Omari was once warned, “A chameleon changes its colors, not its shape.” He’s been defying that statement ever since… With over 30 years in the arts, his constant reimagining of self in sound and style have been the ingredients to a multi-faceted career.

 

The Sacramento native is Co-Founding Artistic Director of Rogue Music Project, Professor of Vocal Music at Cosumnes River College, and member of the band Solabel. His degrees from Michigan State University and the Moores School of Music-University of Houston in Music Education and Vocal Music Performance helped him to feel at home in operatic and musical theatre worlds, as well as in jazz and pop genres. Tau has proven a versatile performing artist, educator, director, and composer.

 

Tau served as the Director of Opera Theatre at Sacramento State University for six years and directed Houston Grand Opera’s Education and Outreach program Opera To Go! which prepared young professionals and college-level artists for the stage performing in an opera troupe dedicated to young audiences.

 

As performing artist, the baritone toured internationally with Disney’s The Lion King for nearly nine years, performing the role of they mean and nasty hyena Banzai with both the Cheetah and Gazelle companies. Other credits include roles at the Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre, the Tony Award-Winning TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, MUNY, Sacramento’s Broadway at Music Circus, and Theater Under The Stars among others. Tau appears on various recordings with Solabel as well as solo work with composer Graham Sobleman.

 

As a composer himself, Tau’s operas A Night At the Algonquin, Hans in Luck and The Pre-Show Opera Lecture were commissioned and premiered by Lone Star Lyric where they enjoyed successful runs. He composed for Houston Grand Opera’s Education and Outreach program as well as his initiative Lions in the Library which features chamber music accompaniments to readings of children’s books. In 2024, he was honored to arrange music for Disney’s The Lion King 25th Anniversary celebration on the Broadway stage.