We've had a number of emails asking for more pictures or video of Teddy Tahu Rhodes' performance of Don Giovanni. We're tired of running the same old leather outfit photo, but we now have this great video of him singing "Fin ch' han dal vino" from the current run.
Performances at the Sydney Opera House run until November 5th and then the show moves to the Arts Centre in Melbourne from December 2-December 17. Visit the Opera Australia website for additional information.
Don Giovanni: The Champagne Aria ('') sung by Teddy Tahu Rhodes
-->Italian baritone Omar was born in Riccione, Italy and studied at the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro. He was the winner of the 59th Concorso Europeo per Giovani Cantanti Lirici “A. Belli” in Spoleto and made his professional debut as Aeneas in Purcell's Dido and Aeneasin Pesaro in 2000.
He has performed numerous role in Rossini operas including Trombonok and Don Alvaro in Il Viaggio a Reims, Don Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Dandini in La Cenerentola and Haly and Taddeo in Italiana in Algeri, Don Pomponio in La Gazzetta and Raimbaud in Le Comte Ory.
He is currently performing in Mercadante's I due Figaro at the Ravenna Festival directed by Emilio Sagi. In September, he returns to Rossini in Fenice where he takes on Bartolo inIl barbiere di Siviglia.
This site is a big proponent of ensuring that opera appeals to a younger generation; that we create productions and market singers that can compete with television and movies for audiences. Although we know that purists will object to anything that doesn't look like a Met production from the 1940s, we love it when we see creative new ways to bring opera to new audiences.
We loved this video of Cedric Trenton Berry the minute it arrived in our inbox and he certainly qualifies as a barihunk. He sings a sexy version of Don Giovanni's famous Champagne Aria "Fin ch'han dal vino" on the streets of Los Angeles. The clip is from the film "Jackson" by independent filmmaker J.F. Lawton and the music is arranged and orchestrated by Frankie Blue.
Berry had real operatic street cred, as well. He attended the Interlochen Arts Academy and received both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Southern California. He also received first place in the Metropolitan Opera Western Region Competition.
He has covered roles with the Los Angeles Opera, as well as sung roles with the company as a resident artist. In addition to his work with a number of orchestras and opera companies, he performed in the West Coast premiere of Charles Wuorinen’s opera “The Haroun Songbook” and played Prettyman in the world premiere of “The First Lady”, an opera based on the life of Eleanor Roosevelt.
