Hodgson School of Music alumnus lives his opera dream

When Tenor Clay Hilley (BMUS '04) took on the role of Siegfried at the Bayreuth Festival for the premiere of “Götterdämmerung” on August 2022 in a last-minute cast-change, he took on more than a role in the most prestigious event in the world for Wagner opera. The call signaled Hilley's ascent as one the opera world's most in-demand tenors. Georgia Magazine has more in this recent alumni feature:

From his base in Berlin, he has traveled the world expanding his repertoire of opera’s most famous heroes including the titular roles of Samson, Tristan, and Siegfried. From classic Beethoven, Mozart, and Wagner operas to more modern and experimental works, he does it all. 

He made his debut at 15 with the Athens Choral Society (now known as the Classic City Community Chorus). By then, Hilley knew he wanted to turn his love of music into a career. At UGA, he pursued a degree in music education with a double emphasis in piano and voice in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music.   

But it wasn’t until a performance of Puccini’s opera La bohème at the Classic Center with the Athena Grand Opera Company and UGA Symphony that Hilley caught the opera bug.  

 He packed his bag, grabbed every gig, and absorbed every experience he could find. Hilley performed at Opera in the Ozarks in Arkansas, surrounded by fellow young vocalists. Even then, his peers predicted he would step into demanding operatic roles.  

 Surrounded by cornfields in Indiana, he performed at public schools as Baby Bear in “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” set to the music of The Magic Flute. 

 Hilley focused on academics, too, earning his Master of Music degree in voice performance at Georgia State University. He also studied at both the Manhattan School of Music and the Opera Institute at Boston University, attending programs every summer. 

But he eventually moved back home and performed in smaller roles or as an understudy.  

Still at 32, he was a young artist in the opera world, and Hilley’s heavy workload eventually paid off.  

A beautiful, ongoing artistic journey. Keep climbing, Clay!

Image: Clay Hilley performed with the Dutch National Opera in 2021 in title role in Der Zwerg, a fantastical Austrian opera based on an Oscar Wilde short story.