Kenneth Kellogg Sings Praises of Helping Kids Embrace Their True Selves

Kenneth Kellogg grew up in a gritty Washington, D.C., ‘hood, during the city’s peak as a major homicide city with addicts, dealers and gun play all around him. So how did he go from there, listening to hip hop and go-go music as he walked through the streets, to singing lead in what was named the “best new opera” in 2020?

You’ll find out by listening to the latest episode of The Modern Dads Podcast.

Kellogg, praised by opera critics for his commanding stage presence and rich, resonant bass, discusses his journey through life, helping children embrace who they are, and what it was like bringing his own son on stage with him.

Kellogg is interviewed by NYC Dads Group co-organizer James Lopez, who hosted the opera singer on his own #FatherhoodIsLit Podcast. Before the interview we catch up with Lopez, who runs his own website Cool4Dads, and how he and his family have been doing during the pandemic.

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Kellogg won acclaim in 2019 as the male lead in Blue, a contemporary opera that follows a black family whose unarmed teenage son is killed by another office at a protest rally. The twist is the teen’s father is a police officer (Kellogg) himself. An August 2019 New York Times review called the production “powerful — as well as sadly timely.” The Music Critics Association of North America named it best new opera even after its major run at D.C.’s Kennedy Center ended because of the COVID-19 pandemic after eight performances .

Kellogg has performed extensively in Europe and the United States, playing both classic roles (title character in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Mephistopheles in Faust) and contemporary ones. He has worked with many leaders in the field including the San Francisco Opera, L.A. Opera, Washington National Opera and Canadian Opera Company.