Showing posts with label wolf trap opera. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wolf trap opera. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Tobias Greenhalgh latest Tirésias barihunk

Tobias Greenhalgh in Les mamelles de Tirésias (right)
Few operas seem to attract barihunk casting more than Poulenc's Les mamelles de Tirésias and the latest production at the Wolf Trap Opera doesn't disappoint. They've cast barihunk and part-time super hero Tobias Greenhalgh in the role of Le mari, the husband of the title character.

Les Mamelles de Tirésias was Poulenc’s first opera and was composed during World War II. It is based on a surrealist play of the same name by Guillaume Apollinaire. The musical world of this opera is irresistible, referencing as it does not only music hall but also the composers of the time such as Chabrier and Satie.

Tobias Greenhalgh in Les Mamelles de Tirésias

Wolf Trap is performing the opera in a double-bill with Milhaud's Le pauvre matelot (The poor sailor). Although the lead role is sung by a tenor, two singers who have appeared on this site appear in the opera. Norman Garrett plays the sailor's friend and Ryan Speedo Greene plays his father-in-law.

The double-bill will be conducted by Timothy Myers with performances on August 8, 10 and 16. Tickets are available online.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Bevy of Barihunks at Wolf Trap's summer festival

Norman Garrett (left), Michael Adams (center) and Harry Greenleaf (right)
Now in it's 43rd year, the Wolf Trap Filene Young Artist program has featured some of the greatest singers in opera while in the nascent part of their careers. This year, they are bringing back one of their most esteemed alums, Eric Owens, as their first Wolf Trap Opera Artist in Residence. Owens will have a lot of low voice company, as numerous singers who have been featured on Barihunks are performing during their summer festival. Owens will perform in Aria Jukebox with some young aritsts on July 13th. Accompanied by Kim Pensinger Witman, audience members will have an opportunity to select the songs and arias.

Jeongcheol Cha
The first opera will be Handel's Giulio Cesare featuring Jeongcheol Cha as Achilla. He is new to this site (except for a brief mention). The Korean native has been featured in two important opera premieres, in the role of Wu Tianshi in the American premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Kommilitonen! in November 2011 and as Prince Gabriel III in the world premiere of David T. Little’s Vonkensport. He is a graduate of Seoul National University, Bard College Conservatory, and the Juilliard School. In the 2013-2014 season, Jeongcheol was heard at the Metropolitan Opera as Yamadori in Madama Butterfly and as second Watchman in Die Frau ohne Schatten.

Performances of Giulio Cesare are on June 27, June 29 and July 1st.  Other cast members include John Holiday as Cesare, Alex Rosen as Curio, Renée Rapier as Cornelia, Ying Fang as Cleopatra and Carolyn Sproule as Sesto.

On June 28th, Ryan Speedo Green will perform Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Choral Arts Society of Washington under the baton of Bramwell Tovey. Other soloists include soprano Tracy Cox, mezzo Virginie Verrez and tenor Robert Watson. Green was recently featured on our site when his Live in HD performance was canceled by the Met.

Tobias Greenhalgh
On July 19th and 20th, the amazing Steven Blier will join barihunk and part-time Super Hero Tobias Greenhalgh and four other young artist in a "Houseful of Songs," where the audience will be taken through a house and have selected pieces of music performed in each room.

On July 27, accompanist Jeremy Frank will join a sextet of Studio Artists, including baritone Alex Rosen and baritone Harry Greenleaf. The will perform pieces by Auric, Durey, Honegger, Milhaud, Poulenc, and Tailleferre.

Baritone Harry Greenleaf, a native of Wixom, Michigan, is a graduate of Michigan State University where he appeared in several productions, including Mozart's La finta giardiniera (Nardo), Gilbert & Sullivan's the Pirates of Penzance (The Pirate King), Sondheim's A Little Night Music (Carl-Magnus), and Mozart's the Magic Flute (Papageno). In 2013, Greenleaf appeared as Baron Douphol in Wolf Trap Opera's production of Verdi's La traviata at the Filene Center with the National Symphony Orchestra. Harry will begin his Master's degree in voice at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music this fall. Outside of singing, Harry enjoys reading, running outside, and playing racquetball.

From August 8-16, Wolf Trap will feature a French double-bill of Milhaud's Le pauvre matelot and Poulenc's Les mamelles de Tirésias. Regular readers of this site know that we often feature Les mamelles de Tirésias and its barihunk role of Le Mari, which will be performed by Tobias Greenhalgh in this production. The cast also includes Harry Greenleaf as Monsieur Barbu and Michael Adams, who has been featured on this site, as Presto. The title role will be performed by soprano Mireille Asselin. Norman Garrett and Ryan Speedo Green, who have been regulars on our site, are both featured in Le pauvre matelot.

Tickets for all performances are available online or by calling 1.877.WOLFTRAP.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Wolf-Ferrari at Wolf Trap

Ryan Kuster & Kenneth Kellogg
Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's seldom performed opera "Le donne curiose" (The Curious Women) is currently being performed at the Barn at Wolf Trap with two talented young barihunks, Ryan Kuster and Kenneth Kellogg.  Wolf-Ferrari was a turn-of-the-20th-century composer whose heart remained with 19th-century romantics. “The Curious Women,” premiered in 1903 and has not been performed in the United States since its debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1912.

The Curious Women at Wolf Trap
There is one performance remaining on June 25 at 7 PM. Click HERE for ticket and additional cast information. 

Here is some rehearsal footage from this production:



Perhaps the best known piece from the opera is the overture, which is conducted by the great Arturo Toscanini in this performance:



Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com




Thursday, January 14, 2010

Nicholas Masters




The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia continues to churn out barihunks like Beyonce churns out hit songs. Meet Nicholas Masters, an adorable bass who recently performed in Monteverdi's "Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria" and Puccini's "La Boheme" at Wolf Trap Opera. At AVA he has performed in Lucia di Lammermoor, Falstaff and Anna Bolena.

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