Tobias Greenhalgh to make role debut in Pagliacci

Tobias Greenhalgh and Boston's Memorial Ice Rink

Barihunk Tobias Greenhalgh will make his role debut as Silvio in Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci with the Boston Lyric Opera this Fall. It will be the first time that the company has performed the classic verismo opera.

The opera will be performed at the DCR Steriti Memorial Ice Rink, where the company has previously performed  Leonard Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti. Greenhalgh will be joined by tenor Rafael Rojas as Canio and Lauren Michelle as Nedda. Performances will run from September 27 – October 6, 2019 and tickets are available online.

Tobias Greenhlagh in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin:

This season, Greenhalgh is joining the ensemble at the Aalto-Musiktheater Essen where his roles will include Count Almavivia in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro in June 2020, Valentin in Gounod's Faust running from April-June 2010 and Ottokar in Weber's Der Freischütz, also running form April-June 2020. Tickets and additional cast information is available online.

Reader Submission: Amadeu Tasca

Amadeu Tasca

We can't think of a better way to ring in the New Year than with our favorite feature, the Reader Submission. Our latest comes from a reader in Germany who introduced us to Amadeu Tasca, a baritone from Brazil who is currently a member of the cast at the Theater Trier in Germany.

Amadeu Tasca studied singing at the University of São Paulo in Brazil and at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt, where he received his master's degree in 2010 with honors. In 2010, he became a member of the ensemble at the Theater Heidelberg, where he sang Papageno in Mozart's the Magic Flute and Mars in Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld.

He has also continued to perform in his native Brazil, where he has sung Belcore in Donizetti's The Elixir of Love, Sharpless in Puccini's Madama Butterfuly, and Mercutio in Gounod's Romeo and Juliet.

Since 2012 Amadeu Tasca has been part of the  ensemble of the Theater Trier in Germany. He has performed a number of roles with the company, including Dr. Falke in Strauss' Die Fledermaus, Marullo in Verdi's Rigoletto, Germont in Verdi's La traviata and the title role in Mozart's Don Giovanni. In March, he will portray Graf von Eberbach in Lortzing's Der Wildschütz. Click here for additional information.

Jongmin Park wins two awards in Neue Stimmen competition; Watch the entire concert here

Jongmin Park

The low voices continue to dominate major international singing competitions, as South Korean bass Jongmin Park took second prize in the Neue Stimmen Vocal Competition. The prize comes with 10,000 Euros and the opportunity to sing in the prize-winners concert in Berlin in March 2014. Park also won an additional 500 Euros for capturing the Audience Favorite Award. Had there been a best hair competition, we're pretty certain that he would have won that as well.

Park sang "La calunnia" from Rossini's Barber of Seville and "Schweig, schweig" from Weber's Der Freischütz. The 15,000 Euro first prize was won by Ukranian soprano Olga Bezsmertna, who sang "Depuis le jour" from Charpentier's Louise and "Dove sono" from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro.

Although the awards were announced last month, we're just getting a video of the concert, which you can watch in its entirety here:

Park was born in Seoul and studied singing in his hometown at the Korea National University of Arts with Hans Choi. He is currently a member of the ensemble at the Hamburg State Opera, where his roles have included Sparafucile in Verdi's Rigoletto, Il Re in Verdi's Aida, Sagrestano in Puccini's Tosca, Bonzo in Puccini's Madame Butterfly, Avosmediano in Palestrina by Pfitzner and Masetto in Mozart's Don Giovanni.

In November 2011, he had a major success in his debut at the Vienna State Opera as Colline in Puccini's La Bohème. Future seasons will see Mr. Park return to the Hamburg State Opera in leading roles such as Colline, Masetto, Truffaldino in Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, and Wagner in Gounod's Faust, as well as concert performances in Hamburg and Seoul.

Park has received numerous prizes and awards in his career, including first prize for male voices at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, the Birgit Nilsson Prize for Wagner singing at Plàcido Domingo's Operalia and first prize and the Audience Prize at the inaugural Stella Maris international vocal competition.

You can support young artists like Park, by purchasing our 2013 Barihunks Charity Calendar. Every penny of profit goes to support young artists and young artist programs. Buy yours today:

Dominik Köninger and Günter Papendell star in Berlin's Monteverdi Trilogy

Dominik Köninger at the Komische Oper in Berlin

We've been singing Dominik Köninger's praises ever since he wowed the judges at the 2011 Wigmore Hall/Kohn Foundation International Song Competition. He's now been engaged to sing the lead of Orpheus in Komische Oper's controversial Monterverdi Trilogy.


The new musical interpretation by the Uzbek composer Elena Kats-Chernin is being performed in a single day, running from 11a.m. until 11p.m, as well individual performances of the three operas: Orpheus, Odysseus and Poppea. The work feautures around 200 artists on stage and (how can we say this delicately) is not for purists. Kat-Chermin has integrated jazz, klezmer, tango, and ragtime into the score.

Dominik Köninger

Köninger can also be seen this season at the Komische Oper as Ottakar in Der Freischütz, Schaunard in Puccini's La Bohème and Papageno in Mozart's The Magic Flute. His Papageno is his next appearance, which will be on Sunday, November 25. Tickets are available online.

Günter Papendell nude backstage and as Odysseus

Also in the trilogy is Günter Papendell as Odysseus. The young barihunk is also alternating Ottakar in Calixto Bieito's Der Freischütz with Köninger.  The next performance is on November 23 and tickets are still available online. The next performance of Odysseus is not until Saturday, July 6, 2013.

The oft-shirtless Günter Papendell

Other operas at the Komische Oper include Verdi's La traviata, Handel's Xerxes, John Cages' Europera and Taner Akyol's children's opera Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves.

Want to see more HOT MEN? They're available all year in our 2013 Barihunks Charity Calendar: