Watch Ildar Abdrazakov online in the Verdi Requiem

Ildar Abdrazakov

The Verdi centenary continues online with video from the October 10th performance of his Requiem with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Riccardo Muti. One of the featured singers in barihunk Ildar Abdrazakov, who is joined by mezzo-soprano Daniela Barcellona, soprano Tatiana Serjan and tenor Mario Zeffiri.

The broadcast is also hosted by Samuel Ramey, who many consider the orginal barihunk. He still looks great at 71. Click HERE to watch it in its entirety.

You can see Abdrazakov with the London Symphony Orchestra as part of Valery Gergiev's tribute to Hector Berlioz. Abdrazakov will be singing in The Damnation of Faust on November 3 and 7, and in Romeo and Juliet on November 6 and 13. Click HERE for additional information or tickets.

U.S. audiences can next catch him from February 6-March 8 at the Metropolitan Opera in Borodin's Prince Igor.

Who gets the money for the Charity Calendar? 

This year we're looking for originality on Facebook and Twitter. We'll consider any idea that involves young artists, not just young artist programs...video projects...recital ideas...you name it.

Most LIKES on Facebook and most retweets on Twitter will increase your odds of winning.  (Use #Barihunks2014). Post your comments to our Facebook feed with who you should think is deserving of the a charitable contribution and why.

Ildar Abdrazakov: A Hunky Attila

I'm not sure how the Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov has eluded a place on Barihunks. However, the gorgeous photo of him from the new Metropolitan Opera brochure for the 2009-20 season is an attention grabber. He'll be singing the title role of Attila at The Met, a role he's singing right now at the Teatro Municipal del Callaoin in Lima, Peru.

Abrazakov was born in Ufa in 1976, where he studied at the Institute for Arts.

He attained notoriety with the release of Rossini's Mose et Faraon on DVD. With his hairy chest and oversized features, he will certainly make Attila a barihunk role. He already has Escamillo, Mephistopheles and Don Giovanni in his barihunk repertoire.

To see the rest of The Met schedule, please visit http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/.

This site can be contacted at barihunks@gmail.com

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Another Emerging Barihunk: Alexander Vinogradov

[Photo of Vinogradov as Escamillo from the Washington Post]

As promised, this week is dedicated to the Barihunks bench. Meet Alexander Vinogradov a 32-year-old Russian barihunk who sings regularly at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin. As with many bass-baritones, his barihunk roles are limited, but he's made Escamillo his calling card and performs both Masetto and Leporello in Don Giovanni.

Vinogradov is known as a bit of a brainiac and studied at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology before embarking on a music career. In 2003, he was a finalist in Plácido Domingo's Operalia International Competition, having already won or placed in a number of vocal competitions. As you can see from this video of him in Tokyo, he has a rich, full sound that is wonderfully secure. More importantly, he's one hot bowl of barihunk borscht.

This site can be contacted at barihunks@gmail.com

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Muslim Magomayev dies

One the first singers to appear on Barihunks was Muslim Magomayev who I am sad to report passed away yesterday. Here is the ABC News report:

Singer Muslim Magomaev, a legendary crooner of the Soviet stage, died in Moscow on Saturday (local time) aged 66 after a long illness, his personal website and Russian news agencies reported.

Magomaev, who launched his career with an internship in Milan's famed La Scala opera theatre in 1963 and enjoyed great success in Paris's Olympia theatre, abandoned opera in favour of a more pop repertoire, becoming a legend of the Soviet Union's 1960s generation.

Born in Azerbaijan's capital Baku in 1942, Magomaev sang over 600 Russian and Neapolitan romances, classical arias and pop songs, and was himself author of over 20 songs and film soundtracks.

Named USSR People's Artist in 1973, Magomaev later founded Azerbaijan's state symphonic orchestra and headed it from 1975-1989.

"Muslim's death is one of the worst shocks for me, but his first appearance many years ago was also a shock - happy, sunny and wonderfully emotional, he immediately won over colleagues who admitted he was more talented," friend and fellow singer Lev Leshchenko said.

"Muslim was one and only, he gave people new hopes, and all of our country sang his songs - he was a great singer, a great artist," Mr Leshchenko told the Dni online newspaper.

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin offered their condolences to Magomaev's widow, opera singer Tamara Sinyavskaya, with Russia's culture ministry comparing Magomaev to Frank Sinatra and Yves Montand in their statement.

Ninth round matches in Azerbaijan's football championship will begin with a minute of silence honouring Magomaev, website Azerisport.com reported.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky sings "On a Nameless Hill"

You know that someone is a certifiable barihunk if they can sing Russian crossover music and still be totally hot.