Introducing our first barihunk sextet; Double-cast Don Giovanni in UK

A Twitter follower just alerted us to a double-cast Don Giovanni at Hampstead Garden Opera in the UK featuring SIX barihunk (3 in each cast as Don Giovanni, Leporello and Masetto). Cast and ticket information is available online.

James Quilligan

We'll start with the cast performing on November 7, 10, 12, 14 and 15, as our (ginger loving) reader specifically pointed out barihunk James Quilligan, who is cast as Leporello.

Born near Cambridge, James Quilligan is a recent graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has performed throughout Europe including the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, Salle Pleyel in Paris, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Hall, and Bridgewater Hall and also at chamber venues such as the Wigmore Hall, St George’s, Hanover sq, and St Martin in the Fields.

Recent roles have included several Charpentier roles as part of the London Handel Festival and Count Almaviva and Antonio in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro with Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Last season he was part of Opera Holland Park's production of Aida.

Jerome Knox sporting a baritone claw (right)

Barihunk Jerome Knox recently graduated with a Distinction on the Masters in Vocal Performance course at the Royal College of Music. Born in Harrow, Middlesex, he graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in Classical Studies .

He has performed all three baritone roles in Don Giovanni, as well as Nick Shadow in Stravinsky's The Rake’s Progress, Somnus in Handel's Semele, the Badger and Harasta in Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen, Papageno in Mozart's The Magic Flute, as well as creagint the role of WH Auden in Journeying Boys at the Royal College of Music. He recently made his solo debut in the Royal Albert Hall performing Cole Porter and was a soloist at the Edinburgh Jazz festival and London Song festival 2015.

Rob Clark

Bass-barihunk Rob Clark recently graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with a first-class honours degree in Vocal Studies.

He has performed numerous solo oratorio works, including Handel’s Israel in Egypt, Fauré’s Requiem, Duruflé’s Requiem, Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs and Handel’s Messiah. In 2011, he made his National Theatre debut as Peter in Jonathan Miller’s  production of Bach’s St Matthew Passion. His operatic roles to date have included Morales,Carmen, and the Count, Le Nozze di Figaro.

From 2013 to 2014 Robert was a member of Genesis Sixteen, The Sixteen’s training program and and will rejoin them as part of collaborative project with Streetwise Opera.

Joseph Kennedy

The other trio of barihunks performs on November 6, 8, 11, 13 and 14 with barihunk Joseph Kennedy performing the title role, Samuel Lom singing Leporello and Shaun Aquilina taking on Masetto.

Kennedy began his studies at Birmingham Conservatoire and continued his training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He was a Christine Collins Young Artist at Opera Holland Par

Recent performance highlights include a tour of Greece performing Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte, a live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 of operatic excerpts, and singing the bass soloist in Haydn’s Creation with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

He has performed the Forester in Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen, Noye in Britten's Noye’s Fludde, the Indian in Smetana's The Bartered Bride, Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen, and Kouravar in Delibes' Lakme.

Kennedy will next be seen in a project called “The Close to Home Show” with Contemporary music ensemble “Thumb”.

Samuel Lom

Barihunk Samuel Lom graduated last year from the University of Warwick where he performed a number of Mozart roles at the Warwick Arts Centre including Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, Papageno in The Magic Flute and Leporello in Don Giovanni. An avid Germanophile, Samuel recently spent a year in Berlin studying at the Deutsche Oper, but spent the majority of his time eating sausage and sauerkraut. Now situated in North London, Samuel can often be found frequenting the various European eateries of Hampstead.

Shaun Aquilina

Barihunk Shaun Aquilina studied at the Royal Academy of Music and is a member of the of the Philharmonia Chorus, which performs major choral works around the UK and Europe

He made his operatic debut with Hampstead Garden Opera last year as the Vicar Mr Gedge in the crit Britten's Albert Herring. He also performed the role of Germano in Rossini’s one-act comic opera La Scala di Seta with Opera Holloway. In 2013, he travelled to Liguria in Northern Italy, to sing scenes from La Nozze di Figaro, La Cenerentola, Rigoletto, Lakmé and La Jolie Fille de Perth.

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

Tristan Hambleton, Seth Carico and Patrick Egersborg