Showing posts with label opera bass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label opera bass. Show all posts

Friday, February 15, 2019

Former opera bass wins RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars

Kevin Bertin aka Monet X Change
RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Monet X Change, who has a degree in opera performance and has appeared professionally as a bass, has won RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars along with Trinity the Tuck. It was the first time in the show's history that two people won the crown.

Monet X Change previously placed sixth and won Miss Congeniality on the tenth season. His offstage name is Kevin Bertin and he was born in Saint Lucia and raised in the Caribbean until the age of eleven. Since then, Bertin has lived in New York City.

Monet X Change sings Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit": 

A graduate of the Westminster Choir College, he made his debut with the Westminster Opera Theater in Mozart's Cosí fan tutte and later performed Sarastro in the composer's Die Zauberflöte. He became a featured soloist with the Westminster Choir on their California and Florida tours, performing in Bach's Magnificat, Brahms' Requiem, and Bruckner's Te Deum.

He also appeared as Sarastro at the Portland Opera for the Education and Outreach Program, and also sang Colline in Puccini's La bohème

As a drag performer, he was mentored by Season 8 winner Bob the Drag Queen, who taught him how to sew, as well as some performance tips. Monet's drag mother is Honey Davenport, who appeared on Season 5 of the show.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Chan Hee Cho and Johannes Kammler take top prizes at Neue Stimmen

Chan Hee Cho at Neue Stimmen
South Korean bass Chan Hee Cho took the top prize for men at the Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition, delivering a powerful rendition of Banquo's aria from Verdi's Macbeth "Come dal ciel precipita." He followed this up with a thunderous performance of "La calunnia" from Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia. 

Chan Hee Cho studied at Hanyang University College of Music in Seoul and won first prize at both the 2016 Gian Battista Viotti International Music Competition in Italy and at the 2015 Seoul Philharmonic Vocal Competition. In 2015,  he made his professional debut at the Seongnam Arts Center opera house in the title role of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

Second place went to German baritone Johannes Kammler, who sang "Largo al factotum" from Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia and "Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen" from Korngold's Die tote Stadt

Johannes Kammler at Neue Stimmen
Kammler will be an ensemble member at the Bavarian State Opera for the 2017-18 season where he will perform Le Dancaïre in Carmen, Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos and Count Dominik in Arabella. He made his debut at the Verbier Festival in 2015 as Marcello in Puccini's La bohème.

Third place went to Chinese tenor Mingjie Lei.

For the women, mezzo-soprano Svetlina Stoyanova took the top prize, as second place went to mezzo-soprano Emily D'Angelo, and third place went to mezzo-soprano Zlata Khershberg.

In 2009, barihunk Iurii Samilov took top honors at the young age of 21. He has been a member of the ensemble at the Frankfurt Opera since 2014.

Derek Chester and Marco Vassalli

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! 

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Baritones/Basses dominate Met Eastern Finals

Joshua Arky, Theo Hoffman and Daniel Miroslaw
The Region Finals for the MetOpera National Council Eastern Region will be held on Thursday, January 14th and half of the finalists are baritones or basses. Three baritones include Sol Jin, Theo Hoffman and Michael Gracco, and the three basses are Daniel Miroslaw, Joshua Arky and Onay Kose.

Onay Kose, Sol Jin and Michael Gracco
Joshua Arky was a 2014 Regional Finalist at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Eastern Region and won an Encouragement Award at the 2013 Auditions. He is a Master of Music candidate at the Manhattan School of Music, where he is a recipient of the President’s Award. He recently performed the roles of Sarastro in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Colline in Puccini's La bohéme, and un vieillard in Bloch’s Macbeth all with the Manhattan School of Music. At the Central City Opera he performed Doctor Grenvil and Il Commissario in Verdi's La traviata, Merlin in Boismortier’s Don Quixote and the Duchess, and the Captain of the Inquisition in Man of La Mancha. In the Spring of 2016, he'll perform in Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Binghampton Symphony and the Sargeant in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance with Opera Louisiane.

Theo Hoffman
Theo Hoffman has become a popular singer on this site, having first featured him during his early years at Juilliard in 2013. We also featured a wonderful and candid Q&A with him in 2014. This season he made his debut with Atlanta Opera as Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème and is returning to the Opera Theatre of St. Louis in 2017 where he previously covered Papageno in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. This season he will sing Papagano at Juilliard, where he previously performed Le Directeur in Poulenc's Les Mamelles de Tiresias.

He is his statement for the Met Audiions: “I was born and raised in the heart of Downtown Manhattan. My parents are chefs, and they taught me to create and experiment. I sing because I believe there is nothing more visceral and truthful than music produced by the naked human voice. What this broken world needs right now is truth.”

Daniel Miroslaw in Il Turco in Italia (Photo: Ken Howard)
Daniel Mirosław is an Artist Diploma in Opera Studies student at The Juilliard School. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the Lodz Academy of Music in Poland and a Master’s degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He also studied at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Mannheim. His Juilliard performances have included Don Geronio in Rossini's Il Turco in Italia and Collatinus in Britten's The Rape of Lucretia. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in May 2015 singing Don Fernando in Beethoven's Fidelio and the bass solo in the composer’s Mass in C major. In 2016 Mr. Mirosław will join the Oper Frankfurt’s ensemble.

Daniel Miroslaw sings Leporello's Catalog Aria:

The auditions on January 14th from noon to 5 PM and are open to the public, and are followed by a reception which all the singers are attending. More information and tickets can be found online

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Barihunks Calendar Model Profile: Iosu Yeregui


Barihunks calendar model Iosu Yeregui
We never formally introduced Spanish bass-barihunk Iosu Yeregui before he was featured in our calendar. He is featured in the calendar in September along with Aussie Duncan Rock.

Yeregui was born in San Sebastian, where he studied contemporary dance, flute and humanities for business. He began his vocal studies at the Koninklijk Konservatorium in The Hague, completing them at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Switzerland, with Evelyn Tubb and Andreas Scholl and specializing in Historical Interpretation.

As a soloist in concerts and chamber works, he has sung in the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, Kursaal, the Auditorium of Zaragoza, Auditorum of Cuenca, Auditorium of León, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Teatro Real, Basel Theatre, Freunde für Alte Musik, Ópera Vichy, Reims, Ambronay, Circolo Lirico di Bologna, Wallonie Festival, Bozar Bruxelles, Berliner Philarmoniker and others.  He was also invited to take part in the 67th “Quincena Musical” in San Sebastian, with a recital built around Mozart.

Duncan Rock (left) and Iosu Yeregui in the 2016 Barihunks Calendar
His repertoire includes Mozart's Requiem, Missa Brevis and Coronation Mass, Fauré's Requiem, Bach's Magnificat, St.Matthew Passion and various cantatas, Buxtehude's Membra Jesu Nostri, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung and Handel's Jephta and Messiah.

On stage, he's performed Sarastro in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Masetto in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Colas in Mozart's Bastien und Bastienne, Caronte and Plutone in Monteverdi's Orfeo, Somnus in Handel's Semele, Il Re in Handel's Ariodante, Zoroastro in Handel's Orlando, Ferrando in Verdi's Il Trovatore,  Dottore Grenvil and Marchese d'Obigny in Verdi's La Traviata, Simpson in Sorozábal's La Taberna del Puerto and, most recently, Lodovico in Verdi's Otello with Opera de la ABAO in Bilbao, Spain.

The 2016 Barihunks Charity Calendar is now on sale and available online. For the past four years, the calendar has raised money for young artist programs and young artist projects. Proceeds from this year's calendar will fund the creation of the Foundation for the Advancement of Baritones (FAB), which will fund baritone and bass cash prizes at song competitions, commission music for baritones and basses, and be used to fund other projects featuring low male voices.

ORDER YOUR CALENDAR TODAY BY CLICKING BELOW
Support independent publishing: Buy this calendar on Lulu.
Born in San Sebastian, where he studied Contemporary Dance, Flute and Humanities for Business, he began his vocal studies at the Koninklijk Konservatorium in The Hague, completing them at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Switzerland, with Evelyn Tubb and Andreas Scholl and specializing in Historical Interpretation. He continued his vocal formation under the direction of Ana Luisa Chova.

During this time, he has also attended singing classes with Paride Venturi, Carlos Chausson, Carlos Mena, Jessica Cash, Marta Almajano, Richard Levitt, Sonia Prina, Víctor Torres and Buonaldo Giaiotti.

As a soloist in concerts and chamber works, he has sung in the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, Kursaal, the Auditorium of Zaragoza, Auditorum of Cuenca, Auditorium of León, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Teatro Real, Basel Theatre, Freunde für Alte Musik, Ópera Vichy, Reims, Ambronay, Circolo Lirico di Bologna, Wallonie Festival, Bozar Bruxelles, Berliner Philarmoniker and others.  He was also invited to take part in the 67th “Quincena Musical” in San Sebastian, with a recital built around Mozart.

He has worked with conductors such as Joshua Rifkin, Ton Koopman, Anthony Rooley, Leonardo García Alarcón, Juan Luis Martínez, José Antonio Montaño, Bruce Dickie and Charles Toet, and with many ensembles such as Capilla Mediterranea, Los Musicos de su Alteza, Capilla Peñaflorida, Ensemble der Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and A Sei Voci.

His repertoire includes Mozart's Requiem, Missa Brevis and Coronation Mass, Fauré's Requiem, Bach's Magnificat, St.Matthew Passion and various cantatas, Buxtehude's Membra Jesu Nostri, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung and Handel's Jephta and Messiah.

Roles in staged works include: Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Masetto (Don Giovanni), Colas (Bastien und Bastienne) Caronte and Plutone (Orfeo), Somnus (Semele), Il Re (Ariodante), Zoroastro (Orlando), Ferrando (Il Trovatore),  Dottore Grenvil and Marchese d'Obigny (La Traviata) and Simpson (La Taberna del Puerto). - See more at: http://www.adlibitumartis.com/en/artistas/iosu-yeregui#sthash.JAzlyEuf.dpuf
Born in San Sebastian, where he studied Contemporary Dance, Flute and Humanities for Business, he began his vocal studies at the Koninklijk Konservatorium in The Hague, completing them at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Switzerland, with Evelyn Tubb and Andreas Scholl and specializing in Historical Interpretation. He continued his vocal formation under the direction of Ana Luisa Chova.

During this time, he has also attended singing classes with Paride Venturi, Carlos Chausson, Carlos Mena, Jessica Cash, Marta Almajano, Richard Levitt, Sonia Prina, Víctor Torres and Buonaldo Giaiotti.

As a soloist in concerts and chamber works, he has sung in the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, Kursaal, the Auditorium of Zaragoza, Auditorum of Cuenca, Auditorium of León, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Teatro Real, Basel Theatre, Freunde für Alte Musik, Ópera Vichy, Reims, Ambronay, Circolo Lirico di Bologna, Wallonie Festival, Bozar Bruxelles, Berliner Philarmoniker and others.  He was also invited to take part in the 67th “Quincena Musical” in San Sebastian, with a recital built around Mozart.

He has worked with conductors such as Joshua Rifkin, Ton Koopman, Anthony Rooley, Leonardo García Alarcón, Juan Luis Martínez, José Antonio Montaño, Bruce Dickie and Charles Toet, and with many ensembles such as Capilla Mediterranea, Los Musicos de su Alteza, Capilla Peñaflorida, Ensemble der Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and A Sei Voci.

His repertoire includes Mozart's Requiem, Missa Brevis and Coronation Mass, Fauré's Requiem, Bach's Magnificat, St.Matthew Passion and various cantatas, Buxtehude's Membra Jesu Nostri, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung and Handel's Jephta and Messiah.

Roles in staged works include: Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Masetto (Don Giovanni), Colas (Bastien und Bastienne) Caronte and Plutone (Orfeo), Somnus (Semele), Il Re (Ariodante), Zoroastro (Orlando), Ferrando (Il Trovatore),  Dottore Grenvil and Marchese d'Obigny (La Traviata) and Simpson (La Taberna del Puerto). - See more at: http://www.adlibitumartis.com/en/artistas/iosu-yeregui#sthash.JAzlyEuf.dpuf
Born in San Sebastian, where he studied Contemporary Dance, Flute and Humanities for Business, he began his vocal studies at the Koninklijk Konservatorium in The Hague, completing them at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Switzerland, with Evelyn Tubb and Andreas Scholl and specializing in Historical Interpretation. He continued his vocal formation under the direction of Ana Luisa Chova.

During this time, he has also attended singing classes with Paride Venturi, Carlos Chausson, Carlos Mena, Jessica Cash, Marta Almajano, Richard Levitt, Sonia Prina, Víctor Torres and Buonaldo Giaiotti.

As a soloist in concerts and chamber works, he has sung in the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, Kursaal, the Auditorium of Zaragoza, Auditorum of Cuenca, Auditorium of León, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Teatro Real, Basel Theatre, Freunde für Alte Musik, Ópera Vichy, Reims, Ambronay, Circolo Lirico di Bologna, Wallonie Festival, Bozar Bruxelles, Berliner Philarmoniker and others.  He was also invited to take part in the 67th “Quincena Musical” in San Sebastian, with a recital built around Mozart.

He has worked with conductors such as Joshua Rifkin, Ton Koopman, Anthony Rooley, Leonardo García Alarcón, Juan Luis Martínez, José Antonio Montaño, Bruce Dickie and Charles Toet, and with many ensembles such as Capilla Mediterranea, Los Musicos de su Alteza, Capilla Peñaflorida, Ensemble der Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and A Sei Voci.

His repertoire includes Mozart's Requiem, Missa Brevis and Coronation Mass, Fauré's Requiem, Bach's Magnificat, St.Matthew Passion and various cantatas, Buxtehude's Membra Jesu Nostri, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung and Handel's Jephta and Messiah.

Roles in staged works include: Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Masetto (Don Giovanni), Colas (Bastien und Bastienne) Caronte and Plutone (Orfeo), Somnus (Semele), Il Re (Ariodante), Zoroastro (Orlando), Ferrando (Il Trovatore),  Dottore Grenvil and Marchese d'Obigny (La Traviata) and Simpson (La Taberna del Puerto). - See more at: http://www.adlibitumartis.com/en/artistas/iosu-yeregui#sthash.JAzlyEuf.dpuf
Born in San Sebastian, where he studied Contemporary Dance, Flute and Humanities for Business, he began his vocal studies at the Koninklijk Konservatorium in The Hague, completing them at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Switzerland, with Evelyn Tubb and Andreas Scholl and specializing in Historical Interpretation. He continued his vocal formation under the direction of Ana Luisa Chova.

During this time, he has also attended singing classes with Paride Venturi, Carlos Chausson, Carlos Mena, Jessica Cash, Marta Almajano, Richard Levitt, Sonia Prina, Víctor Torres and Buonaldo Giaiotti.

As a soloist in concerts and chamber works, he has sung in the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, Kursaal, the Auditorium of Zaragoza, Auditorum of Cuenca, Auditorium of León, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Teatro Real, Basel Theatre, Freunde für Alte Musik, Ópera Vichy, Reims, Ambronay, Circolo Lirico di Bologna, Wallonie Festival, Bozar Bruxelles, Berliner Philarmoniker and others.  He was also invited to take part in the 67th “Quincena Musical” in San Sebastian, with a recital built around Mozart.

He has worked with conductors such as Joshua Rifkin, Ton Koopman, Anthony Rooley, Leonardo García Alarcón, Juan Luis Martínez, José Antonio Montaño, Bruce Dickie and Charles Toet, and with many ensembles such as Capilla Mediterranea, Los Musicos de su Alteza, Capilla Peñaflorida, Ensemble der Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and A Sei Voci.

His repertoire includes Mozart's Requiem, Missa Brevis and Coronation Mass, Fauré's Requiem, Bach's Magnificat, St.Matthew Passion and various cantatas, Buxtehude's Membra Jesu Nostri, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung and Handel's Jephta and Messiah.

Roles in staged works include: Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Masetto (Don Giovanni), Colas (Bastien und Bastienne) Caronte and Plutone (Orfeo), Somnus (Semele), Il Re (Ariodante), Zoroastro (Orlando), Ferrando (Il Trovatore),  Dottore Grenvil and Marchese d'Obigny (La Traviata) and Simpson (La Taberna del Puerto). - See more at: http://www.adlibitumartis.com/en/artistas/iosu-yeregui#sthash.JAzlyEuf.dpuf

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Happy Birthday, Ezio Pinza (May 18, 1892-May 9, 1957)

Ezio Pinza
Ezio Pinza (Fortunato Pinza) was one of the most popular and important basses of the twentieth century. Born in Rome in 1892, he originally wanted to make a career in sports, or perhaps engineering, but after discovering his voice he began studies at Ravenna and Bologna. He made his debut in the town of Spezia as Oroveso in Bellini's Norma in 1914, but his career was soon delayed by service in the Italian Army during World War I.


After the war, he sang at the Teatro Verdi in Florence in 1919 and then the Teatro Costanzi in Rome where he sang leading roles in Verdi's La Forza del Destino, Ponchielli's La Gioconda, Rossini's Il barbière di Siviglia, and Aida. He made his Teatro alla Scala debut in 1921 as Pogner in Wagner's Die Meistersinger. This and other German roles in Tristan und Isolde and Salome were sung in Italian translations. He sang Tagellino in the premiere of Boito's Nerone in 1924. During this time, he also sang in Naples, Turin, and other Italian opera houses.


His Metropolitan Opera debut came in 1926 as Pontifex Maximus in Spontini's La Vestale. He sang there for the next 22 years, and was greatly admired for his interpretations of leading Verdi roles in La Forza del Destino, Simon Boccanegra, Aida, and Rigoletto. Even more important was his participation in the revivals of Mozart's Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro; his importance to the success of these productions cannot be overestimated, with his good looks having as much to do with his fame as his superb vocal abilities. Pinza was equally popular in several French operas including Gounod's Faust, Delibes' Lakme, and Bizet's Carmen. His Russian roles included King Didon in Rimsky-Korsakov's Le Coq d'Or (in French) and Boris Godunov (in Italian). Other important roles at the Metropolian Opera were Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Basilio in Il barbière di Siviglia and the Father in Louise.


Pinza also appeared regularly in Europe at Covent Garden, the Paris Opera, Salzburg Festival, Florence, and Vienna State Opera. He appeared every season at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires from 1925 until 1932. In the United States, he also sang in Chicago and San Francisco. Late in his career, he appeared with his daughter, Claudia Pinza, who had a minor career singing leading soprano roles. After his retirement from the opera stage, he made a successful Broadway debut in South Pacific and later in Fanny. He also appeared in several motion pictures.


His voice was a rich basso cantante and had an easy elegance of phrasing, which is exhibited in nearly all of his recordings. He was at a disadvantage from some of his colleagues because he could not read music, but this meant that he was more willing to follow the concept of the conductor and, indeed, he was a favorite of Arturo Toscanini, Tullio Serafin, and Bruno Walter. He was able to sing the baritone role of Escamillo in Carmen as easily as most baritones. Although he had the lower notes of a bass, they did not have the presence usually associated with the true bass voice, which meant that his Sarastro (The Magic Flute) was not as effective as his Figaro or Don Giovanni. He willingly undertook smaller roles such as Ferrando in Il Trovatore and Colline in La Bohème.