Tshombe Selby is a native of Manteo, North Carolina. His first introduction to music came when he convinced his parents to let him join the youth choir at church. He was 5 years old. His musical talents and his willingness to share it were recognized immediately. They were recognized not only by the church, but his school, the community and everyone who heard him sing. By age 15 he had become Minister of Music for his church, taught himself to play the piano and had performed at countless school and community events.
After graduating high school, Tshombe received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Performance from Elizabeth City State University. While at the University he excelled as a tenor soloist in the University Choir and held the office of choir president for several years. With the choir Tshombe toured throughout the United States, Africa and performed for NC State Senators and the United States Congress. It was through his experience with the choir that he discovered his love for opera.
During the spring of 2013, Tshombe was invited to apprentice with Nico Castel and Carol Castel at the New York Opera Studio. He moved to New York making his Carnegie Hall debut in the Stern Auditorium in February of 2015 as a tenor soloist with Distinguished Concerts International New York performing the tenor solos in the oratorio The Exodus written by E Robinson. Among the roles Selby has performed include King Kasper in Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, Count Alamaviva in Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Lensky in Tchaikovshy's Eugene Onegin, the Duke in Verdi's Rigoletto and Alfred in Strauss Jr's Die Fledermaus.
Selby is honored to lend his voice to the Poor Peoples Campaign, a national call for moral revival and has sung with the movement to crowds exceeding 90,000. During the summer of 2018, Tshombe performed the role of Romeo in Weisensel's City Workers in Love, the role of Tony in McNally's Master Class, and the role of the priest in Artic Flute, a reimagined version of Mozart's The Magic Flute thus giving a nod to the indigenous peoples of Canada. Tshombe completed his summer in Kiev in the Ukraine coaching with Dr. Violetta Zabbi and performed in a series of concerts.
During the winter of 2019, Selby was back in his home state of North Carolina performing the role of Alfredo in Verdi's La Traviata, the first opera ever produced on the Outer Banks. Mr. Selby studies voice with Ms. Carol Castel and coaches with an esteemed team of music and diction professionals from Metropolitan Opera music staff and The Julliard School.
