Theo Hoffman in concert of "Great American Songwriting Teams"

Theo Hoffman

Barihunk Theo Hoffman will part of seven singers from Julliard joining accompanist Steven Blier for as evening of music from "Great American Songwriting Teams." The concert will feature music by George & Ira Gershwin, Comden & Green, Kander & Ebb, Bock & Harnick, Rodgers & Hart (& Hammerstein), Leiber & Stoller, and others.

Coleman & Leigh, who will be represented by a delightful number from Little Me. The program features some famous songs (“You and the Night and the Music,” “Love Potion #9”), some best known to Broadway aficionados (“Little Tin Box,” “The Wrong Note Rag”), and some that will be a delightful discovery for listeners (an unpublished Gershwin gem called “Luckiest Man in the World”).

The show is presented by the New York Festival of Song and Juilliard’s Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts on Wednesday, January 14, 2014 at 8:00 PM at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater.

Theo Hoffman sings Marc Blitzstein's "Stay in my arms":

Other singers on the program include soprano Tiffany Townsend, mezzo-sopranos Kelsey Lauritano and Hannah McDermott, and tenors James Knight, Aaron Mor and Alexander McKissick (that's A LOT of tenors!).

Tickets are $20 for the public, $10 for students, and free for Juilliard students, faculty, and staff. Tickets are available online or by calling (212) 769-7406.

On March 8th, Hoffman debuts with the Portland Symphony Orchestra as The Jailer in Poulenc's The Dialogues of the Carmelites in a cast that includes fellow barihunk Troy Cook.

Introducing barihunk Shannon De Vine

Shannon De Vine

Meet barihunk Shannon De Vine, who will be singing Claudio in the revival of Franco Faccio's Amleto (Hamlet) with Opera Southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Baltimore Concert Opera. The opera has not been performed since 1871 and this will be its U.S. premiere.

De Vine earned his Master's Degree from the Juilliard School, where he performed the roles of Demetrius in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Silvio in I Pagliacci. In 2007, he took 3rd Prize at the Licia Albanese – Puccini Foundation Awards, was a semi-finalist in the Marseille International Voice Competition in France, the International Voice Competition of Francisco Vinas in Barcelona, finalist in the Opera National de Paris de la Bastille International Voice Competition, winner of the MacAllister Awards, the Rosa Ponselle International Voice Competition and winner of the Verdi Concerto Competition at the Aspen Music Festival.

Last season, he was seen as Gerard in Giordano's Andrea Chenier with the Opera Orchestra of NY, Iago in Verdi's Otello at the Il Teatro Verdi and Ceccho del Vecchio in Wagner’s Rienzi at Avery Fisher Hall. He made his Houston Grand Opera debut as Morales in Bizet's Carmen, where he also sang Riolobo in Catan's Florencia en las Amazonas, Top in Copland’s The Tender Land and Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte.

Ivo Rizzi sings Claudio's aria from Faccio's Amleto:

In 1865, Verdi’s contemporary Franco Faccio wrote an opera about Shakespeare’s melancholic Danish prince, to a libretto by Arrigo Boito. Conceived as an anti-Verdi/pro-Wagner manifesto for the “music of the future,” Amleto was originally a critical and audience success, but setbacks at the 1871 La Scala revival propelled it into obscurity, where it languished for more than a century.

Since 2002, Maestro Anthony Barrese has painstakingly reconstructed the score of the opera based on historical documents and microfilm held by the Ricordi Archives. BCO will present the American premiere of this lost operatic treasure in collaboration with Opera Southwest, conducted by Maestro Barrese himself. Celebrated American tenor Alex Richardson will sing the title role, and soprano Abla Hamza will sing Hamlet’s doomed love Ophelia (Ofelia).

Performance in Baltimore are on October 2 and 5 and tickets are available online. Performances in Albuquerque are on October 26, 31 and November 2 and tickets are available online.

Theo Hoffman joins Steven Blier for Craigslistlieder

Theo Hoffman

Barihunk Theo Hoffman will be one of four singers joining the talented accompanist Steven Blier in the New York Festival of Song's Emerging Artists series. The program is entitles "Craigslistlieder & Other Love Songs" and includes music by Granados, Grieg, Frank Bridge, Sondheim, Stenhammar, and Gabriel Kahane.  

Kahane's "Craigslistlieder," which is a song cycle based on actual Craigslist personal ads headlines the program. The cycle includes 1. You Looked Sexy 2. II. I'm Sorry 3. III. Half A Box of Condoms 4. IV. Neurotic and Lonely 5. Today I Met 6. For Trade 7. If Anyone Knows 8. Opera Scene. 

Theo Hoffman sings the Count's Aria from the Marriage of Figaro:

The Festival is taking their program out to Long Island for two performances on Long Island this month! There will be a preview concert on August 23 at Christ Episcopal Church in Bellport followed the next day by a performance at in Orient. Hoffman will be joined by soprano Chelsea Morris, mezzo-soprano Lauren Eberwein and tenor William Goforth. The singers will perform solos as well as vocal quartets.

In November, Hoffman will play Bob in Menotti's The Old Maid and the Thief at Juilliard in a triple-bill directed by Edward Berkeley, which also includes Samuel Barber's A Hand of Bridge and Kurt Weill's Down in the Valley.. On March 8, 2015, he debuts with the Portland Symphony Orchestra as The Jailer in Poulenc's The Dialogues of the Carmelites. Tickets are available online. 

Make sure to read our interview with Theo Hoffman that appeared on our site in February.

Reader Submission: Takaoki Onishi

Takaoki Onishi

Our latest Reader Submission is Japanese baritone Takaoki Onishi. He has won the Top Prize in the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, and the First Prize in both the Opera Index, Inc. Vocal Competition and the Licia Albanese - Puccini International Vocal Competition. He also received a prize in the 2013 Loren L. Zachary Competition, as well as two Grants from the Giulio Gari Foundation.

He made his Lincoln Center debut in the Juilliard Vocal Arts Honors Recital at Alice Tully Hall. He has been awarded a fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival and he received the Makiko Narumi Prize for Outstanding Singer by the Juilliard School.

In 2013, Onishi created the leading male role in the world premiere of Marty Regan’s The Memory Stone, which was presented by the Houston Grand Opera’s East/West program. This spring in New York, he sang in two concerts in the Schubert & Company series, as well as appearing as baritone soloist in Franz Schubert's Mass No. 2 in G major, D.167 at Rockefeller University and in Brahms Requiem with West Village Chorale in New York..

In February, he performed the title role in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin with Juilliard Opera and in March he performed Jesus in Bach's St. Matthew's Passion. He will also return to Japan to sing in several concerts of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, as well as a solo recital in Tokyo. On June 7th,  he sings at The Opera Ball at the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Reader submissions are always welcome at Barihunks@gmail.com

Reader Submission: Saïd Pressley

Saïd Pressley

A reader spotted New Yorker Saïd Pressley as one of the semi-finalists in the 26th annual Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition and remembered him as the very attractive winner of the Amato Opera Competition.

A recent graduate of the Juilliard School, bass-barihunk Saïd Pressley is a New York native and former member of the Boy’s Choir of Harlem.

He has appeared as Presto in Poulenc's Les mamelles des Tirésias, Simone/Maestro Spinelloccio in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, Wu Tianshi in the American premiere of Peter Maxwell Davies’ Kommilitonen with Juilliard Opera, Don Alfonso in Mozart's Così fan tutte, Sebastian in the world premiere recording of Lee Hoiby’s Tempest (Albany Records), Balthazar in Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Sarastro in Mozar'ts Die Zauberflöte with Purchase Opera.

His concert work includes several recitals in both Paul Hall and Alice Tully Hall, as well as a master class with renowned American bass Samuel Ramey. Saïd has received the 1st Prize in the Tony and Sally Amato Opera competition (2010), 2nd Prize in the Harlem Opera Theater Competition (2013), and is a current semi-finalist in Dallas Opera Guild’s Annual Vocal Competition (2014). Tickets to the Dallas competition on March 14th are free and available online.

Question & Answer with Theo Hoffman

 

Theo Hoffman

1. Most singers dream of moving to New York to study and have careers, but you grew up in Manhattan. Tell us a little about your upbringing. What music did you listen to growing up.
As with every New Yorker it seems, I have a love-hate relationship with the City. It has completely spoiled me, so living elsewhere for more than a few months is difficult. On the other hand, it has given me a cultural education one cannot receive elsewhere. My parents are restauranteurs (Back Forty and previously Savoy), so my culinary experiences have shaped a lot of what I love about the city.

In terms of music, It all started with the Beatles. Then add Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Rolling Stones, and David Bowie and you essentially have my musical upbringing. Now that I think about it, Bob Dylan isn't such a vast departure from Schubert. There was zero classical music entering my ears until I got to LaGuardia High School, where I was turned on to art song, oratorio, and opera. The rest is history. 

2. Tell us about your time at Julliard. What was your favorite performance there? Any coaches or teachers who were a particular influence?
My time at Juilliard has been an incredibly rich one, and it's not over yet! A couple favorites come to mind. I made my role debut as the Count this year in a beautifully unique production of Nozze by rising-star director John Giampietro. I always thought this was a role that I wouldn't play until I was much older, but in the Beaumarchais play, Almaviva is probably around the same age I am. Playing the role, I realized a lot about myself. It was extremely cathartic. Also this year, I performed Songs and Proverbs of William Blake with Brain Zeger, the artistic director of Juilliard Vocal Arts and one of my mentors, which was a foray into some of the coolest poetry I've ever had the pleasure of communicating.

3. You're currently doing some work at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. What is that experience like and how is it furthering your artistic growth?
I auditioned for OTSL when I was 19, expecting nothing. I sang an art song in my audition, for pity's sake. A week after my audition I received that email which sort of changed my life. Through the years, they have fostered some incredible talent through their Gerdine Young Artist program and have a beautiful community of people who make opera happen every summer. I turned 20 when I was there last summer, and I'll tell you, having 30 superb young artists singing "Happy Birthday" to me was one of the highlights of my life. I met some of my best friends in that program. I'm headed back this summer to cover Papageno and sing Thierry in Dialogues of the Carmelites. I hope to work with them for many years to come.

Theo Hoffman

4. You've already caught the attention of some major people in the business, including the amazing Steven Blier. Tell us what you're doing with him. Who else are you excited about working with?
Steve and I are kindred spirits in so many ways. We started working together basically the week I got to Juilliard and have barely missed a week since. We work on everything from Monteverdi to Britten to Noël Coward and Marc Blitzstein. I made my New York Festival of Song debut this past December and will be performing with them at Caramoor and New York in March.

One always hears advice to seek out a team of mentors who you trust, who you can share your craziest ideas with, and who truly have your best interests at heart. With so many different agendas flying everywhere, many singers get really confused about what they're supposed to be doing. I am lucky to have Steve as one of these important mentors, along with my teacher Sanford Sylvan.

5. Do you have any dream roles? Favorite composers?
It's always been my dream to play Sid in Albert Herring (partially because I have a thing for mezzos). The musical language of Benjamin Britten has always resonated with me incredibly acutely. If I could sing a role outside my fach, I'd choose Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier. Strauss is another favorite. I'm always excited by new works, and I'm waiting for someone to turn The Hobbit into an opera so that I can play Bilbo Baggins.

6. How did you first find out that you were on Barihunks and what was your reaction?
When I saw the post, I was extremely grateful to be a part of such a talented bunch of singers. Some of my favorite singers and colleagues are featured on the site. John Brancy, Matt Worth, Christopher Maltman, and Stephane Degout (to name just a few) are all artists I have vast respect for, and I love hearing about what they're up to.

7. Do you think singers should be as concerned about their bodies as their voices? Do you have a workout routine?
Singers have to stay in shape. We are athletes. Being a body-builder, however, is arguably not fantastic for the voice, more specifically, for muscular tension. I am an incredibly skinny man, so my task is actually keeping the weight up rather than loosing any. When New York thaws, I'm looking forward to getting back to my long bike rides up and down the west side of Manhattan. I feel my breath and my soul in the right place after one of my rides.

8. Some singers like Furruccio Furlanetto are refusing to work with directors who have gotten particularly outrageous in their conceptualizations. Are there productions  or director requests that would turn you off?
There is not too much I wouldn't play on stage, as long as it serves the text and the original intention of the composer. I have my limits, though. When a guy gets completely naked onstage, the conversation immediately deviates from the action of the opera to how hung they are (for better or for worse). I think it's a waste of the audience's attention, as are many "concepts."

"I remember the first time someone told me I was a baritone. It was like finding the warmest, softest blanket to cuddle up in. - Theo Hoffman

We also have a couple of reader questions for you:

9.  How do we make opera more relevant to today's audiences while still respecting the art?
We need to educate our children early! Parents, take your kids to the opera and treat it like you're reading them a bedtime story. These are fairy tales brought to life, so why not embrace them as such? I wish the proliferation of new works was more readily supported by big houses like the Met, not just one or two per season, but more like four or five, so that the repertoire is always growing and changing.

10. Did you initially sing as another voice type before becoming a baritone? How did you discover that you're really a baritone?1
I was always a baritone. I remember the first time someone told me I was a baritone. It was like finding the warmest, softest blanket to cuddle up in. I quickly fell in love with the repertoire, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Theo Hoffman to perform free recital at Alice Tully Hall

When we first posted about Theo Hoffman, he was preparing for his performance as Count Almaviva in Mozart's Le nozze do Figaro at Julliard. We mentioned that he also had an upcoming recital, but we didn't have a date at the time. 

We've learned that he'll be performing as part of the Britten celebration with the Juilliard Songfest at Alice Tully Hall on December 3rd.  Hoffman will be joined by accompanist Brian Zeger to perform selections from Songs and Proverbs of William Blake. Tickets are free and are available at the Juilliard box office.

Theo Hoffman sings Pierrot's Tanzlied from Korngold's "Die Tote Stadt":

This summer, Hoffman, who was a member of the 2013 Gerdine Young Artists at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, will perform the role of Thierry in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites. The all-star cast will be led by Christine Brewer, Kelly Kaduce, Meredith Arwady,  David Porillo and fellow barihunk Troy Cook. Performances run from June 18-28 and tickets are available online.

Theo Hoffman leads "Julliard Trio of Barihunks" in Upcoming Events

Theo Hoffman as Almaviva

Theo Hoffman, who we introduced to readers in August of this year, will be performing Count Almaviva in Mozart's Le nozze do Figaro at Julliard. At the time of the orginal post we didn't have the dates, which are from November 4-10. Joining him in the cast is Jake Alan Nelson as Figaro. Tickets are limited, so call Juilliard Vocal Arts for tickets at (212) 799-5000.

Julliard's "Trio of Barihunks": Szymek Komasa, Theo Hoffman & Jake Alan Nelson

We also didn't have the date for his recital, which we now know will be on December 3 in Alice Tully Hall. The performance will be part of the Juilliard Songfest Britten centennial with accompanist Brian Zeger and fellow barihunk Szymek Komasa, who we first introduced readers in 2011 when he was competing in the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. We also posted about him earlier this month when he was spotted by someone attending a master class where he was working with Joyce DiDonato.

Reader Submission: Şzymon Komasa

Polish Barihunk Şzymon Komasa

Our latest reader submission is Şzymon Komasa, who took part in a master class at Julliard on October 4th with Joyce DiDonato. He caught the attention of our reader during the live online webstream of the master class. Renee Fleming and Eric Owens will be featured in upcoming master classes, so check the school's online schedule.

Şzymon Komasa was born in Poznań and studied at the Academy of Music in Łódź, from which he
graduated with honors in 2009 in both cello and vocal studies. Komasa comes from a very artistic family. His mother Gina was a singer, his father Wieslaw is a famous Polish actor, his brother Jan is a director, his sister Mary is a lead singer of a band and his youngest sister Sophie is a stylist. Jan Komasa directed him in Sala samobójców (Suicide Room), which was also written by his brother. 

He studied opera at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London before becoming a student of Edith Wiens at Juilliard’s Artist Diploma program in Opera Studies.. In 2011, he represented Poland in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, but fell ill and had to withdraw before the finals. 

Şzymon Komasa

He has won awards in international singing competitions, including the Best Wagner Singer at the 7th Annual Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition in Dublin in January of this year. He previously took third prize at the Ada Sari Vocal Art Competition in Nowy Sącz in Poland, first prize at the Puccini International Singing Competition in Verona and first prize at the Halina Halska-Fijałkowska Vocal Competition in Wrocław. 

Şzymon's opera performances include Slook in Rossini's La cambiale di matrimonio, Papageno in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and Figaro in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, all at Teatr Wielki in Łódź, and Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème at Teatro Filharmonico in Verona. His repertoire also includes Mityukha Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov.  This summer, he sang Albert in Halevy's La Juive in Dresden.

You can watch him HERE during an appearance on a Polish morning TV show. 

Introducing Theo Hoffman

Theo Hoffman (Photo by Liv Hoffman)

We originally noticed native New Yorker Theo Hoffman when someone pointed him out as a member of the 2013 Gerdine Young Artists at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Next season, the young singer will be returning to the riverfront city to cover Papageno in Die Zauberflöte and performing in Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites.

He is currently working on in his undergraduate studies at Juilliard with the great baritone Sanford Sylvan. He will be performing Count Almaviva in Mozart's Le nozze do Figaro at Julliard in November and then perform a recital in Spring 2014. We will provide readers additional information closer to the performance dates.

"Tu se' morta" from Monteverdi's L'Orfeo and Charles Ives' "Tom Sails Away"

Last season,  Hoffman made his Juilliard Opera debut as Lunardo in Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's Le donne curiose. This summer, he covered Major General Stanley in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance and Tomeš  in Smetana's The Kiss for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.

In 2013, as a  SongFest Stern Fellow, he performed John Musto’s The Brief Light at The Colburn School in Los Angeles, where he also performed Ravel’s famous Don Quichotte a Dulcinée with famed accompanist Martin Katz.. He appeared in recital as part of Juilliard’s Songbook series, Schubert & Co, as well as at the Bruno Walter Auditorium in Lincoln Center, the Chautauqua Institution, the Eastman School of Music, and Juilliard Pre-College.

Barihunks Tobias Greenhalgh and John Brancy featured on PBS NewsHour

Tobias Greenhalgh, Armand Ranjbaran & John Brancy

Barihunks John Brancy and Tobias Greenhalgh were recently featured on the PBS NewsHour episode "Artists Learn Art of Business to Brave Tough Economic Times." NewsHour correspondent Paul Solman took a look at how people in the classical arts are learning to fine tune their entrepreneurial skills in order to help them design their own careers in an unsure economy.

The two singers were featured for their mutual involvement with "Operation Superpower," which uses their love of classical music to teach young students about their own unique superpowers. The two singers joined by pianist Peter Dugan and composer Armand Ranjbaran focus on courage, hope, honesty, imagination, and friendship to deal with the topic of bullying and helping kids find their own inner strengths. The group is marketing their program as a school assembly program and they have performed in Peoria, Illinois, as well as schools throughout New York State. 

Watch Artists Learn Art of Business to Brave Tough Economic Times on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

John Brancy will be performing with his girlfriend Wallis Giunta in an performance of  arias, ensembles, and choral scenes with the Regina Symphony in September. He then will be part of the Pacific Opera's upcoming season performing in Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos. Tobias Greenhalgh just wrapped up a successful run as Samuel in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis.

Kevin Thompson to Show off his Verdi and Mozart low notes

Bass Kevin Thomson

One of the most common questions we get is, "Do you post bass and bass-baritone singers." The short answer is "YES!!!" We post everything from the highest French lyric baritone to the bass with notes lower than that of a weary fog horn.

One of the basses that we're most excited about is Kevin Thompson, an alumnus of the Merola Opera Program, Juilliard, the Dolora Zajick’s Institute for Dramatic Young Voices, the American Institute of Musical Studies and the Aspen Music Festival.

Apparently, we aren't the only one impressed with this young singer, He's being booked around the world and is also a permanent part of the Smithsonian Institute’s Hirschorn Gallery's audio walk exhibit entitled "Words Drawn in Water" by artist Janet Cardiff, where he's featured singing “Old Man River.”

Kevin Thompson sings "Wie schön ist doch die Musik" from Richard Strauss'  

Die Schweigsame Frau:

We're convinced that he'll have a great career singing Wagner and Strauss, but his current agenda seems focused on Verdi and Mozart. He'll be performing Verdi's Requiem tonight with the "Music in the Mountains" series in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Californians and Nevadans make the trip to this beautiful part of the world and it's worth adding to any music lovers travel agenda. The Requiem will be performed tonight, but the festival runs through July 3rd. Check out their website for additional information.

Thompson will keep the Requiem in his repertoire, as he performs it in both Idaho and North Carolina. Verdi will continue to play a prominent role in his career in 2013, as he takes on Ramfis in Aida in his his debut with Opera Santa Barbara in California on March 1st and 3rd. There are two other exciting young voices in that production that deserve mention, the Aida of Michelle Johnson, a Grand Prize Winner in the 2011 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and tenor Ta'u Pupu'a, the former football player turned hunkentenor.

Thompson's next appearance will be as Sarastro in Mozart's "The Magic Flute" with the Ash Lawn Opera from July 13-20. 

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Reader Submission and Graduating Today! John Brancy

John Brancy

John Brancy was suggested to us by two readers and this seems like an appropriate day to introduce him to readers, as he's graduating from Julliard today. Brancy has had the privelege of working with the great teacher and accompanist Steven Blier at Julliard. He's already appeared in concert with Blier and at the Caramoor Festival.

The word on Brancy is that he's destined for a successful career and he's a particularly gifted recitalist. He's appeared in a few operas already, including Theseus in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Marco in Gianni Schicchi. This past summer, he made his debut as Sid in Albert Herring at Newfoundland's Opera on the Avalon Festival.

Brancy won first place in the 2007 Classical Singer Competition, The Gold Award from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts, Encouragement Awards from both Opera Index and the Kurt Weill Foundation's 2008 Lotte Lenya Competition, as well as second place in the 2010 Liederkranz competition. Mr. Brancy is in his fourth year of the bachelor of music degree program at Juilliard under the tutelage of Cynthia Hoffman.

Barihunks would like to congratulate this gifted young singer on the day of his graduation and looks forward to watching him on his path to success!

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Free TIm McDevitt Recital

Tim McDevitt 

Tim MCDevitt will be performing his final recital at Julliard on Saturday, April 2 at 8:30 PM. The program will feature works by Mozart, Caplet, Wolf, Ullman, Poulenc, Weill, and others.


The emerging barihunk will be joined by Renate Rohlfing on piano and Allison Job on double bass. The concert will be in Paul Hall. 


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Tim McDevitt: Latest "Les mamelles de Tirésias" Sensation

Tim McDevitt backstage during "Les mamelles de Tirésias." What's the young lady looking at so intently?

If you were to look at which opera is most popular on Barihunks based on page views by readers it might surprise some to learn that Poulenc's "Les mamelles de Tirésias" edges out Mozart's "Don Giovanni." A good reason might be that barihunks tend to bare more in this opera than in Don Giovanni, Rape of Lucretia or Pearl Fishers. Gabriel Bermudez's nude scene remains the runaway leader in terms of page views on this site.

Perhaps only "The Fly," which we presume has seen its last performance, guarantees more skin. If "The Fly" didn't provide a good night of theater, it did provide us with the term "the Full Okulitch"for a baritone who bares all. Barihunk Michael Mayes, who is one of the most entertaining people in all of opera, says that barihunk Michael Todd Simpson coined the phrase on Maye's TexapolitanOpera.com podcast. In a subsequent episode, barihunk David Adam Moore used the term and we're pretty sure it's going to stick. Hopefully, we'll have plenty of more opportunities to use the phrase.

Tim McDevitt

Tim McDevitt didn't go the Full Okulitch in his recent performance of "Les mamelles de Tirésias"  with the Julliard Opera, but his appearance in his scivvies was enough to activate our inbox. One reader told us that the performances were free, making the four night run the "hottest" ticket in town. and the best bargain. McDevitt, who was recently featured on this site, played Le Mari, the same role that made Gabriel Bermudez an internet sensation. 

We look forward to seeing more of this talented young singer in the future.

For more information about performances at Julliard, please visit their website.

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com

Trio of Barihunks at Julliard

Drew Santini, Andreas Aroditis & Tim McDevitt

If you don't want to spend the big bucks to see the sexy group of barihunks at The Met, you can head over to Julliard and catch this trio of emerging barihunks. Drew Santini, Andreas Aroditis & Tim McDevitt will be performing in Poulenc’s greatly underrated opera Les mamelles de Tirésias (The Breasts of Tirésias). There are performances on Monday, December 6, Wednesday, December 8, and Friday, December 10 at 8 PM and Sunday, December 12 at 2 PM in Juilliard’s Willson Theater. There are limited free tickets available beginning on Wednesday by calling (212) 769-7406 or visiting www.juilliard.edu.www.juilliard.edu

Our most popular post ever on this site is of barihunk Gabriel Bermudez doing the full monty in a production from Barcelona.

If you need some additional enticement, Tim McDevitt was quoted in the Juilliard Journal saying, "I have four costumes in the opera....none of which involve pants"

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See David Krohn for FREE (but with his shirt on)

For those of you in the New York area, you can go see barihunk David Krohn for free at his Julliard recital concert. It will take place on November 17 in Julliard's Paul Hall at 8 PM.

He'll be performing Handel's "Dalla Guerra Amorosa", Schubert's "3 Gesänge des Harfners" and Ravel's "Histoires Naturelles."

Krohn has been featured on Barihunks three times before and he's building quite a following as he launches his career.

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Kelly Markgraf and Paul La Rosa

[Top two photos of Paul La Rosa in Klinghoffer and Krenek's "Heavyweight, or the Pride of the Nation" by Nan Melville of the NY Times; Bottom two photos of Kelly Markgraf pictures from his personal site]

The Julliard School was recently graced with two of the hottest young barihunks to emerge on the scene, Kelly Markgraf and Paul La Rosa. Markgraf played Mamoud and La Rosa was Rambo in John Adams’ masterpiece The Death of Klinghoffer.

Markgraf is a native of Cedarburg, Wisconsin and holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Boston University and a Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. He continued his studies at the Opera Theatre of Lucca. In 2005, he completed his studies at the Pensacola Opera’s 2005 Resident Artist Program.

In 2010, he’ll sing Escamillo to Kate Aldrich’s sexy Carmen at the Pittsburgh Opera. Both are known as intense actors, so this should be a steamy, sexy performance of Carmen.

Baritone Paul LaRosa is a native of Union, New Jersey and a member of the renowned Juilliard Opera Center in New York City. In 2007, he was part of the esteemed Merola Opera Program in San Francisco where he stole the show as Dandini in Rossini’s comic masterpiece La Cenerentola.

La Rosa has already performed in some classic Barihunk operas, including Gluck’s Iphigenie en Aulide, The Rake’s Progress, Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia.

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Pomponi & Circumstance

The great thing about Google analytics is I can see who Barihunks readers think is hot. Right now it seems to be Franco Pomponi, so feast your eyes on these pictures from his website (www.francopomponi.com). The homoerotic pictures are with German tenor Rainer Trost from a production of Henze's "The Bassarids." Everything else is just Pomponi & Circumstance, so enjoy.