Paul Armin Edelmann

Viennese barihunk Paul Armin Edelmann is the son of the great bass-baritone Otto Edelmann, who was his first voice teacher.

From 1992 to 1997 Edelmann was the house baritone at the Stadttheater Koblenz in Germany. His career has subsequently taken him to Vienna, Berlin, Madrid, Cologne, Frankfurt, San Diego and Brussels. He is another barihunk who can look good in a silly Papageno costume. The sexy picture is from Don Giovanni.

Edelman recorded a CD of duets with his brother and fellow baritone Peter Edelmann entitled "Two Voices One Name." He also has solo album out on Oehms Classics.

Marco Di Sapia

Genoa born Marco Di Sapia is about to hit the big time after years of minor roles in big houses and major roles in smaller houses. In 2010, he will play all four villains in the Tales of Hoffman at the Opera House of St.-Etienne.

He definitely has a future as a certifiable barihunk, as he recently performed Don Giovanni at the Republic Theatre in Salzburg. Check out a sound clip of him singing Don Giovanni at http://www.marcodisapia.it.

Martijn Sanders

Dutch baritone Martijn Sanders studied at the Conservatory in Utrecht as well as the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, working with Edith Mathis, among others. He received further instruction in master classes with Thomas Hampson as well as in the Opera Studio in Amsterdam. Shortly after receiving the first prize in the Nico Dostal Competition in Austria, he débuted in 1999 as Papageno in Mozart's "Die Zauberflöte" in the Schönbrunn Palace Theatre and as Dandini in Rossini's "La Cenerentola" with the Rheinsberg Palace Chamber Opera.

Besides further principal roles in Mozart's operas, Martijn Sanders also devotes his attentions to lesser-known works such as Telemann's "Pimpinone" and Gounod's "La colombe" and has also been heard as Escamillo in Bizet's "Carmen". He has remained loyal to the opera houses in the Netherlands, yet has made frequent guest appearances at the Vienna Chamber Opera and the 2004 Belgrade Music Festival, where he appeared in "Zora D" by Isidora Zebeljan. Besides this, Martijn Sanders has made a name for himself as a concert singer, appearing with every major orchestra in the Netherlands such as the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest.

Dutch barihunk Martijn Sanders sings Don Giovanni

Lee Poulis

I may need to ask blog diva La Cieca to amend the definition of "barihunk" to include baritones who were accepted into the San Francisco Opera's Merola program. Lee Poulis is one more looker out of that prestigious program. Word is that he's even smarter than he is good looking, which means he's pretty darn smart.

Poulis recently won First Prize in the Chester Ludgin International Verdi Baritone Competition (Junior Division) and was previously a finalist in Placido Domingo’s Operalia Competition and winner of the Washington Vocal Arts Society’s Discovery Recital Series. He has already performed at the SF Opera, Washington Opera, LA Opera, Berlin and Bilbao, despite still being in his twenties.

He's performed in a number of barihunk operas including Don Giovanni, Zauberflote, Midsummer Night's Dream and Billy Budd (regrettably, not in the lead). Like Nathan Gunn, he is another barihunk who makes this site on the sole fact that he can look sexy playing Papageno (check out the photo!).

Lee Poulis' career took a huge leap when fellow Merola graduate and mezzo superstar Dolora Zajick encountered him in a master class. Dolora, good eye!

Jérôme Varnier

Jérôme Varnier has made his mark primarily in French and Italian opera, as well as establishing himself as a premier exponent of the French song repertoire. He sings mostly in France and frequently collaborates with conductor Mark Minkowski.

His repertoire extends from the baroque through the 20th century composers Milhaud, Richard Strauss, Janacek, Henze and Busoni. He was a house bass-baritone at the Opéra National de Lyon from 1995 to 2000, where he sung Die Zauberflöte, Carmen, Orfeo, Elektra, Doktor Faust, La Bohème, Don Carlos, The Midsummer Night’s, Ariane et Barbe-Bleue, Falstaff and The Little Cunning Vixen.

His barihunk opera is Don Giovanni.

Damien Pass

What is it about those Aussie boys? Damien Pass is new on the professional opera circuit, landing some small roles at the Opera Theater of St. Louis. Pass graduated from Oberlin and was a finalist in the St. Louis District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and an Encouragement Award winner in the Marilyn Horne Song Competition.

I hope that we see much more of this young barihunk. Much more!