Watch Nicolas Courjal's role debut live as four villains in Tales of Hoffmann

Nicolas Courjal as the Four Villains (photos by Alain Hanel)

On January 22nd, the internet opera site Mezzo.tv will feature bass-barihunk Nicolas Courjal making his role debut as the four villains- Lindorf, Coppelius, Miracle and Dapertutto - in Jacques Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann (Les Contes d’Hoffmann).

The live broadcast is from the Opera of Monte-Carlo and features and all-star cast led by Juan Diego Flórez in the title role and Olga Peretyatko as the the four women he's enchanted with. Both singers are also making their role debuts. The broadcast begins at 8 PM Monte Carlo time on Mezzo.tv (2 PM EST/11 AM PST. Click HERE to watch the broadcast.

Nicolas Courjal sings "Elle ne m'aime pas" from Don Carlos: 

The production is being staged by Jean-Louis Grinda and conducted by Jacques Lacombe. There will be additional performances on January 25, 28 and 31.

Upcoming performance for the 44-year-old French singer include the role of Rodolfo in Bellini's La Sonnambla in Lausanne on February 9th and 11th and Phanuel in Massenet's Hérodiade in Marseilles in March with Béatrice Uria-Monzon in the title role.

Edwin Crossley-Mercer visiting Arabian Peninsula literally and musically

French-Irish barihunk Edwin Crossley-Mercer is bringing opera to the Arabian Peninsula in a recital at the One & Only Mirage Resort in Dubai. The May 29th show is entitled "It's All About Love" and will feature famous love songs in German, Russian, French and English.

The show will take the audience to Berlin, Moscow, Paris and New York by featuring pop classics from’40s, songs by Franz Schubert and the 19th century song repertory.  Crossley-Mercer, who grew up in the French town of Clermont-Ferrand, is also quite familiar with Berlin, having studied at the
Hanns Eisler Hochschule fur Musik.

Tickets for the show are available online. 

The singer's next performance also takes him to the Arabian Peninsula, but only musically. He will perform Schumann's Paradise and the Peri at the Festival de Saint Denis, which was inspired by one of the tales of the Arabian Nights. The text mixes enchantments with elements from the Bible, the Koran, and mythology.

On March 4, 2016, he makes his much anticipated US stage debut as Lescaut in Massenet's Manon at the Dallas Opera.

Childhood internet sensation now a barihunk

Régis Mengus as a baritone and boy soprano

32-year-old Régis Mengus was a childhood internet sensation long before he became known in the world opera. A few years ago, a video of him with fellow boy soprano Hyacinthe de Moulins singing Rossini's Cat Duet began appearing on blogs and websites drawing millions of views. The performance was with the famed boys choir Les Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois, who were presenting a concert in Seoul, Korea in 1996.  

Mengus, who came from a blue collar family with little exposure to the arts, was drawn to music as a young boy. He started piano lesson at the age of six, but joined the choir two years later after realizing that singing was his true passion. Shortly after joining the group, he rose to the coveted role of soloist with the boys choir (and the video shows why). 

Later, he joined the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Metz Métropole Gabriel-Pierné in Metz, France. After being granted First Prize by the jury, he made his stage debut at the Opéra de Metz at the age of nineteen. He subsequently performed Malatesta in Donizetti's Don Pasquale and Figaro in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.

In 2008, he made debut outside of France at the National Opera of Athens is Christian in Cyrano et Roxane, before returning to Metz to sing Thomas' Hamlet. 

Régis Mengus as Danilo in The Merry Widow in Lausanne

Other performances throughout France have included  Pas sur la bouche (Not on the Lips) at the Opéra de Tours, Moralès in Carmen at the Opera Caen, Yamadori in Madama Butterfly at Opera of St Etienne, Wagner in Faust Opéra de Metz, Danilo in Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow) at the Théâtre de Reimsand Robert Perceval in Andre Messager's Passionnement at the Opéra de Tours.

In October 2013, he won both the First Prize for me and the Audience Award at the International Competition of Singing in Vivonne. In March 2014, he won First Prize, the Audience Award, and a Special Award at the International Competition of Bordeaux.

He is currently singing Danilo in The Merry Widow through December 31st at l'Opéra de Lausanne.Tickets and additional cast information are available online.

Doug Carpenter and Richard Alexandre Rittelmann in the Barihunks calendar

There is exactly one week left to order you 2015 Barihunks calendar, featuring 19 of the hottest men in opera. Order today by clicking below.

Barihunk Cyril Rovery featured in Men's Health

Cyril Rovery

The European edition of Men's Health magazine recently featured French barihunk Cyril Rovery in a feature called "Baryton Man." He's new to this site.

Rovery studied at the Marseilles Conservatoire graduating in 2000. In 1999, he won 1st Prize at the Symphonies d’Automne International Competition in Mâcon and in 2002 he won the Siena International Competition for Singers.

Men's Health featuring Cyril Rovery

He made his professional debut in 2001 as Germont at the Avignon Opera House with Patricia Cioffi in Verdi's La Traviata.  He subsequently appeared as Golaud in Debussy's Pelleas and Melisande at the Massy Opera house and Puccini's Madame Butterfly at the Marseilles Opera House. His performance in Richard Strauss' Salome at the Montpellier Opera House was recorded by Universal Music.

Cyril Rovery

Earlier this year he appeared at l’Opéra de Marseille as Giocanto Castriconi in the premiere of Jean-Claude Petit's Colomba, about a Mediterranean heroine with an insatiable desire for vengeance. He's been a regular at Marseille singing Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca, the Duke of Verona in Roméo et Juliette and Monterone in Verdi's Rigoletto.

His career has been primarily centered in France.

Have you ordered your 2015 Barihunks Charity Calendar yet? It features 19 of operas hottest stars, including Doug Carpenter and Richard Alexandre Rittelmann (shown above). Click below to order now.