Reader Submission: Joe Eletto

Joe Eletto

Our latest Reader Submission is American barihunk Joe Eletto, who will be performing at Opera in the Park on August 29 and September 13 with the Virginia Opera. Eletto is a participant in Virginia Opera's Herndon Foundation Emerging Artist Program, where he will cover the roles of John Styx in Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld and Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème, and beginning in January 2016 will tour with their school outreach production of Little Red Riding Hood.

Eletto completed his Bachelor of Music with Distinction in Research and Creative Works at Rice University and earned his master of music from The Juilliard School and participated in Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute as a Vocal Fellow, Houston Grand Opera's Young Artists Vocal Academy and Aspen Music Festival and School. He won an Encouragement Award from the Opera Index Vocal Competition, first-prize in Classical Singer Magazine’s 2013 competition in the University Division, and second-prize in the inaugural Hal Leonard Vocal Competition in the College/University Voices Division.

Joe Eletto

In March 2016, he will sing his first Fauré Requiem with the Symphony Orchestra Augusta, Georgia. He recently made his debut with the Crested Butte Music Festival singing Malatesta in Donizetti's Don Pasquale and returned to the Bard Music Festival for their musical survey of Mexican composer Carlos Chávez, having sung Schubert’s Partsongs the previous year. He created the role of Felix Mendelssohn in Victoria Bond’s new opera Clara with Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival and sang with the New York Festival of Song in a performance curated by composer Mark Adamo.

Opera in the Park is free to the public and will be held at Dogwood Dell Amphitheatre in Richmond, Virginia. The park opens at 6 PM and the concert starts at 7:30 PM on both nights.

John Brancy recitals look at Freud, WWI

John Brancy flexing his vocal chops and his barihunk guns

American barihunk John Brancy has two fascinating recitals coming up before the end of the year.

On November 11, he'll join the gifted young soprano Janai Brugger at the New York Festival of Song for "Art Song on the Couch: Lieder in Freud's Vienna"  at the Merkin Concert Hall. NYFOS, Tuesday November 11th,  2014, 8pm  Merkin Concert Hall. The concert features music by Hugo Wolf, Gustav Mahler, Arnold Schoenberg, Richard Strauss, Alexander von Zemlinsky, Franz Schreker, and others.

The program will explore German lieder in the early years of the 20th century as it took on a new psychological and musical complexity. The duo will be joined at the piano by Michael Barrett and the always entertaining Steven Blier.

Visit the NYFOS website for ticket information.

On December 10th, Brancy will return to Vocal Arts DC for a recital honoring the centenary of World War I. The concert is titled "Silent Night: A World War I Centenary Tribute in Song" and features songs from England, Germany, Austria, France & America. He'll be joined by Peter Dugan at the piano. The program includes music by Butterworth, Gurney, Orff, Alma Mahler, Ravel, Poulenc, Debussy, Ives and renditions of "My Buddy" and "Danny Boy"

The gifted young singer, was the winner of both the Sullivan Foundation and Marilyn Horne Song Competitions before graduating from Juilliard. Brancy has also already made solo recital debuts at both Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall, and has appeared in opera in Paris, Dresden, and Frankfurt.

Tickets are available online.

Don't forget to order your 2015 Barihunks Charity Calendar today. You'll enjoy 19 of opera's hottest singers. Click below to order now.

Theo Hoffman joins Steven Blier for Craigslistlieder

Theo Hoffman

Barihunk Theo Hoffman will be one of four singers joining the talented accompanist Steven Blier in the New York Festival of Song's Emerging Artists series. The program is entitles "Craigslistlieder & Other Love Songs" and includes music by Granados, Grieg, Frank Bridge, Sondheim, Stenhammar, and Gabriel Kahane.  

Kahane's "Craigslistlieder," which is a song cycle based on actual Craigslist personal ads headlines the program. The cycle includes 1. You Looked Sexy 2. II. I'm Sorry 3. III. Half A Box of Condoms 4. IV. Neurotic and Lonely 5. Today I Met 6. For Trade 7. If Anyone Knows 8. Opera Scene. 

Theo Hoffman sings the Count's Aria from the Marriage of Figaro:

The Festival is taking their program out to Long Island for two performances on Long Island this month! There will be a preview concert on August 23 at Christ Episcopal Church in Bellport followed the next day by a performance at in Orient. Hoffman will be joined by soprano Chelsea Morris, mezzo-soprano Lauren Eberwein and tenor William Goforth. The singers will perform solos as well as vocal quartets.

In November, Hoffman will play Bob in Menotti's The Old Maid and the Thief at Juilliard in a triple-bill directed by Edward Berkeley, which also includes Samuel Barber's A Hand of Bridge and Kurt Weill's Down in the Valley.. On March 8, 2015, he debuts with the Portland Symphony Orchestra as The Jailer in Poulenc's The Dialogues of the Carmelites. Tickets are available online. 

Make sure to read our interview with Theo Hoffman that appeared on our site in February.