Barihunk turned pop singer to represent Macedonia in Eurovision Song Contest

Vasil Garvanliev in the 2014 Barihunks calendar

Macedonian barihunk, turned hunkentenor, turned pop singer Vasil Garvanliev is representing his native country in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam. Readers may remember him as one of our models in the 2014 Barihunks Calendar!

Garvanliev and his family moved to the United States when he was a child where he sang in the Chicago’s Children Choir. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music. He was a member of Calgary’s Opera Emerging Young Artist Program, Glimmerglass Young Artists Program and a member of Opera Atelier, as well as part of the Toronto Summer Music Festival & Academy. He was a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions – Illinois District in 2014-15.

He performed over 50 operatic roles before switching to a pop career. As a pop singer, he has released the singles Gjerdan, Patuvam and Mojata Ulica.

In the Eurovision competition he'll be singing You, composed by his friend Nevena Neskoska, a Macedonian born composer who studied songwriting at the Berklee College of Music.

Tickets will go on sale March 26 for performances which run from May 11-16.

Macedoonia has participated in the Eurovision competition times, but has never placed higher than 7th place when Tamara Todevska performed Proud last year.

Barihunk duo in Opera Atelier's Idomeneo

Doug Williams in Idomeneo (Photo: Bruce Zinger)

Opera Atelier's gorgeous production of Mozart's Idomeneo opened on April 4th with sexy bass-barihunk Doug Williams as Neptune and barihunk Olivier Laquerre as Arbace.

The cast includes Colin Ainsworth in the title role, Measha Brueggergosman as Elettra, Wallis Giunta as Idamante, Meghan Lindsay as Ilia and Bradley Christensen  as the Priest. Additional performances are on April 6, 7, 12 and 13 and tickets are available online.

The opera had a successful premiere in Munich in 1781 just two days after the composer's 25th birthday. However,  there was only one other performance of the piece in Mozart's lifetime, a concert version in Vienna in 1786. The lyrical tragedy is considered Mozart’s greatest choral opera and is composed in the baroque tradition of the opera seria. Unfortunately, its style fell out of favor and had a spotty performance history compared to his other works.

Olivier Laquerre as Arbace (photo: Bruce Zinger)

Based on a Homeric myth, the opera follows the return of Idomeneo, the King of Crete, to his Greek Island after the Trojan War. Along with him is his captive Ilia, a Trojan Princess, who is conflicted because she has fallen in love with her captor's son and enemy, Idamante.  Meanwhile, in order to save himself from an imminent ship wreck and watery grave, Idomeneo makes a pact with Neptune, the god of the seas, to sacrifice the first person he meets on shore. The sacrifice turns out to be his son, Idamante. Neptune agrees to spare Idamante's life if Idomeneo abdicates his throne to his son and his future wife, Ilia. Only Elettra, whose love for Idamante is unrequited, is left unfulfilled.

Jesse Blumberg in world premiere of Edwin Huizinga's Annunciation

Jesse Blumberg and Opera Atelier

Barihunk and early music specialist Jesse Blumberg will be featured in Opera Atelier's double-bill of The Angel Speaks and the Canadian premiere of Annunciation, a new commission by Toronto-based composer and violinist Edwin Huizinga for period instruments. The concert will blend baroque music with contemporary music inspired by early music.

The Angel Speaks unites baroque music, contemporary music and dance, while Annunciation is a setting of Rainer Maria Rilke's poem of the same name for six soloists by Canadian composer Edwin Huizinga. Blumberg will be joined by soprano Mireille Asselin, soloists from the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and five dancers from the Atelier Ballet.

Performances are at the historic Royal Ontario Museum  on February 21, 2019 and tickets are available online. 

Jesse Blumberg peforms Monteverdi's Vespers:

Blumberg can be heard on February 20th, as part of the New York Festival of Song's Hyphenated Americans, featuring songs by first-generation American composers whose close links to their parents’ homelands can be heard through their compositions.  Tickets and additional information is available online.

Douglas Williams makes company debut with Opera Atelier

Doug Williams

Opera Atelier will open their new season on October 26 with barihunk Douglas Williams making his company debut in the title role of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. The opera will also feature two other singers who have appeared on our site, Olivier Laquerre as Antonio and Stephen Hegedus as Count Almaviva. The remainder of the cast includes Mireille Asselin as Susanna, Peggy Kriha Dye as Countess Almaviva, Mireille Lebel as Cherubino, Laura Pudwell as Marcellina, Gustav Andreassen as Bartolo), Christopher Enns as Basilio/Don Curzio,  and Grace Lee as Barbarina.

Opera Atelier’s production of The Marriage of Figaro will be sung in the famous English translation by American playwright Jeremy Sams.

Doug Williams sings "Non più andrai" from Marriage of Figaro:

Stephen Hegedus (photo: David Cooper) and Olivier Laquerre (photo: Bruce Zinger)

Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster. $15 Operatix tickets may be purchased by patrons aged 15-30 in person at the Elgin Theatre Box Office or online with the code OPERATIX. Performances run through November 4th.

Opera Atelier will host a special Operatix Evening on Friday, November 3rd, featuring a post-performance party with the artists for ticket-holders age 30 and under.

Derek Chester and Marco Vassalli from the 2018 Barihunks Photo Book

Our 2018 Barihunks Calendar, which includes 20 of opera's sexiest men is now available for purchase HERE. In response to reader demand, we've also added a Barihunks Photo Book this year, which includes additional photos that don't appear in the calendar. You can purchase that HERE. The New Year is approaching faster than you think!

 

Curtis Sullivan and baritone trio Bravura

Curtis Sullivan

We've been following Canadian barihunk Curtis Sullivan for some time, particularly in his sexy portrayals with Opera Atelier.

He's also part of a baritone trio comprised of Canadian singers called Bravura, which has been performing since January, 2010. The group is comprised of comprised of George Masswohl, James Levesque and Sullivan, who have varied experience in musical theatre, jazz, and opera. The trios repertoire ranges from classic Broadway and pop, to Italian folk and classical music.

They now have a Facebook fan page where you can keep up to date on their activities. 

Also, we should mention that there is big news from Opera Atelier, who are suddenly becoming a worldwide phenomenon,  with three trips to Versailles three times, as well as performances in Salzburg and Milan. We've learned that the San Francisco Opera is now in discussions with the innovative Canadian company to perform with them. We will have more details when they become available.

Barihunk Quartet in Opera Atelier's Persée

Olivier Laquerre (Méduse) left, Vasil Garvanliev (Phinèe) center, and Curtis Sullivan (Cyclope) 2nd from right Photos on left and right by Bruce Zinger

 

Opera Atelier has revived their critically acclaimed production of Lully’s Persée with four barihunks in the cast: Olivier Laquerre as Méduse, Vasil Garvanliev as Phinèe, Stephen Hegedus as Protenor/Divinite Infernale and Curtis Sullivan as Cyclope.

The company first staged the production in 2000, which was the opera's first fully staged production since it inaugurated the Royal Opera House at Versailles in 1770 during the wedding celebrations of the future King Louis XVI to Marie Antoinette. Their 2004 revival of Persée was the subject of a documentary.

Stephen Hegedus (right)

The Royal Opera House has invited Opera Atelier to bring Persée back to Versailles for the first time  since the 1770 performances. It will be performed on May 23, 24, and 25 after the current run at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. There are performances tonight, as well as May 2 and 3.

You can also catch Stephen Hegedus performing Bach’s Magnificat and Bruckner’s Te Deum with l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec on May 28.

Curtis Sullivan's sexy Pasha Selim at Opera Atelier

Curtis Sullivan Photo: Bruce Zinger

Photo: Bruce Zinger

Photo: Bruce Zinger

Curtis Sullivan Photo: Bruce Zinger

Opera Atelier, who we feel produces some of the most visually stunning opera in the world, is at it again with their revival of Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio. The production stars barihunk Curtis Sullivan, who is a regular with the company and appeared in the original production.

We don't know about you, but if the Pasha Selim looked like Curtis Sullivan, we're not sure why Konstanze would want to be rescued. We also may have run off with the Pedrillo, who in this production is Adam Fisher, who we must confess could distract us from the low voices.

The opera also featurees Lawrence Wiliford as Belmonte, Ambur Braid as Konstanze, Carla Huhtanen as Blonde, hunkentenor Adam Fisher as Pedrillo and Gustav Andreassen as Osmin. Also featured are the Atelier Ballet and the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra under the baton of David Fallis. There are three performances remaining on October 30 and November 1 and 2.

Vasil Garvanliev

Also appearing with Opera Atelier this season will be Vasil Garvanliev, who appears as our September feature in the 2014 Barihunks Charity Calendar. He'll be performing Divinité Infernale in Lully’s Persée, which will run from April 26 – May 3, 2014. You can order your calendar and help out young artists by clicking HERE. If you have suggestions for who should receive a charity donation post it on our Facebook timeline or Tweet #Barihunks2014. We will announce our first grantee later this week.

Sexy Der Freischutz at Opera Atelier (yes, Der Freischutz!)

Vasil Garvanliev backstage

We've been touting Vasil Garvanliev as one of opera's sexiest up and coming stars for a few years now. He has landed the plum role of Kaspar in Opera Atelier's Der Freischutz, which is an underperformed work in North America. Make sure to check out our previous posts about this Garvanliev.

As with any Opera Atelier production, they have managed to create a sensuous production that manages to bring Weber's often stodgily performed piece to life. Robert Harris in the Toronto Globe & Mail wrote:

The most famous scene in Freischutz is the Wolf’s Glen scene, where Max receives his doomed, magic bullets, and it’s here that Atelier’s command of staging worked to full effect. The point of the Wolf’s Glen scene is to shock and amaze, and the sight of a dozen seemingly naked bodies, rushing across the stage, waving banners, writhing in torment, haunting Max (and us) certainly did the trick. But did so in a way that never overwhelmed the production, instead heightening its spooky, frightening ambiance.

Curtis Sullivan as Samiel

We received an email a month ago from a singer that said, "Wait until you see Curtis Sullivan's outfit in Freischutz. You and your readers will be quite pleased." Well, we just got the photos and we are indeed quite pleased. Robert Harris wrote:

Curtis Sullivan was a truly malevolent and frightening Samiel, the Devil figure in the piece, even though he performed his entire role seemingly in the nude.

Der Freischutz dancers

There are two performances of Der Freischutz left on November 2nd and 3rd. Visit their website for additional performance information or to purchase tickets. On April 6th, the company will reprise their much heralded production of The Magic Flute with two barihunks, Olivier Laquerre and João Fernandes, as well as one of the sexiest tenors that we've ever seen, Aaron Ferguson.

Hot tenor Aaron Ferguson

Don't forget to click on the link in our sidebar to the right and purchase your 2013 Barihunks Charity Calendar. Once again, all proceeds will go to benefit young artists and young artist training programs. Last year, we donated to the Portland Opera Studio, Seagle Music Colony and bought music for six aspiring singers.

Another sexy ad campaign and barihunk-laden season at Opera Atelier

Opera Atelier's laterst  marketing photo

A recent conversation with the head of an American opera company included a lot of questions about marketing. He was a little surprised with the response that no company matches the Canadian baroque specialists Opera Atelier when it comes to creativity, appealing to younger audiences and making opera seem accessible. After all, they've taken operas that are over 300 years old and made them downright sexy and appealing. Best of all, the same high standard that they use in their marketing campaigns translates to the stage, where they produce some of the most visually stunning performances to be seen anywhere.

When we preach about opera companies needing to compete with television and movies, without compromising standards, Opera Atelier is the model.

Making Der Freischütz sexy

The 27-year-old company has done it again for their latest season, which includes Mozart's The Magic Flute and Weber's Der Freischütz. We don't think that we have EVER seen a sexy marketing campaign for Weber's most performed opera before now. What's even more amazing is that four singers who have appeared on Barihunks are in the cast, including Olivier LaQuerre as Kuno, Mike Nyby as Killian/Prince Ottokar, Curtis Sullivan as Samiel and the deliciously sexy Vasil Garvanliev as Kaspar.

Performances of Der Freischütz run from October 27 through November 3.

Jack Rennie as Love with Peggy Kriha Dye as Armide and Curtis Sullivan as Hatred in The Glimmerglass Festival/Opera Atelier production of Armide. (Photo Karli Cadel/The Glimmerglass Festival)

Their other production is The Magic Flute, which is an opera that is more often featured on this site. Usually the opera is featured because it stars one of the many adorable Papagenos singing the role today. Opera Atelier features Olivier LaQuerre as the tallest Papageno you'll probably ever see at 6'9" (2.06 metres). His Freischütz castmate Curtis Sullivan reappears as the Speaker along with João Fernandes as Sarastro.

Vasil Garvanliev: The world's sexiest Kaspar?

The Magic Flute will run from April 6-13, 2013. Complete cast information and tickets are available at the Opera Atelier website.

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Vasil Garvanliev gets a new tattoo

Vasil Garvanliev (© Shalan & Paul)

There are few singers who photograph better than Vasil Garvanliev, who we discovered while he was singing at Opera Atelier. Of course, Opera Atelier has become famous for their sexy, provocative marketing campaigns that often features models in various states of undress. Even though they use models, they seem to hire singers who could double as models in their ad campaigns. In addition to Garvanliev, we've featured Olivier Laquerre, Curtis Sullivan, Phillip Addis and João Fernandes from the company roster. 

Although most of our news is about singing, we couldn't resist telling readers about Garvanliev's new tattoo which he had placed on his arm above the LOVE tattoo that appears on the back of his wrist. The photo below shows the design, the procedure and the final tattoo. We think it's pretty HOT. 

The Macedonian barihunk is a young artist at the Glimmerglass Festival this summer, which of course is run by the "Mother of Barihunks," director Francesca Zambello. Future appearances include Caspar in Weber's Der Freischütz with Opera Atelier and Pistola in Verdi's Falstaff with Calgary Opera.

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Another Barihunk From Opera Atelier

João Fernandes

Few opera companies are better at Baroque opera or sexy opera than Opera Atlelier and they've done it again with Handel's "Acis and Galatea." A number of our favorite posts have come by way of this creative company, including those of Curtis Sullivan, Phillip Addis, Vasil Garvanliev and Olivier Laquerre. Now you can add João Fernandes as Polyphemus to the mix. Check out the guns on that man!


There are two performances of this production left and they are on Saturday, November 6 and Sunday, November 7. You can purchase tickets HERE.  Here is the trailer for the opera. You can hear Fernandes sing at the 1:40 mark:




Fernandes has made a career out of singing early Romantic and Baroque opera, including performances of Giove in La Calisto  at the Royal Opera House, Claudio in Handel's Agrippina at New York City Opera, Bellone in Rameau's Les Indes Galantes  at the Paris Opera) and Don Afonso in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte and Seneca in Monteverdi's L’incoronazione di Poppea at Lyon Opera).

Double Delight in D.C.

[Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Ildar Abradzakov]

We like the increasingly popular trend of casting multiple barihunks in a production, as with our recent posts of Opera Atelier and Michigan Opera Theater. We're eager to see the pairing of Teddy Tahu Rhodes' Count Almaviva with Ildar Abdrazakov's Figaro in Washington Opera's "Le Nozze di Figaro." The barihunk pairing in Chicago's Nozze between Mariusz Kwiecien and Kyle Ketelsen was a huge success.

The production runs from April 24-May 7 with alternating casts, so check the website.

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Opera Atelier's Quartet of Barihunks

[Garvanliev, Laquerre, Sullivan and Addis & the Opera Atelier banner for Figaro]

Toronto's Opera Atelier is known for cutting edge baroque performances, sexy marketing and even sexier singers. The boutique opera company's latest offering is Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro" with four certifiable barihunks, Phillip Addis, Curtis Sullivan, Olivier Laquerre and Vasil Garvanliev. All of them have appeared on this site before except for the youngest of three, Garvanliev. The Macedonian singer now resides in Toronto where he is wrapping up his graduate studies at the University of Toronto.

Garvanliev has been a child star in native country since the age of seven singing pop songs. He was a finalist in the Macedonian Eurosong Festival with his own original composition in February 2007. Here is a video of him from Macedonian TV:



The "Marriage of Figaro will run from April 24-May 1. Visit the Opera Atelier's wonderful website for more information.

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Magnifique: Olivier LaQuerre

[Photos by Bruce Zinger]

You can't miss Canadian barihunk Olivier Laquerre, who stands at 6' 7" as well as being stunningly gorgeous. So far, his career has been centered in Canada where he has performed with the Opera de Quebec, Opera Atelier, numerous orchestras and the CBC.

He has already performed a number of barihunk roles, including Escamillo, Achilla, Papageno, Thaos, and Monteverdi's Ottone and Pluto. He is next scheduled to perform Dido and Aeneas with the Classical Music Consort in Toronto.

This site can be contacted at barihunks@gmail.com

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Emerging Barihunk Christopher Temporelli

Emerging baribunk Christopher Temporelli is a gifted singer and pianist. He received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in vocal performance from the University of Michigan and refined his technique at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, Germany. He has performed on the piano at music festivals in England and Russia.

The photo above is as Neptune in Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria at Opera Atelier. He has subsequently performed at New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera and Fort Worth Opera.

This site can be contacted at barihunks@gmail.com

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Curtis Sullivan

It looks like Neptune is carrying two big spears in the bottom photo. Stunning barihunk Curtis Sullivan sings primarily in Canada, but made his debut with the San Francisco Opera alongside barihunk Bo Skovhus in The Merry Widow. He may be the first singer to turn Mozart's Idomeneo into a barihunk opera.

Other barihunk operas that he's performed in are the Magic Flute, Carmen and A Midsummer Night's Dream. We look forward to seeing much more of this singer...much, much more.