Native Montanan Douglas Nagel graduated from the University of Wyoming and The San Francisco Conservatory of Music before beginning a very active singing career. Douglas was last heard in West Bay Opera's & Mobile Opera's Der fliegende Holländer.

He made his American Wagner singing debut as the title role in The Flying Dutchman for Greater Buffalo Opera Company. Mr. Nagel recently sang an all Wagner program form the newly formed Utah Lyric Opera, Orem, Utah, a program that was repeated in February 2011.

He maintains a very busy schedule as the artistic director for Rimrock Opera where he produces and directs two productions each season in addition to all of the administrative trappings of holding this position. He has been with the company since its inception and will have completed twenty two productions at the end of this season. Other debuts included Arizona Opera, Sacramento Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, Cedar Rapids Opera and Eugene Opera. Other orchestra works include Western Slope Music Festival, Bear Valley Music Festival & Music in the Mountains. A favorite of Maestro Kent Nagano and the Berkeley Symphony, Mr. Nagel sang Doktor Faust, Oedipus Rex and Das klangende Lied.

Mr. Nagel has expanded his repertoire to over 40 roles with The Virginia Opera, El Paso Opera, West Bay Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, singing a wide repertoire from Scarpia, Giovanni, Germont, Magnifico, Sharpless, Pasquale, Onegin, Renato, Zurga, Leporello, Marcello, Bartolo, Trulove, Figaro and Wotan.

The role of John the Baptist in Salome was one of Mr. Nagel's signature roles as he made his European debut in Rostock, Germany, and repeated it with Opera Columbus, The Virginia Opera and The Opera Co. of Philadelphia. In fact, he even traveled with his own "head."

Douglas created the role of Theseus in Roumanis' Phaedra, broadcast on PBS throughout the U.S. He received international attention when he created the role of Francisco de Santander in the Virginia Opera world premiere of Thea Musgrave's Simon Bolìvar, later singing excerpts from the production at the Royal Albert Hall, London, broadcast on the BBC. Other world premiere operas include West of Washington Square, Polpolvu, Powder Her Face, and Wuornos.
Mr. Nagel is heard on CD by Albany Records in the title role of Count Orlock (Dracula) in Rimrock Opera's world premiere recording of Henderson/Gioia's Nosferatu. Mr. Nagel is the new Assistant Professor of Voice and Choral Studies at Montana State University Billings, while remaining with the Rimrock Opera.