Barihunk saves the day at Utah Opera

Michael Adams and John Allen Nelson

Barihunk John Allen Nelson saved opening night of the Utah Opera's production of Puccini's La bohème on October 7th.

On Friday night he was summoned from Boston to fly 3/4 of the way across the country from Boston to Salt Lake City to cover for fellow barihunk Michael Adams, who wasn't feeling well. Showing up at the theater with little rest, he managed to get a quick run through with conductor Robert Tweten and was looking at his music when he was summoned to the stage midway through Act 1.

Nelson sang the remainder of the opera from the pit, saving the company from having to perform the operatic classic without a full-voiced Marcello. 

Additional performance are on October 9, 11, 13 and 15. No word on whether Adams or Nelson will sing the remainder of the run. Tickets are available online.

Malte Roesner from the 2018 Barihunks calendar and 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!

Ed Parks to make Hungarian debut

Ed Parks to appear at the Budapest Congress Center

Operalia finalist Ed Parks will be making his Hungarian debut at the Budapest Congress Center on December 21st in Budapest. He'll be performing a Christmas concert with soprano Ingrid Kertesi, the Kodály Children's Choir and the Máv Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ádám Medveczky.

The benefit concert will make complementary tickets available for grandparents and their grandchildren. The goal of the concert is to strengthen the Christmas bond between generations.

Parks returns to the U.S. to cover David Pershall (who we recently posted about) as Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème at the Metropolitan Opera from January 6-23. On February 13th, he'll appear as part of the Cliburn Concerts in Fort Worth, Texas performing the music of Ben Moore with accompanist Brian Zeger. In May, he'll head to the Atlanta Opera to perform Mercutio in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette.

ONE WEEK UNTIL CHRISTMAS! Time is running out to order your 2016 Barihunks Charity Calendar, featuring 18 of the sexiest men in opera. ORDER TODAY by clicking HERE (you won't regret it!).

Marco Vassalli & Malte Roesner

 

David Pershall to make Met debut

David Pershall at The Met

David Pershall, who just wrapped up a successful run in the title role of Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Florida Grand Opera, will now make his house debut in the role at the Metropolitan Opera. His Rosina will be Ginger Costa-Jackson and Almaviva will be sung by Taylor Stayton. He'll perform the role on December 29th and January 1st, alternating the role with fellow barihunk Elliot Madore, who will perform with Isabel Leonard and David Portillo.

He'll be staying at the Met for three months, where he will also perform Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème and one performance of Lord Cecil in Donizetti's Maria Stuarda on February llth. In La bohème, Mimi will be sung by Maria Agresta, Musetta by Susanna Phillips, Rodolfo by Bryan Hymel and Marcello by Quinn Kelsey. The cast of Maria Stuarda includes Sondra Radvanvovsky and Elza van den Heever.

Pershall coming to New York from his new home base at the Vienna State Opera, where he has performed Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Belcore in Donizetti's L’elisir d’amore, Sharpless in Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Sebastian in Adès' The Tempest. This summer he made his role debut as Rodrigo in Verdi's Don Carlo with Opera Burg Gars.

Time is running out to order your 2016 Barihunks Charity Calendar, featuring 18 of the sexiest men in opera. ORDER TODAY by clicking HERE (you won't regret it!).

Duncan Rock, Iurii Samoilov & Craig Verm

 

Barihunk duo in Sarasota Opera's La bohème

Craig Irvin & Colin Ramsey

Craig Irvin and Colin Ramsey will portray Marcello and Colline respectively in Sarasota Opera's upcoming run of Puccini's La bohème. The production will run from October 30 to November 17 and includes Jessica Rose Cambio as Mimì, Angela Mortellaro as Musetta, Martín Nusspaumer as Rodolfo and Gideon Dabi as Schaunard.

Craig Irvin sings If I Loved You from Carousel:

Craig Irvin, who just finished a successful run as the Pirate King in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, will next take on the Count in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro with Utah Opera.

Colin Ramsey will sing Christus in Bach's St. Matthew Passion with the Gulfshore Opera in March 2016 in Punta Gorda, Fort Myers and Naples, Florida. 

MAKE SURE TO ORDER YOUR 2016 BARIHUNKS CALENDAR BEFORE THE HOLIDAY RUSH; 18 OF THE WORLD'S HOTTEST SINGER FROM 9 COUNTRIES.

Brent Michael Smith part of Michigan Opera Theatre's first training program

Brent Michael Smith

Bass-barihunk Brent Michael Smith will be part of the inaugural group of singers at the newly formed Michigan Opera Theatre Studio. He'll be singing Colline in Puccini's La bohème at the Michigan Opera Theatre on Oct 17, 21, 24 and 25. Tickets are available online.

He'll be joined in the program by soprano Angela Theis, mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis, tenor Joseph Michael Brent, baritone Jeff Byrnes and coach/accompanist Gordon Craig Schermer.

 Brent Michael Smith sings Mozart's "O Isis und Osiris" from The Magic Flute:

Other roles during his time in the training program include the Second SS Officer in Mieczyslaw Weinberg's The Passenger from Nov. 14-22.Grandpa Moss in Aaron Copland's The Tender Land from March 12- 20. The Doctor in Giuseppe Verdi's Macbeth from ​April 16-24 and The Speaker
in Mozart's The Magic Flute​ from May 14-22.

Smith is a first-place winner of both the Grand Rapids Opera Competition and the National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition: Great Lakes Region. 

ORDER YOUR 2016 BARIHUNKS CALENDAR TODAY!!!

Barihunk trio in Boston's La bohème

Andrew Garland and Brandon Cedel (left), Jonathan Beyer and Cedel (center) and a rehearsal break

The Boston Lyric Opera kicked off their new season with a production of Puccini's La bohème. The cast features the barihunk trio of Jonathan Beyer as Marcello, Brandon Cedel as Colline and Andrew Garland as Schaunard. Beyer and Cedel are a couple offstage, making one wonder what is really going on in that Parisian garret.

Directed by Rosetta Cucchi, the opera is updated to the 1968 Paris student revolts that reflected generational unrest and supported strikes that brought the city to its knees, this production is influenced by the spirit of defiance embodied in French New Wave films (particularly Jean-Luc Godard’s “Masculin Féminin”) and the mod clothing inspired by London fashion that upended the city’s haute couture reputation.  Boston Lyric Opera's new La Bohème places Puccini’s familiar story of bohemian artists fuled by idealism and passionate love in a graffiti-laden student flat, the revolutionaries’ gathering place Café Momus, and alongside a barricade erected during the student riots.  Audio recordings from the era and from the riots are an integral part of the production’s sound design.

Beyer is returning to the company after having performed Figaro in their 2012 production of Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Garland sang Schaunard in the company's 2007 production of La bohème and Cedel is making his company debut. Also in the cast are Jesus Garcia as Rodolfo and the stunning Kelly Kaduce as Mimì.

There are remaining performances on October 4, 7, 9 and 11. Tickets and addition production information is available online.

Our 2016 Barihunks Charity Calendar is now on sale. Order today by clicking below. All proceeds will go to the creation of the Foundation for the Advancement of Baritones (FAB).

 

Italian barihunk trio in Palermo's La bohème

Dario Russo

The Teatro Massimo di Palermo will be alternating casts in Puccini's La bohème, which opens on September 18th. The cast performing on September 19, 22, 25 and 27 will feature the Italian barihunk trio of Simone Alberghini as Marcello, Dario Russo as Colline and Italo Proferisce as Schaunard. Additional information is available online.

We introduced Simone Alberghini when he appeared as Don Giovanni in a production with and "18 and older" warning at the Perm Opera. The other singers are new to this site.

Dario Russo graduated with a degree in Foreign Languages ​​and Literatures, focusing on Russian and German. After finishing his studies, he became a member of the Opera Studio Nederland of Amsterdam and was part of the Opera Workshop as the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova. Recent performances have included Enrico in Anna Bolena in Catania, Count Walter in Luisa Miller at the Teatro di San Carlo.Demetrio in Rossini's Demetrio e Polibio at the Teatro San Carlo of Naples, the Commendatore in Don Giovanni at Opera Basel, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Teatro San Carlo of Napoli and Colline in Trieste. He next sings in Bari where he'll perform Colline with the Marcello of fellow barihunk Giorgio Caoduro.

Naples native Italo Proferisce studied piano and voice at the Conservatorio G. Martucci in Salermo and attended  the Accademia di Alta  Formazione del Teatro  del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. He was a finalist or winner in numerous vocal competitions between 2009-2011. He made his debut as Don Perizonio in Cimarosa's L'impresario in angustie in Budrio in 2011. He  performed as Figaro  in  Le nozze di Figaro and as the father in Fortunato's Falcone e Borsellino at the Teatro Verdi di Pisa, Marcello in La Bohème with Teatro Ammitato in Florence and Deputato Flamingo in Don Carlos  with Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

Boheme's barihunk duo at Grange Park Opera

Nicholas Crawley and Quirijn de Lang

Grange Park Opera will have a Bohemian barihunk duo in their production of Puccini's La Bohéme that opens June 6 and runs through July 17th. Dutch barihunk Quirijn de Lang will sing Schaunard  opposite the Colline of British barihunk Nicholas Crawley.

Joining them in the cast are Susana Gaspar as Mimi, Gianluca Terranova as Rodolfo,  Kelebogile Pearl Besong as Musetta, Brett Polegato as Marcello and Nicholas Folwell as Benoit/Alcindoro.

Grange Park is also presenting Fiddler on the Roof with Bryn Terfel in the role of Reb Tevye, Eugene Onegin with Brett Polegato and Samson et Delila.  Tickets and additional production information are available online. Follow them on Twitter @grangeparkopera.

On October 18th, Nicholas Crawley makes his role debut as Bottom in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Klagenfurt Stadttheater.  In February 2016, he sings Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte at Nederlandse Reisoper.

Quirijn de Lang then heads off to sing Fred Graham/Petruchio in  Kiss Me Kate for Opera North from September 21-November 21. The production will be performed in Leeds, Newcastle, Salford Quays and Nottingham.

Iurii Samoilov's busy Spring with the Frankfurt Opera

Iurii Samoilov showing off his barihunk credentials

Iurii Samoilov post the picture on the left after the closing of his run as Marcello in Puccini's La bohème at the Frankfurt Opera. He takes the stage again in two days as one of the Knights of the Holy Grail in the final night of Wagner's Parsifal with the company.

On May 10th, he takes over the role of Dandini from fellow barihunk Bjorn Bürger in Rossini's La Cenerentola. The production runs until May 23. After singing Tracolin in Adams' Le Torreador in Palermo and Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, he returns to the company on June 5th. He'll be alternating the role of Masetto in Don Giovanni with Bjorn Bürger in Christof Loy's production.

Iurii Samoilov sings Verdi's "Nell'orror di notte oscura"

Samoilov joined the ensemble at the Frankfurt Opera this season after having been part of their Opera Studio since 2012. His debut with the company was as the Embittered Gambler in Prokofiev's The Gambler.

Samoilov graduated from the National Music Academy of Ukraine in 2011 and in 2009 he was the youngest singer to ever reach the finals at the Neue Stimmen Competition in Germany.

Xavier Rivera to make two debuts

Xavier Rivera

Budding talent Xavier Rivera, who will make a return appearance in our 2015 Barihunks Charity Calendar, is slated to make his role debut as Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème. The 24-year-old singer, who is currently based in San Francisco, will return to his native country for two performances of the piece with the Teatro de la Opera de Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by Kamal Khan and the cast features soprano Anaís Mejías as Mimi, José Daniel Mojica as Rodolfo, Elizabeth Rodríguez as Musetta, César Menendez as Marcello and César Torruela as Colline. Performances are on November 13 and 15.

Before heading to Puerto Rico, he'll make his official West Coast debut in Mozart's Requiem with the Oakland Youth Orchestra in Walnut Creek, California. He'll be joined by soprano Shawnette Sulker, mezzo Lisa Chavez and tenor Gabriel Liboiron-Cohen. Omid Zoufonoun, the Youth Orchestra’s new Principal Conductor will be making his debut in this concert in a program that includes Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite and Bruch's Violin Concerto with Jessica Cao. Tickets are just $15 and are available online.

Earlier this year, Rivera sang the Requiem with the Orquestra Sinfònica de Puerto Rico in a cast that also featured José Daniel Mojica, who will join him in the La bohème performances.

Barihunk Trio in Salzburg Don Giovanni

Ildebrando D'Arcangelo and Luca Pisaroni

The Salzburg Festival has assembled three of the most popular barihunks for their production of Mozart's Don Giovanni. Ildebrando D'Arcangelo is singing the title role, Luca Pisaroni is his sidekick Leporello and Alessio Arduini is Masetto. Fans of a pulchritudinous men will be pleased to know that Don Giovanni and Masetto both show off their upper torsos liberally in Sven-Eric Bechtolf's production. 

There are six performances remaining between July 30 and August 18, but two of the shows are already completely sold out. If you plan on attending, go to the Festival website and order your tickets today.

If you can't make a live performance, the production is being recorded by ServusTV in cooperation with UNITEL CLASSICA and will be broadcast as live on Sunday, August 3 at 7:30 PM. If you live in Europe, you can download the ServusTV app to your iPad.

If you're in the United States, you can catch Alessio Arduini at the Metropolitan Opera in Puccini's La bohème as Schaunard this November with Kristine Opolais as Mimi. Luca Pisaroni's next U.S. performance in a complete opera is also at the Met in their Don Giovanni, which runs in February and March 2015. Ildebrando D'Arcangelo's next U.S. stage appearance is also in Don Giovanni, but on the other coast, when he sings the title role at the revived San Diego Opera. 

Barihunky season at innovative West Edge Opera

Hunkentenor Jonathan Blalock and barihunks Kenneth Kellogg and Efraín Solis

The innovative West Edge Opera in Berkeley, California is once again challenging audiences with a performance of Philip Glass' Hydrogen Jukebox in an alternative space. The opera will take place in the foyer of the Ed Roberts Campus, which is an internationally recognized center dedicated to disability rights and universal access.

The cast includes some eye candy, as well, with hunkentenor Jonathan Blalock and barihunks Kenneth Kellogg and Efraín Solis. The female side of the cast is rounded out by Sara Duchovnay, Molly Mahoney and Nicole Takesono. Performances are on July 27, August 2 and August 8, and tickets are available online.

The interior of the Ed Roberts Campus and V. Savoy McIlwain

Philip Glass' opera set to the poetry of counter-culture poet Allen Ginsberg. The text deals with a variety of topics from the 1950's through the 1980's ranging from the sexual revolution, eastern philosophy, drugs, the environment, the threat of nuclear destruction, Iran-Contra scandal and meditation. The six vocal parts were thought to represent six archetypal American characters- a waitress, a policeman, a businessman, a cheerleader, a priest, and a mechanic.

Unlike other Glass operas that deal with social issues, Hydrogen Jukebox is sung in English. In other operas, he has used languages unfamiliar to most opera-goers, including Sanskrit for Satyagraha, ancient Egyptian for Akhnaten, Latin for the CIVIL warS, or just numbers and syllables in Einstein on the Beach.

The rest of the West Edge Opera season includes Puccini's La bohème and Jake Heggie's The End of the Affair, cast with an abundance of barihunks. La bohème features casting appropriate to a venue dedicated disability rights, as blind barihunk Brandon Keith Biggs will sing Colline in a cast that also includes Jordan Eldredge as Schaunard and V. Savoy McIlwain as Marcello. Biggs sight impairment is due to having Leber's Congenital Amaurosis, a rare inherited eye disease that appears at birth or in the first few months of life, and affects around 1 in 80,000 of the population. Performances are on July 26, August 1st and 10th. Tickets are available online.

Jake Heggie, who is one of the world's premiere composers for the baritone voice, rounds out the season with his The End of the Affair, based  on Graham Greene’s novel. It will feature Keith Phares in the key role of Maurice Bendrix. Performances are on August 3, 7 and 9 and tickets are available online.

Introducing Photogenic Italian Bass-Barihunk Andrea Mastroni

Andrea Mastroni (photo: Nicodemo Luca Lucà)

We have a particular soft spot for basses in our pantheon of barihunks. When we saw pictures of Italian basso Andrea Mastroni by the great Milanese photographer Nicodemo Luca Lucà on Twitter we drawn to how seductive and sensuous he came across through the lens. 

Andrea Mastroni was born in Milan and originally studied the clarinet.  He then began studying voice with the great Italian soprano Lello Cuberli and Rita Antoniazzi. He graduated with honors from the Istituto Claudio Monteverdi in Cremona, while also obtaining a degree in Aesthetic Philosophy. In 2005, he won the Mario Basiola Prize and in 2007 took home both the Giuseppe Di Stefano Competition and the Bibiena Prize.

Andrea Mastroni

Andrea Mastroni

He is currently singing Colline in Puccini's La bohème at the Teatro La Fenice through May 30th. In July, he heads to Verona to tackle more Puccini when he sings Timur in Turandot at the famous arena. He then switches to Verdi, alternating the roles of the King and Rafis in Aida at the Arena di Verona. Last season, Mastroni's sinister and dark Sparafucile in Verdi's Rigoletto was a big hit singing opposite Leo Nucci and Aleksandra Kurzak.

Andrea Mastroni sings Pergolesi's "Quoniam tu solus sanctus": 

Mastroni has also focused on 19th century chamber music and lieder, performing such standards as Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin and Winterreise, as well as Schumann's Dichterliebe. He can be heard on a number of recording and DVD's, including as Il Conte Vaudemont in Verdi's I Vespri Siciliani opposite Leo Nucci and Daniela Dessi, Oroe in Rossini's Semiramide and Frere Laurent in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette opposite Andrea Bocceli and Maite Alberola.