Lucas Meachem in Marriage of Figaro (left) and showing off his "guns" in Dresden
Barihunk Lucas Meachem has won the San Francisco Opera inaugural "Emerging Star of the Year" competition. The competition was made possible
by The Emerging Stars Fund, established through a three-year,
multi-million dollar gift from San Francisco Opera sponsors Jan Shrem and Maria
Manetti Shrem. Meachem will be awarded $10,000. The goal of the Emerging Stars Fund is to engage the community in
the thrill of experiencing artists on the cusp of greatness, and to
build awareness among the broader opera-going public of San Francisco
Opera's leadership in nurturing and showcasing new talent.
Meachem is a former participant in the Merola Opera Program and Adler Fellows, both programs associated closely with the development of young artists at the company. He has appeared with San Francisco Opera in the title role of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Mozart's Don Giovanni, Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, Mozart's Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Mozart's Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro and Fritz/Frank in Korngold’s Die tote Stadt.
Lucas Meachem sings "Sois immobile" from Rossini's William Tell:
He returns to the company this year as Doctor Malatesta in Donizetti's Don Pasquale, which he performs on September 28 and October 2, 12, and 15. He will rotate the role with another emerging artist from the company, barihunk Edward Nelson, who also has been part of the Merola Opera Program and is a current Adler Fellow. Nelson performs on October 4 and 7. Tickets and cast information is available online. The voting was conducted online and through social media. Other singers who were considered included soprano Malin Byström, mezzo Sasha Cooke, soprano Leah
Crocetto, tenor Michael Fabiano, tenor Brian Jagde,
mezzo Daniela Mack, baritone Brian Mulligan, tenor Alek Shrader and soprano Heidi Stober.
The British are finally getting the chance to enjoy American barihunk John Brancy, as he tours in Glyndebourne's production of Donizetti's Don Pasquale as Malatesta. They are at the tail end of the tour with final performances in Plymouth and Woking running through December 4th. During the tour he's taken time to appear on BBC3 in Norwich (at 1:43:00) and Classicfmfor a demonstration of bel canto and legato. (Check them out, as they are quite entertaining).
He'll be returning to North America after the run for a Christmas concert with his wife mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta They will join the Edmonton Symphony, the Greenwood Singers and the dancers from Shelley’s Dance Company for a program that includes Jingle Bells, Carol of the Bells, O Holy Night, Silver Bells, Sleigh Ride, music from The Santa Clause films and a Christmas carol sing-along.
On January 16, he'll join pianist Peter
Dugan in Aiken, South Carolina to reprise their critically acclaimed program of WWI songs. The duo then heads to Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital hall on February 5, 2016 for a program entitled Fantasy, which includes music by Schumann, Sibelius, Grieg, Britten and Bridge.
Enjoy 18 more barihunks in our new Charity Calendar, which is on sale now.
The coveted Igor Gorin Memorial Award is being awarded to a barihunk for the second consecutive year, as Chris Carr will be the 2014 recipient. Last year's winner was Ryan Kuster. Mary Gorin created the Igor Gorin Memorial Award to honor her husband, the late Russian baritone Igor Gorin, by financially assisting talented young vocalists at the beginning of their careers.
Chris Carr is the baritone studio artist at Arizona Opera for the 2013-2014 season. Chris attended Simpson College and the University of Missouri-Kansas City where he studied with and continues to study with renowned tenor Vinson Cole. He was a district winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in both 2011 and 2012 and is a 2013 alumnus of the San Francisco Opera Center Merola Program. He will be using the award to support his next audition season as he attempts to move from young artist work to professional work.
Chris Carr will be performing Baron Douphol in Verdi's La traviata from February 28-March 9 and Malatesta in Donizetti's Don Pasquale with the Arizona Opera from April 12-27.
Ryan Kuster will perform Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen at the Virginia Opera from March 21 to April 13 and again with Opera Colorado from May 3-11.
We're unapologetically huge fans of Aussie barihunk Sam Dundas. Not only is he one of the biggest talents "down under," but he's one of the greatest guys in the business. Dundas is the kind of singer that one pulls for to succeed in the mad world of opera. His personality is as infectious onstage as offstage and we predict a great future for the 30-year-old singer.
We were about to post about his upcoming performance as Dr. Malatesta in Donizetti's Don Pasquale when we learned that he had won the coveted $42,000 Lady Fairfax New York Scholarship. The prize allows Dundas to come to the United States for six weeks of work on the opera skills of his choice.
Dundas has indicated that he's going to use the prize to work on his Russian language skills. We're sure that there are some coaches in Брайтон-Бич (Brighton Beach) who would be happy to assist him in honing his Russian language skills. We can't wait to see him in two Tchaikovsky roles: the title role in Eugene Onegin and Prince Yeletsky in Pique Dame.
For those of you fortunate enough to be in Australia, you can catch his Dr. Malatesta from August 1-15 at Opera Australia with Conal Coad in the title role. Tickets are available online. From August 16-30 you can catch him as Sid in Britten's Albert Herring.
We recently posted about the much anticipated concert in Heidelberg, Germany featuring Luca Pisaroni and Thomas Hampson. As regular readers will know, not only are these two men some of the most popular barihunks in the world, but they are a father-in-law/son-in-law tandem. They also happen to be two of the greatest singers in the world today.
Luca Pisaroni (L) & Thomas Hampson (R)
For those of you who missed the broadcast, here are the duets from the concerts. We've also added Luca Pisaroni singing "Sorgete... Duce di tanti eroi" from Rossini's Mamoetto II, which he will be singing at the Santa Fe Opera this summer. A performance that is not to be missed. You can watch the entire concert at teresa59's YouTube site.
Thomas Hampson, Luca Pisaroni - Il rival salvar... Suoni la tromba (I puritani)
Thomas Hampson, Luca Pisaroni - Restate (Don Carlo)
Thomas Hampson, Luca Pisaroni - Cheti, cheti immantinente (Don Pasquale)
Thomas Hampson, Luca Pisaroni - Uldino...Tardo per gl'anni (Attila)
Luca Pisaroni - Sorgete... Duce di tanti eroi (Mamoetto II)
Last week we featured an interview with David Krohn, who is playing Dr. Malatesta in the Seattle Opera Young Artist Program's production of Donizetti's "Don Pasquale." Krohn is alternating the role with fellow barihunk Joseph Lattanzi, who sings Dr. Malatesta in the April 1 and April 7 performances at the University of Washington's Meany Hall. Here is an interview with the rising young talent, who is headed off to San Francisco's prestigious Merola Opera Program this summer.
The interview was featured on the Seattle Opera blog. You can subscribe to the blog and get regular updates about all of the amazing opera in Seattle.
At Seattle Opera’s recent gala, you sang the Pearl Fishers duet with William Burden. What was that like? It was great! It was the first that I had ever done that Pearl Fishers duet, and it’s such a great piece of music. So I was really happy to get to sing it, and really happy to sing it with Bill, who has done that role all over the world. It was really daunting for me because I knew I had to try and get to his level really fast, but it was great experience and he’s such a nice guy and a really great mentor for a young singer. He’s really got everything it takes. He’s a great actor, a great singer, and a great person.
Young Artists Christopher Lade and Joseph Lattanzi with tenor William
Burden at Seattle Opera's 2012 Gala, "A Perfect Pairing." Photo by Alan
Alabastro
This opera is basically a cautionary tale warning against marriage (“Marriage is nothing but a heap of trouble,” everyone sings at the end). What do you think? Well, I think this opera is really about the wrong kind of marriage, in particular, and cautioning against marrying for the wrong reasons. Pasquale says at the beginning that he really just wants to marry someone to spite Ernesto, because Ernesto wants to marry Norina and he doesn’t approve. My character, Malatesta, shows Don Pasquale what a rash decision that was, and that he’s misguided. So I don’t know if it’s a cautionary tale against all marriage.
Have you sung any of the music in Don Pasquale prior to this production? Yes, I’ve sung the aria “Bella siccome,” which is one of the arias that people often give to young baritones because it’s really conducive to learning line and style and you can work on your Italian language through it. It’s one of those things that people hear a lot, so it’s hard to turn it into something really special and professional and get away from the amateur side of things. When you’re young and you work on an aria, things get ingrained. So after singing this for several years, I had a lot of habits I had to change and I had to modify the way that I was thinking about the role to fit in to how we’re doing it here in this production. I’ve also performed the duet with Norina and trio with Norina and Pasquale, both at the Chautauqua Institute a couple years ago.
Trailer for Seattle Opera YAP's Don Pasquale with barihunk David Krohn:
Like Albert in Werther, who you sang for us last fall, Malatesta is a bit of a two-faced character. Do you prefer these more dramatically complicated roles to a character who is simply good or bad? Yes, I think I do prefer them more. These types of roles have a lot of emotions to play and different ways to act around different people and things like that. But I have not met an opera role that has not been challenging yet. [Laughs] Even if they’re not two-faced or dramatically as interesting, nothing is really easy to play on stage, and there are always so many factors.
Have you played much comedy? How do the skills differ from those it takes to perform something like Carmen, which you sang on the mainstage last fall? I went to a performing arts high school outside of Atlanta where I grew up and we did a lot of musical theater and musical comedy there. And then in undergrad, I performed in Così fan tutte, and I also did Papageno, so those were comedic. Those roles do differ from the more dramatic roles—but my character in Carmen wasn’t so dramatic. Moralès gets to have fun, and that was a fun role for me. But, yes, the skill set for comedy is a little different. You have to have your wits about you and know what you’re going for but at the same time everything has to look very easy and spontaneous. When the performance looks planned, it’s not so funny for the audience anymore. You have to keep everything fresh while still hitting all your marks.
Lindsay Russell as "Sofronia" and Joseph Lattanzi as Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale Photo by Elise Bakketun
Are there any roles in particular that you really hope to get to perform someday? Oh, gosh, there are a lot of roles I really want to do. I’ve done a lot of Mozart (in school) and I was really lucky to have sung Don Giovanni. I’d really love to go back and do that again, because that a role that keeps evolving as you bring more experience to the table. I would also love to do Figaro in The Barber of Seville. That would be really fun down the line, maybe in a couple years.
What has been your favorite role you’ve sung so far in your career? I think I would say probably Don Giovanni. But this one, Dr. Malatesta, is shaping up to be one of my favorites because it’s really fun to sing. There are a lot of opportunities for showing off and it has legato singing, ensemble singing, and solo singing, so it’s really got everything. Don Giovanni was really fun, and so was Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, which I did at Oberlin when I was a student there. Don Giovanni was also through Oberlin, but as part of the Oberlin in Italy program.
How fun! Was that your first time in Italy? Yes, and I loved it. I have family lineage in Italy, so it was great to be there and also it was a really cool place to spend the summer. I went two summers ago and was there for maybe six or seven weeks for the Oberlin in Italy program, which was in Arezzo. Afterward I went to Paris for 10 days, as a vacation, because I’d always wanted to visit.
What’s next for you, once you leave Seattle? I’m going to be at the Merola Opera Program this summer with San Francisco Opera and I’m doing a role in Postcard from Morocco called The Man with the Shoe Sample Kit. It’s the baritone role in that opera, and it’s an ensemble piece for sure. Everyone has a lot to do and it has challenging music, by Dominick Argento. So I’m trying to learn that right now. It’s going to take a lot of time. Some of the more modern pieces take a little longer to get in your brain, but it’s in English, so that’s nice, and it’s just a cool piece. I think it’ll be exciting!
David Krohn in Seattle Opera's YAP "Don Giovanni" Photo by Rozarii Lynch
We've featured David Krohn as the star in Don Giovanni at the Seattle Opera's Young Artist, as well as in our Barihunks Charity Calendar. The gifted young singer is wrapping up his second season performing Dr. Malatesta in Donizetti's Don Pasquale on March 31 and April 6. He'll be alternating the role with fellow barihunk and calendar model Joseph Lattanzi (interview forthcoming). Visit the Seattle Opera website for more information.
After the young artist program, Krohn will join the Seattle Opera roster and perform Prince Yamadori on the mainstage in Puccini's Madama Butterfly.
Here is an interview with David Krohn from the Seattle Opera blog:
Previously on the Blog, you shared with us stories from your summer spent living in Italy. Do you think your time there has helped you with Italian roles like Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale? I think any time you get the opportunity to spend time in a foreign country learning another language, and learning from another culture, you get insight into any role that comes from that country. You also get insight into the language, and why a character would chase to say something a certain way. I could deliver a line and say, “Hi, how are you?” or I could say, “What’s going on today?” or “How you been?” There are a thousand different ways I could phrase something, depending on the language, which then informs a little something about my character. You can read behind the text, the more comfortable you are with the language.
Earlier this season, you sang Dancaïre in Seattle Opera’s mainstage production of Carmen and Albert in the YAP’s Werther. Now you’re prepping for Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale, and you’ll help close Seattle Opera’s season in May as Prince Yamadori in the mainstage Madama Butterfly. Which of these characters are you most like? Well, that’s a difficult question! Dancaïre is a smuggler in the mountains of Spain who tells his girlfriend to go and have sex with customs agents in order to pass contraband. So I hope I’m not like Dancaïre. Albert is a jealous husband who essentially gives his best friend pistols so that he can kill himself, so I’m not Albert. Yamadori is an Asian prince who tries to marry an already married woman, so I’m probably not Yamadori. Malatesta is the only one left, so I guess I’d have to say I’m the most like him, out of default, but I don’t really think I’m anything like Malatesta.
Mariusz Kwiecien in Don Pasquale - Seattle Opera 2003
On this date in 1843 Gaetano Donizetti's comic masterpiece debuted in Paris at the Théâtre Italien. We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than with the amazingly funny John Del Carlo and barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien singing the duet ''Cheti,cheti immantinente,'' which was encored every night during their Metropolitan Opera run.
Upcoming performances of the opera include a new production at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées starring Alessandro Corbelli and Lorenzo Ragazzo as Don Pasquale and Gabriele Viviani as Dr. Malatesta. For those of you who love hunkentenors, check out the March 2012 run of Don Pasquale with tenor Charles Castronovo and the baritone coupling of John Del Carlo and Jeff Mattsey.
Tenor Charles Castronovo looking Barihunkish
Don Pasquale was the 64th of Donizetti's 66 operas. It was composed shortly after he was appointed music director and composer for the imperial court of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. After its opening in Paris, performance quickly followed in Milan and London. The opera had its U.S. premiere in New Orleans at the Téatre d'Orleans on January 7, 1845.
If you're looking for a barihunk Dr. Malatesta, you'll have to head to the Rhein River valley, where Reinhold Schreyer-Morlock is taking on the role in Wiesbaden. We've not featured him on this site before, but he's certainly worth watching.
Vittorio Prato backstage during Don Pasquale in Lecce
We recently posted barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien with John Del Carlo singing "Cheti, cheti immantinente" from Don Pasquale and feel confident that it will go down in the annals of opera videos as one of the greatest moments ever filmed. So when we saw this video of barihunk Vittorio Prato with the great Simone Alaimo in Lecce performing the same duet, we thought it would be fun to post them together to show the stylistic differences. They are certainly both wonderful in their own special way.
Peter Barrett made his Metropolitan Opera debut on Valentine's Day singing the role of Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale, replacing Mariusz Kwiecien, who was ill.
Barrett, a Canadian baritone and prize winner at the Montreal International Competition, has appeared with the Canadian Opera in Toronto, Vancouver Opera, and the Wexford Festival in Ireland.
Vittorio Prato was recently featured in this Italian language profile on the online web magazine Leccedafare. He discusses how he lives for the moment and doesn't plan too far ahead, his love for Mozart, and how the great bass-baritone roles truly arrived with Donizetti and Verdi.
Regular readers of this site know that we're huge fans of this gifted young singer. He opens as Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale on Friday in the town of Lecce.
It just doesn't get any better than this. Here is bass John Del Carlo with barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien singing the patter duet "Cheti, cheti immantinente" From Donizetti's "Don Pasquale.' the performance was part of the HD broadcast series from the Metropolitan Opera.
This clip will surely be remembered as one of the great moments in Met history.
Screencaps of Mariusz Kwiecien from Polish television
Click HERE and watch a wonderful Czech feature on Mariusz Kwiecien. Even if you don't understand the language, there is plenty of wonderful singing.
The singer, affectionately known as the "Hot Pole," is in Krakow performing in "Eugene Onegin" through January 16th. He then returns to The Met for Donizetti's "Don Pasquale."
These shots of barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien are from Krakow where he is performing in Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin." There are three performances left on December 19 and January 14 & 16. If you're anywhere near Poland make sure to check out his amazing portrayal.
In 2011, he's scheduled to reprise his portrayal of Malatesta in Don Pasquale at The Met, play the Count in "Le Nozze di Figaro" in Japan, repeat his definitive performance of King Roger in Madrid and return to The Met for Marcello in La Boheme. Oddly, his calendar shows no performances in Chicago, Seattle or anywhere in California.
Polish Barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien has just launched one of the best websites in the world of opera. The site is loaded with beautifully shot photos, schedules, audio, video and a section of his personal photography.
Mariusz Kwiecieb
Kwiecien is currently in his Krakow singing Eugene Onegin, but returns to New York on February 4 to sing Malatesta in Donizetti's "Don Pasquale" at the Metropolitan Opera. Visit his new website for more information.
Polish barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien turned 38 today and is still looking good. He's currently at the Metropolitan Opera performing in Don Pasquale through November 18th. The opera will be telecast nationally in HD on November 13th, so check out your local listings.
Somehow we've managed to go two years without a posting of the delightful and talented Italian barihunk Gabriele Nani. Here are two recent videos of him singing Rossini and Mozart. He opens tomorrow as Dr. Malatesta in Donizetti's "Don Pasquale" at the music festival at the Olympic Theatre in Vicenza.
We always like to thank the great Italian soprano Mara Zampieri for "discovering" this amazing talent. Amazingly, no American opera company has scooped up Nani yet. Reports we've received from Italy say that few singers can rival the stage presence of this young barihunk.
