Barihunk trio to star in Berkshire Festival's Don Giovanni

André Courville, Erik Anstine and Brian James Myer

The Berkshire Opera Festival has announced its 2020 season, which includes Mozart's Don Giovanni starring the barihunk trio of André Courville in the title role, Erik Anstine as Leoporello and Brian James Myer as Masetto. They will be joined by Laura Wilde as Donna Anna, Joshua Blue as Don Ottavio, Joanna Latini as Donna Elvira, John Cheek as the Commendatore and Natalia Santaliz as Zerlina.

The new production will be directed by co-founder Jonathan Loy and conducted by artistic director Brian Garman. The production will include scenic designs by Stephen Dobay, costumes by Charles Caine, and lighting Alex Jainchill.

The production will open on August 22 with additional performances on the 25th and 28th at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Tickets and additional information is available online.

Erik Anstine can next be seen as Osmin in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Opera Omaha on February 7 and 9. André Courville can be heard as Figaro in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at the Kentucky Opera from February 14-16. Brian James Myer will be Mercutio in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette at the Knoxville Opera from February 14-29.

Barihunk duo announced in San Francisco Opera cast change

Erwin Schrott & Erik Anstine

San Francisco Opera’s summer production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni just doubled its "sexiness factor" with the announcement that two barihunks will step in for Marco Vinco as Leporello. The Italian bass withdrew from the production due to health issues.

American bass-barihunk Erik Anstine will sing two performances and Uruguayan bass-barihunk Erwin Schrott will take over for the other six, which run from June 4 through June 30. Both singers are making their house debuts with the San Francisco Opera. Schrott's performances will be has last scheduled appearances in the United States for 2017.

The duo will join bass-barihunk Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, who is singing the title role, along with soprano Erin Wall as Donna Anna, soprano Ana María Martínez as Donna Elvira, tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac as Don Ottavio, soprano Sarah Shafer as Zerlina, Michael Sumuel  as Masetto and Andrea Silvestrelli. Tickets are available online.

The June 30th performance will be part of the company's' annual Opera at the Ballpark, a free live simulcast of the opera at AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The simulcast is free, but you must register online.

Watch Elliot Madore in Charpentier & Rameau

 

Elliot Madore and Danielle de Niese in Les Sauvages

A reader wrote us to inform us that Elliot Madore's performance in excerpts from Jean-Philippe Rameau's Les Sauvages with William Christie and the Orchestre des Arts Florissants is available online. Joining him in the cast are Danielle de Niese as Zima, Marcel Beekman as Damon and Laurent Naouri as Don Alvar.

He also performs in Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Te Deum H.146 with Rachel Redmond, Katherine Watson, Marcel Beekman, Reinoud Van Mechelen,  Elliot Madore, fellow barihunk Marc Mauillon and Laurent Naouri.

The remainder of the performance includes Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville's In exitu Israel and François-André Danican Philidor's Rondo de Bacchus.

Click HERE to watch the entire performance.

Elliot Madore performing with the Orchestre des Arts Florissants

Madore can next be seen at the Zurich Opera from February 15-March 3 when he sings Harlekin in Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos. Eva-Maria Westbroek will sing Ariadne and fellow barihunk Erik Anstine will sing Truffaldin.

He next appears in the U.S. on March 15 at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio for a song recital of Poulenc, Ives, Wolf, Schumann and others. Tickets are available online.

Seattle Gay Scene bemoans missing Mariusz

If you don't think fans of barihunks (small "b") love their singers, then check out the latest issue of the Seattle Gay Scene, which dedicates a whole article to the fact that Mariusz Kwiecien, who appears in the Seattle Opera's marketing materials does not actually appear in the Seattle Opera's production of Mozart's Don Giovanni.

We have to admit that were impressed that writer Michael Strangeways actually knew that Mariusz Kwiecien was one of the inspirations for Barihunks (big "B').  In fact after two of us had seen the "Hot Pole" in separate productions of Don Giovanni (in Seattle and San Francisco), the seeds of this site were planted seven years ago. So, naturally, one would think that we'd be disappointed, too. But we're regulars at the Seattle Opera and have no doubt that they will deliver an amazing performance of Mozart's timeless classic.

Evan Boyer and Erik Anstine (in his BARIHUNK tee shirt)

In fact, they've cast two singers who have been featured on this site, Evan Boyer as Masetto and Erik Anstine as Leporello. Those two should adequately fill the requisite "minimum barihunk requirement" for Don Giovanni. French bass Nicolas Cavallier will sing the title role. Performances will run from October 18 through November 1 and tickets and additional cast information are available online.

Mariusz Kwiecien on the Lyric Opera of Chicago website

If Michael Strangeways, or anyone else, wants to see Mariusz Kwiecien as The Don, then should fly to the Windy City, where he's starring in their production alongside fellow barihunk Kyle Ketelsen's Leporello. The Lyric Opera of Chicago even has a feature online called "Rolling with the Don" where the singer talks about the role (and is referred to as a "barihunk"). Performances run through October 29th and tickets are available online. Oddly, Lyric's website does not list who is singing Masetto.

Kyle Ketelsen's sexy and scene stealing turn as Méphistophélès

Kyle Ketelsen as Méphistophélès

We recently reported on the performance of Gounod's Faust at the Zurich Opera that opened on November 3rd and runs through December 11th. The sexy cast cast is led by barihunks Kyle Ketelsen as Méphistophélès, Elliot Madore as Valentin and Erik Anstine as Wagner, as well as hunkentenor Pavol Breslik as Faust.

The production with stage design by Ben Baur and costumes by Karin Jud is not to be missed and promises to be one of the big hits in Europe this year. Although the big news was rightfully tenor Pavol Breslik's debut as Faust, the scene stealer was undoubtedly Kyle Ketelsen as Méphistophélès with his bad boy sexiness that mortals find simply irrestible (as attested to by these photos!).

Kyle Ketelsen as Méphistophélès

The reviewer Alessandro Anghinoni remarked in Place de l'Opera that although Kyle Ketelsen certainly has "earned his place among barihunks...he has more than muscles. He can combine fine colors and accents in the voice and uses language and form to add plenty of character to his role. His "Rondo du Veau d'Or" and serenade were highlights of the evening."

Ketelsen's next appearance in the United States mirrors the Faust performance in that it also includes one of the sexiest casts in opera. He'll be appearing at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia from February 9-28. The cast also stars barihunk Nathan Gunn as the Barber, hunkentenor Alek Shrader as Almaviva and the stunning Isabel Leonard as Rosina. Tickets and additional information are available online. 

Barihunk trio in Zurich Faust (and a hunkentenor!)

Kyle Ketelsen, Jose van Dam and Pavol Breslik

We're not sure if the devil made 'em do it, but the Zurich Opera has cast four of the hottest men in opera in one production of Jan Philipp Gloger’s new production of Gounod's Faust. The hotter-than-hell cast is led by barihunks Kyle Ketelsen as Méphistophélès, Elliot Madore as Valentin and Erik Anstine as Wagner. They will be joined by hunkentenor Pavol Breslik as Faust.

The premiere is on November 3rd and runs through December 11th.

Elliot Madore & Erik Anstine

Madore and Anstine are both members of the Opernhaus Zürich ensemble. Madore will also be seen in revivals of Mozart's Così fan tutte as Guglielmo and Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème. On April 25, 2014, he returns to the U.S. in the title role of Mozart's Don Giovanni at Opera Philadelphia, a role that he will reprise in June at the Glyndebourne Festival. Anstine can be seen in upcoming performances of Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Handel's Alcina.

We also recommend that you LIKE Elliot Madore's Facebook fan page where you can follow the career of this rising superstar.

Erik Anstine spotted skiing in the Alps in a Barihunk tee shirt

Eric Anstine

Check out who was seen in the Swiss Alps sporting his Barihunk tee shirt! None other that former Los Angeles Opera Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program and Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program participant Erik Anstine. The bass-barihunk in now on the roster of the Opernhaus Zürich where he was cast this season as  Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, Biterolf in Tannhäuser, the Second Solier in Salome, Anfisa in the premiere of Eötvös’ Drei Schwestern, and Hausknecht/Wächter in a new production of Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtensk.

He opens tomorrow as one of the Knights of the Holy Grail in Wagner's Parsifal in a cast that includes Angela Denoke as Kundry, Evgeny Nikitin as Amfortas, Stuart Skelton as Parsifal and Jan-Hendrik Rootering as Gurnemanz. Performances run through April 1st and tickets are available online.

Eric Anstine

In the upcoming season, he can be seen as Masetto in Zurich's new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni with fellow barihunk Peter Mattei in the title role, Ruben Drole as Leporello, and hunkentenor Pavol Breslik as Don Ottavio. He'll also be joining two other barihunks in a new production of Gounod's Faust. Anstine will be singing the role of Wagner alongside Elliot Madore and Kyle Ketelson. We can't wait to get a backstage picture of that trio!

Next season he can also be seen alongside the great mezzo Cecilia Bartoli in a Christof Loy production of Handel's Alcina.  Check out the entire 2013/2014 season at the Opernhaus Zürich website.

Erik Anstine's CAMI site

Erik Anstine

Erik Anstine, who appeared in our charity calendar has a beautiful new listing on the Columbia Management (CAMI) site, which we wanted to share with readers. Here is the text:

Praised for the beauty of his voice and the vitality of his performances, American basso Erik Anstine is making a name for himself on opera and concert stages in North America and Europe.

This summer, Mr. Anstine is a member of The Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program. He will cover the Archbishop in Szymanowski’s “Król Roger” and Sciarrone in “Tosca”.

In the 2012-13 season, Mr. Anstine joins the ensemble of Opernhaus Zürich where he will perform Bartolo in “Le nozze di Figaro”, Biterolf in “Tannhäuser” , Zweiter Soldat in “Salome”, Anfisa in the premiere of Eötvös’ “Drei Schwestern”, and Hausknecht / Wächter in a new production of “Lady Macbeth of Mtensk”.

As a member of Los Angeles Opera’s Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program for the 2011-12 season, Mr. Anstine appeared as the Captain in “Eugene Onegin”, Frère Jean in “Romßo et Juliette”, and Der Tod in Viktor Ullman’s “Der Kaiser von Atlantas” under the baton of James Conlon as part of the company’s on-going Recovered Voices series. Mr. Anstine made his Seattle Opera main stage debut in 2011 as the Second Priest in “Die Zauberflöte”. As a member of Seattle Opera’s young artist program, Mr. Anstine was heard as Leoprello in “Don Giovanni”, Don Alfonso in “Così fan tutte” and Truffaldino in “Ariadne auf Naxos”. He was a participant in the 2010 Castleton Festival where he sang the Notary in “Gianni Schicchi” and stepped in at the last minute to perform Peachum in John Gay’s “A Beggar’s Opera”.

Erik Anstine was the Grand Prize Winner of the Orpheus Vocal Competition and a participant in Thomas Quasthoff’s “Das Lied” competition in Berlin in 2009. He was also a two-time Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Erik Anstine was graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Music degree, and from Indiana University with a Master of Music degree. During his studies at Northwestern University, Mr. Anstine studied abroad for one year at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Erik Anstine Featured on Seattle Opera Blog

Barihunks in disguise: Anstine and Cutlip (Photo by Rozarii Lynch)

We recently introduced Erik Anstine to readers and we suspect that he has a big career ahead of him. He is currently one of the priests in the Seattle Opera's "Magic Flute," which includes the Papageno of barihunk Philip Cutlip and the Sarastro of barihunk and ex-football player Keith Miller. The second cast also includes British barihunk Leigh Melrose as Papageno, a singer who we blogged about last year and who should be better known on this side of The Pond. Cheers to the Seattle Opera for showcasing him to U.S. audiences. The always entertaining Seattle Opera blog has a profile of Anstine and tenor Eric Neuville, which you can read HERE.

Seattle Young Artist member Erik Anstine

Tickets remain for the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday performances. The costumes for this productions are by the internationally renowned fashion designer Zandra Rhodes and are not to be missed! You can click HERE for ticket and performance information.

Philip Cutlip (Top) and Keith Miller (Bottom)

Here is a sampling of Anstine singing Mozart's "Ha! Wie will ich triumphieren" from Die Entführung aus dem Serail.



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Don Giovanni HIghlights from Seattle Opera's Young Artists

Erik Anstine & David Krohn

 The Seattle Opera Young Artists Program performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni wrapped up last night. We wanted to share some video highlights, so that you can see barihunks Erik Anstine and David Krohn in action. Also, for you tenor lovers, we've been watching Andrew Stenson since his days in Santa Fe and he is a lyric voice to watch out for. 



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Baritones Continue Vocal Competition Dominance: Lattanzi, Cedel & O'Hanlon

Joseph Lattanzi sporting some Brooks Brothers clothing

We ran a post last month called "The Golden Age of Baritones is Now," in which we pointed out that baritones are dominating vocal competitions, stages and marketing campaigns like at no other time in history. The trend seems to be continuing in competitions much smaller than the Met Auditions, as well. Half of the finalists in the Palm Beach Opera’s vocal competition junior division (ages 18 to 23) were baritones. 

Brandon Cedel & Emmett O'Hanlon

The three baritones include Joseph Lattanzi, who we've previously featured on this site, Emmett O’Hanlon, and Brandon Cedel, who happens to be the other half of a barihunk couple. His partner is Jonathan Beyer, who we've been praising for his seemingly effortless ability to win vocal competitions. Apparently, it's rubbing off on Cedel. 

Other winners included soprano Danielle Adams, tenor Marco Stafani and soprano Betsy Diaz. The six finalists will be ranked and awarded $47,000 in prizes during an orchestral concert at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Kravis Center. For information, call 833-7888 or visit pbopera.org.

Lattanzi has put together a new website and was recently accepted into the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program, one of our favorite in the country. Lattanzi will be joining two of our favorite young barihunks in Seattle, Erik Anstine and David Krohn, who are respectively playing Leporello and Don Giovanni in the current YAP production of the Mozart opera. 

Amanda Opuszysnki and Erik Anstine (©Rozarii Lynch photo)

When we posted about Joseph Lattanzi a year ago, we predicted that he might have a future on this site and apparently we were right. We would like to wish all of the finalists in the PBO junior division vocal competition the best of luck with their careers. 

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Seattle Opera's Young Artists to Perform Don Giovanni

Talented and Sexy: David Krohn

 The Seattle Opera's Young Artists Program will be performing Mozart's Don Giovanni from April 1-9 with two casts. The gifted singer David Krohn, who has been regularly featured on this site, will take on the title role on opening night opposite the Leporello of Erik Anstine. For a complete list of the cast and performance dates visit the Seattle Opera website.

Erik Anstine

Anstine, who is new to this site, was a 2008 finalist in the Central region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Here he is performing Mozart's "Ha! Wie will ich triumphieren" from Die Entführung aus dem Serail.



Here is Adrian Rosas, who is singing Masetto, performing "Black Max" at his Graduate Recital at Juilliard in September 2010.



Fans of Krohn will be pleased to know that he's planning on launching his new website on Friday, March 4th.

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