A profile of Barihunks calendar model John Paul Huckle

John Paul Huckle: Mr. May 2015 in our Barihunks Charity Calendar (with Cyril Rovery & Jason Duika)

A welcome new addition to our Barihunks Charity Calendar this year is the American bass John Paul Huckle, hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is featured in the month of May with fellow barihunks Cyril Rovery and Jason Duika as guys who all have great chest voices (ok, great chests).

''I believe the Barihunks association to be a great tool for branching out and putting the lower voice first. So often it's all about the soprano or tenor. Barihunks puts us baritones and basses in the limelight for a change," said John Paul Huckle. "I am pleased to have taken  part of the ''Barihunks'' calendar as it is something that will eventually fund a competition for the baritone and bass voices and fund other projects as well featuring low males voices.''

Huckle has become a regular at the Teatro Carlo Felice where this season he has performed Cesare Angelotti in Tosca, Dansker in Billy Budd, Zuniga in Carmen and the Marchese d'Obigny in La traviata. He's currently singing Pietro in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra in a cast that includes fellow barihunk Ricardo Crampton. In May, he'll sing Cirillo in Giordano's Fedora.  

John Paul Huckle sings Some Enchanted Evening:

The October 31st performance of Simon Boccanegra will be live-streamed from the Teatro Carlo Felice and available for viewing online at 3:10 PM . The opera will be conducted by Stefano Ranzani and feature Naoyuki Okada as Gabriele Adorno, Benedetta Torre as Amelia and Mansoo Kim in the title role.

Huckle studied at Boston University Opera before completing his Master of Music at the Indiana Univerisity where he studied with the legendary bass Giorgio Tozzi. At Indiana University he performed the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Pistola in Falstaff, Friar Laurence in Roméo et Juliette, Hobson in Peter Grimes, Sarastro in The Magic Flute, Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro and the Count Des Grieux in Manon.

He went on to hone his skills at young artist programs at the Central City Opera, Tulsa Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Opera North, Brevard Music Center, and the Sarasota Opera. While at Sarasota Opera, he received the distinguished Leo Rogers Outstanding Apprentice award.

In 2007, he made his professional debut as Sparafucile in Verdi's Rigoletto with the Cleveland Opera. Since the 2010-2011 season, he has been singing in major European houses including the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Regio di Torino, Teatro Verdi in Pisa and the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa.

MAKE SURE TO ORDER YOUR 2016 BARIHUNKS CALENDAR BEFORE THE HOLIDAY RUSH; 18 OF THE WORLD'S HOTTEST SINGER FROM 9 COUNTRIES.

Marco Vassalli and Malte Roesner