Merola Opera to present The Rape of Lucretia

Chris Carr and Kate Allen

The Merola Opera program in San Francisco will be presenting Britten's "The Rape of Lucretia" on July 11 and 13. Performing the critical role of Tarquinius will be Chris Carr, who we've featured on this site for his amazing physical transformation after taking up the Sparticus workout. He was also featured in our "Top 25 of 2012" for his transformation.

Of course, "The Rape of Lucretia" is one of our favorite operas, since it features three major baritone roles. In this performance, directed by Peter Kazaras, Carr will be joined by Efrain Solís as Junius and David Weigel as Collatinus. Solís was as a finalist in the most recent Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions as well as this year's Eleanor McCollum Competition. Weigel was recently a member of the Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center, where he sang Colline in Puccini's La bohème and Don Basilio in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia.

The cast of "The Rape of Lucretia" also includes tenor Robert Watson as the Male Chorus, soprano Linda Barnett as the Female Chorus, mezzo Kate Hannigan as Bianca and soprano Alisa Jordheim as Lucia. Tickets are available online.

Don't forget to check out our popular Rape of Lucretia photo tribute.

Solomon Howard and Norman Garrett to join Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program

Norman Garrett (left in Carmen) and Soloman Howard with Indra Thomas and Noah Stewart

The Washington National Opera has announced its roster for their 12th season of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. It will include four baritones/basses, including two who we've featured on this site, Soloman Howard and Norman Garrett. They will be joined by baritone Christian Bowers and bass Wei Wu.

The program is expanding from ten artists to twelve artists this year and will include mentorship by its new Artist in Residence, soprano Deborah Voigt, as well as voice teachers Diana Soviero and William Stone, guest master teachers Carol Vaness and Peter Kazaras, and visiting vocal coach Kathleen Kelly.

The new class of young artists will participate in several world premiere productions during the 2013-2014 season, including new commissions from WNO’s American Opera Initiative and Jeanine Tesori’s new family opera The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me. The program will also continue its exchange with the Bolshoi Young Artists Opera Program and will send several artists to Moscow for a two-week period in 2014.

Other participants will include soprano Jacqueline Echols, tenor Yuri Gorodetski, tenor Yi Li, pianist Kevin Miller, pianist Tomoko Nakayama, mezzo Deborah Nansteel, tenor Patrick O’Halloran and soprano Shantelle Przybylo.