“A talent of the first order” (Tom Cipullo), baritone Scott Hetz Clark of Leesburg, Virginia has captivated audiences with his versatile vocal talent and showmanship. A James Madison University School of Music alumnus, Scott's operatic journey began at the Prague Summer Nights Young Artist Festival in 2019, where he debuted as Figaro in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at the historic Estates Theater. Since then, he has continued to share his "youthful and powerful baritone voice" (Thüringische Landeszeitung) on stages across the United States and Europe. His notable performances include Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Mayo Buckner in Tom Cipullo's new opera Mayo Buckner: A Life Interrupted, Sulpice in La fille du régiment, Sid in Albert Herring, and Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Most recently, Scott returned to the historic Seagle Festival in upstate New York to perform the title role in Mayo Buckner: A Life Interrupted and the role of Moonface Martin in Anything Goes. Scott spent the winter season with Opera Naples as their Resident Artist baritone, performing under the baton of international conductor Ramón Tebar. In 2024 he was an Emerging Artist at the Seagle Festival, performing the title roles in Don Giovanni and Sweeney Todd. In 2023, he made his Lincoln Center debut with Teatro Nuovo where he earned praise for his performance as Don Asdrubale in the Ricci Brothers’ rarely-performed comedy Crispino e la comare. He has collaborated with the Sarasota Opera, Opera Baltimore, Bel Cantanti Opera, The Castleton Festival, and Lyric Opera Studio Weimar. Scott recently earned an Encouragement Award in the DMV District of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.

Beyond opera, Scott also brings his artistry to jazz music and American Standards, performing frequently across Northern Virginia and the greater Washington D.C. area as a solo performer as well as with some of the most prolific big bands and combos in the region. Last summer, he headlined at the Tarara Summer Concert Series in Lucketts, VA with Big Night, the premier big band of Loudoun County. He is deeply committed to community engagement through music and serves on the board of directors of Loudoun Lyric Opera, where he focuses on developing opera in Loudoun County from a grassroots level.