing Hawaii, Arizona and New Mexico. He made his Lincoln Center debut in 1988. His repertoire included most standard Mozart, Donizetti, and Verdi operatic works. He created leading roles in 11 world premiere operas; of note is the role of William, in The Fall of the House of Usher, composed by Philip Glass, and Fahizah in Anthony Davis’ Tania, based on the kidnapping of Patty Hearst. Mr. Aiken has performed for both President Clinton and Vice President Cheney, but his most interesting performance to date was to sing the National Anthem for Monday Night Football – Dallas Cowboys/Miami Dolphins at the old Orange Bowl.