Quentin Oliver Lee

Quentin Oliver Lee (January 28, 1988 – December 1, 2022) was an American stage actor and operatic baritone. He was widely known for his portrayal of the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. He was part of the team that won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording in The Prince of Broadway and Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.

Early life and education Lee was born in San Bernardino, California, and relocated to Arizona for university, later moving to New York City after he graduated from Northern Arizona University (NAU) in 2012 where he received a bachelor's degree in vocal performance. While at NAU, Lee taught at the Flagstaff School of Music and was a member of the Cardinal Key Honor Society. He was also a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and a soloist and choir member for the Shrine of the Ages choir and performed with them in South Africa, New York's Carnegie Hall, and at many ACDA conferences.

After moving to New York, he performed in subway stations to make ends meet, often as part of The Opera Collective for Music Under New York. After a successful audition, he landed the role and went on to perform on Broadway.

In 2019, The New York Times called him "excellent" as Kilian, a big-shot townsman in Heartbeat Opera's production of Weber's Der Freischütz at the Baruch Performing Arts Center in Manhattan.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he portrayed Macbeth in Heartbeat Opera's Lady M, an online production based on Verdi's Macbeth alongside Felicia Moore in the title role. Playbill noted that he was known for his "richly resonant baritone voice." Additional credited stage works are Caroline, or Change (in 2021) and The Golden Apple.

Personal life Lee was born and raised in San Bernardino, California. He met his future wife, Angie Lee Graham, when they were both living in New York City. They met at the Harlem young single adult ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which Lee had joined in 2010. They married in August 2015. He had been diagnosed with the disease six months before his death. His wife said in a statement: "He was an incredible man, husband, father, son, brother, friend, singer, actor, and disciple of Christ with great faith in his Father in Heaven. To say 'he will be dearly missed' doesn't reflect the scope of the people and communities he has created and touched."

The Phantom of the Opera production team released a statement on his passing, saying: "The Phantom family is saddened to hear of the passing of Quentin Oliver Lee. Quentin brilliantly lead our North American tour in 2018. Our hearts are with Quentin's family and friends."

Awards and honors Lee had made it to the final list of Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and had received the National Association of Teachers of Singers Artist Award.