Barihunk Ed Parks featured in Indiana Gazette

Ed Parks

American barihunk Ed Parks, who was the highest ranking baritone at the recent Operalia competition, was recently featured in the Indiana Gazette. Here is the article:

Baritone Parks puts on world class performance by CHAUNCEY ROSS

For Ed Parks, the day he was invited to the prestigious Operalia singing competition in London is more memorable than the day he pocketed a $10,000 prize in the contest.

Parks, the Indiana-raised opera singer, with the Metropolitan Opera of New York and Carnegie Hall on his credit list, took third place in the international competition held last weekend in London.

A renowned baritone, Parks was the top American in the 23rd annual Operalia, a program founded by Plácido Domingo.

Two tenors, Ioan Hotea, of Romania, and Darren Pene Pati, of New Zealand, placed first and second in the men’s division, making Parks, in the eyes of many, the best baritone.

In. The. World.

Parks would be the first to put some perspective on that thinking.

“It’s the best in the world under (age) 32. And there’s a lot that goes into it,” Parks said. “And there are a lot of singers that probably couldn’t even audition because of having summer programs or summer festival work.

“But of the singers that I heard — and I didn’t hear everybody through all the rounds — these are very high-quality singers.”

CONTINUE READING ARTICLE HERE. 

Barihunks galore in Walt Whitman opera

Ed Parks and Walt Whitman

Two barihunks will be sharing the role of Walt Whitman in Matthew Aucoin's new opera Crossing at The American Repertory Theater at Harvard University.

The opera was inspired by the diary that poet Walt Whitman kept as a nurse during the Civil War. Crossing explores how the individual experiences of soldiers are remembered and told. As Whitman listens to wounded veterans share their memories and messages, he forges a bond with a soldier who forces him to examine his own role as writer and poet.

Rod Gilfry will sing the role of Whitman on May 29, 31, June 2, 4 and 6, with Edward Parks taking on the role on June 5.  Also in the cast are barihunks Davone Tines, Michael Kelly and Matthew Patrick Morris, who will be joined by Alexander Lewis as John Wormley, Davone Tines as Freddie Stower, and Jennifer Zetlan as the Messenger.

Michael Kelly, Davone Tines and Matthew Patrick Morris (L-R)

Barihunk Edward Parks is a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artists Development Program, and made his Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2009-2010 season as Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia. He since appeared at the Met as Schaunard in La bohème, Larkens in La fancuilla del West and returned this season for La Bohème, Don Carlo, and Die Zauberflöte. Future seasons will see his debut with Virginia Opera and a return to the Metropolitan Opera.

Bass-barihunk Davone Tines is building an international career commanding a broad spectrum of opera and concert performances. Recent performances include programs of Bach and Rameau at Alice Tully Hall and the U.S. premiere of Meanachem Zur's Cartoons at Lincoln Center.  Upcoming engagements include concerts with the Boston Pops, Tanglewood Music Festival, two one-man shows entitled American Gothic and The Black Clown, and the premier of two chamber operas by Kaija Saariajo at the Dutch National Opera and Ojai Music Festival. He is a 2009 graduate of Harvard College and received a Masters degree in voice from The Juilliard School in 2013.

Additional information and tickets are available online.

Ed Parks to sing Thérèse Raquin in Long Beach and Chicago

Ed Parks

Barihunk Ed Parks is singing the role of Laurent with the Long Beach Opera on January 24th and February 1. He then performs the role with the Chicago Opera Theater from February 20-28.  

Based on  French writer Émile Zola's novel, Tobias Picker's sensual score for Thérèse Raquin mirrors the lovers' turbulent affair. The Long Beach and Chicago casts both star Mary Ann Stewart as Thérèse, Matthew DiBattista as her husband Camille and Suzan Hanson as Madame Raquin.

The Long Beach Opera will offer students tickets for $15 per ticket in an effort to introduce a young audiences to opera.  There is a limit of two tickets per student.

 Mary Ann Stewart and Ed Parks in duet from Thérèse Raquin (rehearsal):

Thérèse and Camille Raquin are a married couple who are reunited with an old friend, Laurent. It soon becomes clear that Thérèse and Laurent are more than old friends as heated confessions of undying love abound between the two. The two conspire to murder the sickly Camille and succeed in dumping him into the Seine to make possible the consecration of their love. The guilty couple soon becomes the object of torment by both their own guilty consciences and the ghost of Camille.

Beginning March 30th, the former Lindemann Young Artist, returns to the Metropolitan Opera to sing the Flemish Deputy alongside fellow barihunk Simon Keenlyside in Verdi's Don Carlo. 

Congratulations to the 40th Annual "George London Award" Winners

Jonathan Beyer: The Philadelphia Flyer of Opera

 Barihunks would like to congratulate to the winners of the 40th Annual George London Awards Competition. Barihunk Jonathan Beyer continued his remarkable and unprecedented winning streak in vocal competitions. The Philadelphia native is going to pass hockey's 1975-76 Philadelphia Flyers for having the longest winning streak in the City of Brotherly Love. We think it's about time that Mayor Michael Nutter declares a "Jonathan Beyer Day" in the city, like they do for their sports franchises. You can suggest it at Michael.Nutter@phila.gov.

Ryan McKinny (L) & Edward Parks III (R)

Beyer won one of the six $10,000 awards granted to winners. Two other barihunks were among the winners, Ryan McKinny and Edward Parks III. Other winners included tenor Paul Appleby, baritone Alexander Hajek and soprano Emalie Savoy.

Nicholas Masters

Barihunk Nicholas Masters was granted a $1,000 Encouragement Award

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Ed Parks: Winterreise at Yale

[Ed Parks with legendary mezzo Marilyn Horne]

We love our New York fans, because they are pushy, demanding and know what they like (and don't like). We received our first request to post Ed Parks over a year ago and we have received a steady stream of emails about his performances, participation in the Lindemann Young Artists program and addition to the Met roster. We figured that we better post him before this blows up into the operatic version of the mosque debate.

So New York City, here is Ed Parks, our latest barihunk.

As mentioned, Parks is a second year participant in the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artists Development Program. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Fiorello in Il Barbiere di Siviglia in 2009-2010. A native of Indiana, Pennsylvania, Parks received his bachelor’s degree from Oberlin and his master’s degree from the Yale School of Music. This season, he returns to the Metropolitan Opera as Schaunard in La Bohème on both the mainstage and on tour in Japan, and as Larkens in the new production of La Fancuilla del West, which will be broadcast in HD around the world as part of the Met’s Live in HD series.

On Monday, September 27 at 8 pm Parks will perform Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise in the Morse Recital Hall in Sprague Hall at Yale University. For FREE tickets visit the Yale website or call the Yale School of Music concert office at 203 432-4158.

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