Bass-barihunk Anthony Reed, who wrapped up his successful Opera Pop-Up Operatronica last night, has launched his own YouTube channel called My BASSic Life. He also just finished two runs at the San Francisco Opera where he sang Orest's tutor in Richard Strauss' Elektra and is currently singing Doctor Grenvil in Verdi's La traviata, which runs through October 17th.
My BASSic Life runs every Tuesday and he's already ran episodes where you can watch him roller blading in Golden Gate Park, getting his costume fitting, hiking shirtless in Yosemite, seeking out a translation of Turandot, getting a haircut in Philly and even singing to deer (as well as just singing -both pop and opera!).
Upcoming performances include Haydn's Creation with the Nashville Symphony on November 3rd and 4th, as well as the Adler Gala Concert at San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House on December 8th. Tickets for the Gala are available online.
A page from the Barihunks Photo Book
Our 2018 Barihunks Calendar, which includes 20 of opera's sexiest men is now available for purchaseHERE.
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 thatHERE. The New Year is approaching faster than you think!
The 2016 Class of the Adler Fellows in San Francisco
The Adler Fellowship Program, which operates under the auspices of the San Francisco Opera, has turned out some of the greatest singers in the world, including Patricia Racette, Ruth Ann Swenson, Dolora Zajic, Deborah Voigt, Heidi Melton, Brian Asawa and Stuart Skelton. The program is a two-year fellowship that provides gifted singers to develop their craft with the best coaches in the world and to perform on the main stage of the San Francisco Opera.
It's also turned out a number of barihunks who have gone on to world-class careers, including John Relyea, Hadleigh Adams, Philippe Sly, Ryan Kuster, Efraín Solís, Mel Ulrich, Lucas Meachem, Joshua Bloom, Kenneth Kellogg, Austin Kness, Daniel Sumegi and Eugene Brancoveanu. The 2016 class featured some amazing low voices and some favorites of Barihunks readers, including baritone Edward Nelson, bass Anthony Reed, bass-baritone Brad Walker and bass-baritone Matthew Stump.
Julie Adams and Brad Walker in a selection from Carlisle Floyd's "Susannah":
On December 2nd, the latter four joined soprano Julie Adams, soprano Amina Edris, mezzo Zanda Švēde, soprano Toni Marie Palmertree, mezzo Nian Wang and tenor Pene Pete for the Adler Fellows annual showcase called "The Future is Now" at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. We thought that we'd share some of the highlights with readers.
Baritone Edward Nelson sings Billy Budd's "Look, through the port...":
This season at the San Francisco opera, Edward Nelson performed Prince Yamadori in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Dr. Malatesta in Donizetti's comedy Don Pasquale, Fléville in Giordano's Andrea Chenier and the Eunuch/Stone in the world premiere of Dream of the Red Chamber. The previous season, he created the role of John Buckley in Marco Tutino's Two Women with the company. His 2017 engagements include the Steward in Jonathan Dove's Flight with Opera Omaha, Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème at Cincinnati Opera and the title role in Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet with West Edge Opera.
Anthony Reed sings "Wie schön ist doch die Musik" from Die schweigsame Frau:
Bass Anthony Reed, who has appeared in our Barihunks charity calendar, is currently singing the King in the San Francisco Opera's production of Verdi's Aida. Other roles with the company include various roles in Hector Berlioz's epic Les Troyens, the Speaker in Mozart's The Magic Flute, Hans Schwartz in Wagner's Die Miestersinger von Nürnberg, Doctor Primus in Gordon Getty's Usher House, the Mayor in Janacek's Jenufa and Schmidt in Giordano's Andrea Chenier. You can check out his website HERE.
Brad Walker sings Hai già vinta la causa!":
Bass-baritone Brad Walker made his debut with the San Francisco Opera this summer as Zuniga in Bizet's Carmen. At the Yale Opera, he sang the title role in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Colline in Puccini's La bohème and Don Magnifico in Rossini's La Cenerentola. On December 16, he'll be giving a free concert at the Peace Lutheran Church in Lake Zurich, Illinois, performing opera, lieder, jazz and musical theater. You can check out his website HERE.
Matthew Stump sings "Die Frist ist um" from The Flying Dutchman:
Bass-baritone Matthew Stump made his San Francisco Opera debut as a Trojan Soldier in Hector Berlioz's Les Troyensin 2015. He has appeared with the company as Hans Folz in Wagner's Die Miestersinger von Nürnberg, the Monk in Verdi's Don Carlo and the Foreman in Janacek's Jenufa.
Time is running out to order your 2017 Barihunks in Bed calendar.
American barihunk David Pershall will make his belated San Francisco Opera debut on September 9th as Roucher in Giordano's Andrea Chénier. Pershall returns to San Francisco, where is was a 2008 participant in the Merola Opera program, which has had a long association with the company. While at Merola, Pershall sang Dr. Malatesta in Act 2 of Donizetti's Don Pasquale for the Schwabacher Summer Concert, Zurga in scenes from Bizet's Les Pêcheurs de Perles and Falke in scenes from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus for their Grand Finale Concert.
Pershall will be joined by a barihunk quintet, which is unusual for one of the verismo standards of the repertory. Joining him are Edward Nelson as Pietro Fléville, Brad Walker as Dumas, Anthony Reed as Schmidt and Anders Fröhlich as the Major-Domo. Performances run from September 9-30 and Maddelena will be sung by Anna Pirozzi, Chenier by Younghoon Lee and Gerard by George Gagnidze. Tickets are available online.
Edward Nelson, Anders Fröhlich, Anthony Reed and Brad Walker (l-r)
Pershall has recently appeared at the Vienna State Opera as Figaro in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Belcore in Donizetti's L’Elisir d’Amore, Sharpless in Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Sebastian in Adès' The Tempest. He has performed Figaro in an abridged, English version of Rossini's The Barber of Seville at the Metropolitan Opera and also appeared there in the roles of Schaunard in La Bohème and Lord Cecil in Donizetti's Maria Stuarda.
Pershall also has a close partnership with the Beethoven Easter Festival and the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra with whom he participated in three live performance albums, featuring performances as Don Pedro in Donizetti's Maria Padilla, Manfredo in Montemezzi's L’Amore dei Tre Re, and Orestes in Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride.
He has won many prestigious vocal competitions, most recently the top prize in the annual George London Competition.
