Carl Loewe (Löwe im Deutsch) was a German composer, baritone singer and conductor. In his lifetime he was dubbed the "Schubert of North Germany." A number of his 400 or so songs are still performed and he wrote beautifully for his own voice range.
The beauty of Lowe's music earned him a grant from Jerome Bonaparte, then king of Westphalia, which allowed him to continue his studies in music and theology at Halle University. While living in Stettin (Szczecin) he did most of his work as a composer, setting a version of Goethe's Erlkönig in 1824 which some say rivals Schubert's far more famous version. He went on to set many other poets' work, including Friedrich Rückert, and translations of William Shakespeare and Lord Byron. He also wrote a number of operas, oratorios and instrumental works.
His treatment of long narrative poems, in a clever mixture of the dramatic and lyrical styles has been copied by many composers since his day.
Hans Hotter (1909 – 2003) was a German bass-baritone, admired internationally after World War II for the power, beauty, and intelligence of his singing, especially in Wagner operas. He was extremely tall and his appearance was striking because of his high, narrow face, wide mouth, and big, aquiline nose. His voice and diction were equally distinguished.
The Winter Rhythms Festival, which runs from December 1-11 in New York City is a series of concerts that includes Cabaret, Jazz, Hip Hop, Broadway and Classical Music. On December 5th, the festival will include "I Hate Music: The Songs and Music of Glen Roven" with barihunks Chris Herbert and Branch Fields. The baritones will be joined by opera diva Lauren Flanigan, the Broadway Youth Ensemble, TV actor and Broadway star Jeff McCarthy, OBIE Award-winner Donna Lynne Champlin, jazz vocalist Luba Mason, award-winning singer Nikolas King and opera tenor Matthew Garrett.
Christopher Herbert
Christopher Herbert will be performing one of Roven's most beautiful songs, "Upon Westminster Bridge" with words by William Wordsworth. Branch Fields will be performing Mozart's "Là ci darem la mano" from Don Giovanni. For tickets call (212) 868-4444 or visit Smarttix.com. Urban Stages is located at 259 West 30th Street in Manhattan.
Fans of Christopher Herbert can also catch him with New York Polyphony, which will be performing in Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Minnesota during December. Check out their website for touring information. We can assure you that this is an ensemble that you won't want to miss.
Glen Roven has also recently wrapped up an innovative new CD of viola songs with barihunk and winner of numerous vocal competitions, Jonathan Beyer, (with a special guest appearance by his partner Brandon Cedel) on the GPR label. The CD is available for pre-order at the GPR website. GPR also has barihunk Daniel Okulitch's CD of great American composers available for sale. There is a special discount if you order both CDs.
Also, Christopher Herbert, Jonathan Beyer and Brandon Cedel are all featured in our 2012 Barihunks charity calendar, with all proceeds going to benefit young artist programs. Buy yours today by clicking HERE!
Last Sunday we posted about the wedding of barihunks Dan Kempson and Zachary Altman. Today's Sunday, New York Times featured an official wedding announcement and we've published the entire text below.
Alexander Mackay-Smith Kempson and Zachary Clayton Altman, both baritones, were married Saturday evening at the Tribeca Rooftop, an event space in New York. Dona D. Vaughn, a Universal Life minister who taught them in the opera program at the Manhattan School of Music, officiated.
The couple met in 2007 at the music school, from which Mr. Altman graduated and from which both received master’s degrees in voice.
Until May, Mr. Kempson (left), who is 26 and known professionally as Dan Kempson, was a resident artist with the Pittsburgh Opera, where last year he sang the role of Figaro in “The Barber of Seville.” He performed the role of the Baritone in “Hydrogen Jukebox,” by Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg, with the Fort Worth Opera last May. He graduated from Johns Hopkins.
He is a son of Catharine Mackay-Smith Kempson and Kenneth E. Kempson of Wilton, Conn. Until June, his mother was the president of the League of Women Voters of Wilton. His father is a senior tax counsel for General Electric in Stamford, Conn. He is a trustee of the Wilton Library.
Mr. Altman, 27, is a private voice teacher in New York. Last year, he performed the role of Hermann Augustus in “Candide” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He appeared in a Sarasota Opera production of “La Bohème” earlier this year.
He is the son of Nancy Crueger Altman and Brett H. Altman of Wyndmoor, Pa. His mother is on the board of Concert Operetta Theater in Philadelphia. His father is a partner in the Altman Group of Companies in Fort Washington, Pa., which operates a general contracting business, manages housing and is involved in real estate development. He is on the board of Federation Housing Inc. in Philadelphia, a nonprofit developer of housing for the elderly.
The couple began dating in 2008, a year after they met. The next year they appeared in a Manhattan School of Music production of “Die Fledermaus,” directed by Ms. Vaughn. Mr. Altman sang the part of Dr. Falke and Mr. Kempson Gabriel von Eisenstein (normally a tenor part). Both characters were vying for the affection of Rosalinde.
In real life, Mr. Altman recalled, “we were pretty entrenched in our relationship at that point.”
He said that Ms. Vaughn lightheartedly reminded them, “You need to make gaga eyes at Rosalinde, and not each other.”
We mentioned the New York Festival of Song's A Goyishe Christmas to You! Yuletide Classics by Jewish Songwriters back in July, but figured it was time for a reminder. There will be two performances at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center on Tuesday, November 29 and Thursday, December 1. The program includes not one, but two barihunks who have been featured on this site, John Brancy and Joshua Jeremiah. They will joined by international opera star Stephanie Blythe, Lauren Worsham, Mary Testa, Josh Breitzer and the inimitable Steven Blier.
The evening will be filled by Yuletide songs from Jewish songwriters including Frank Loesser, Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn, Johnny Marks, Irving Berlin, Jay Livingston and many others. Rumor has it that the holiday classic "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" will be sung in Yiddish, Klezmer-style. And you wonder why we love New York?
There will also be a complimentary wine reception after the show and we'd love for our readers to send us your iPhone pictures with the singers. Send them to Barihunks@gmail.com. Call 212.501.3330 for tickets or visit the NY Festival of Song website.
Blythe and Blier together already guarantee an evening of fun of non-stop entertainment, so the two barihunks are icing on the Yule log. Here's a little teaser for the show.
If you want to enjoy barihunks everyday for an entire year, order our charity calendar today. Click HERE and help support the young artists who make our musical experiences so enjoyable.
Barihunks Michael Kelly & Douglas Williams (L); Douglas Williams behind tenor Aaron Sheehan (R) - photos by Kathy Wittman
If you like your barihunks like your redwood trees, which is tall and awe-inspiring, then head to the Boston Early Music Festival. The group is performing Charpentier's glorious Orphée with three statuesque barihunks, Michael Kelly at 6'2", Douglas Williams at 6'4" and Olivier Laquerre at 6'7". [By the way, we featured two post on who might be the world's tallest barihunk, which you can read HERE and HERE].
The opera tells the famous story of Orphée who decends into the underworld to rescue his beloved Euridice using his musical charms. La Couronne de Fleurs, based on a text by Molière, depicts a musical contest in tribute to Louis XIV as shepherds vie for a crown of flowers from the goddess Flora for the most beautiful and eloquent aria.
There will be two performances of the opera at the New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall in Boston on Saturday evening, November 26th and Sunday afternoon, November 27th. The Boston Early Music Festival not only features singers who are easy on the eyes, but they produce some of the most wonderful baroque opera to listen to in the world. You can click HERE to watch one of our favorite singers, Jesse Blumberg, perform Polifierno in Agostino Steffani’s opera, Niobe, Regina di Tebe.
Douglas Williams is also part of our 2012 Barihunks charity calendar. He's our July feature of "All-American Boys" along with Jonathan Boehr and Christopher Temporelli. You won't want to miss it! Shopping season is officially kicking off tomorrow so order your calendar today by clicking HERE. Please remember that all proceeds are going to benefit young artist programs.
Michael Kelly was supposed to be part of the calendar, but a reprinting error inadvertently left him out. We promise to feature plenty of this gifted young singer in 2012!. You can watch Kelly's recital from the Trinity Wall Street Church, which we featured earlier this year, by clicking HERE.
If you know of a barihunk singing in Handel's Messiah this year, please email us the information at Barihunks@gmail.com.
Some days we open our inbox and a theme just seems to appear. Today it was barihunks who are performing Papageno or Sarastro in Mozart's "Magic Flute."
The Opera Theatre Company in Ireland is touring the opera to a number of venues. The Sarastro is one of our favorite barihunks, Matthew Trevino, who also happens to in our Barihunks charity calendar in September. The opening night performance on Friday, November 25 is already sold out, but there are still tickets remaining for the remaing 19 performances, which run through December 10.
The Papageno is Owen Gilhooly and the production is performed in an English translation. Visit the Opera Theatre Company website for additional information or to purcharse tickets.
David Adam Moore (Papageno) and Jamie-Rose Guarrine (Papagena) (Photo by Mark Matson)
Another barihunk featured prominently in our calendar (and showing some skin) is the always entertaining David Adam Moore. Moore is a performer who always brings something extra to a performance, whether singing Mozart, Rossini or contemporary opera. He just wrapped up a run as Papageno with the Austin Lyric Opera. If you're in Texas and are kicking yourself with your cowboy boots for missing him, you're in luck. Moore is returning in April to perform Timur in Puccini's "Turandot" opposite yet another calendar model, Craig Verm,who shows off his amazing chest in our May feature along with Douglas Carpenter, Justin Hopkins and Dan Kempson (you won't want to miss it!).
By the way, you won't want to miss the AMAZING Turandot of Lise Lindstrom, who practically owns this role right now and performed the role to great acclaim at the Met. It's impressive that a smaller company like Austin Lyric Opera has managed to engage her. Buy your tickets now at their website, as this production will undoubtedly be sold out.
Gyula Orendt
We hadn't heard of Gyula Orendt until a reader brought him to our attention. The Transylvania-born singer studied at Franz Liszt University in Budapest. Orendt won numerous awards at the Viñas vocal competition in Barcelona in January 2010, including those for Oratorio/Lied, Mozart singing and Dalton-Baldwin prize. The baritone is a member of the ensemble of the Berlin State Opera House this seasons where he will perform Papageno, among other roles. Next year, he will also perform the Gamekeeper in Dvorak's "Rusalka" at the Royal Opera in London.
Lastly, we had to share the following picture from the Minnesota Opera. As we previously posted, the world premiere of Kevin Puts' "Silent Night" was full of amazing baritones and, better yet, barihunks. One of the things that we like about operas based on war stories, is that they inevitably have a lot of beefcake to enjoy and "Silent Night" is no exception.
Top Photo: Troy Cook, Gabriel Preisser, Ben Wager, Michael Nyby and Craig Irvin
Of course, "Silent Night" has also been a critical success and has instantly become a welcome addition to the repertory. We highly recommend that you read the reviews from the Minneapolis Examiner and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Regular readers of this site will also know that Troy Cook is one of only a handful of singers to appear on this site in the Full Monty. Cooks revealing debut on this site last summer was from a performance of Poulenc's "Les mamelles de Tirésias" and it continues to be a popular post with readers.
Please remember that all proceeds from our Barihunks calendar is going to benefit young artist programs that produce singers like Matthew Trevino, Troy Cook, Gabriel Preisser, Mike Nyby, David Adam Moore and others. Holiday shopping season officially begins this week, so click HERE and order your calendar today. Join us in making this a special holiday for young artists and you can enjoy looking at them ALL YEAR.
Your input, suggestions and occasional corrections are always welcome at Barihunks@gmail.com
We have a lot of wonderful news involving five of the singers featured in our 2012 Barihunks charity calendar. As the holidays approach, make sure to buy your copy now. All proceeds are going to benefit young artist programs. We're still taking submissions from young artist programs who would like to be considered for a donation. Email us a brief description of why you should be the beneficiary.
Barihunk Grooms: Zachary Altman (L) & Dan Kempson (R)
Two of our favorite young artists have announced that they're getting married on Saturday, November 26th. Zachary Altman and Dan Kempson have consistently been two of the most popular barihunks on our site. Altman's shirtless pictures often appear in our "10 most visited" posts along with those of more internationally-established stars. Not to be outdone, Kempson created a sensation with his pictures from Philip Glass' "Hydrogen Jukebox" at the Ft. Worth Opera. His performance also drew raves from the critics. By the way, today is Altman's birthday and he's our special shirtless feature in the sidebar.
The two singers are featured together in our 2012 Barihunks calendar with another singing couple, Jonathan Beyer and Brandon Cedel. Barihunks would like to wish Zach and Dan all the best on their wedding day.
Randal Turner: buff and benevolent
We are total suckers for singers who give back to the community, which is why we have a special place in our hearts for singers like Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Christopher Herbert and Erwin Schrott. The three singers are constantly performing benefits and giving back to their communities in various ways. We can't think of a better way to "lend ones voice" to a cause than with beautiful singing.
You can help this Chinese orphan
We were thrilled to learn that another one of our favorite singers and calendar models was involved in a great cause on the other side of the globe. Randal Turner is currently in China performing the Barber of Seville under the baton of the great Lorin Maazel, which you can read about HERE. He's taking time out of his schedule to perform a benefit concert for the Tianjin International Committee for Chinese Orphans (ICCO) on Tuesday, November 29th. Turner will be joined by soprano Georgina Chakos and accompanist Steve Griffiths.
The ICCO is a volunteer organization that cares for houses Chinese orphans with disabilities. The ICCO has a U.S. site for donations and is a 501(c)(3). You can click HERE to make a much-needed donation during this holiday season. If you make a donation, please email Neil Charpentier at NeilMary@juno.com and let him know that you read about it here.
David Adam Moore & Justin Hopkins recording "The Golden Gate"
Lastly, two more of our calendar models, David Adam Moore and Justin Hopkins, unexpectedly ran into each other at a recording session for Conrad Cummings' opera "The Golden Gate." We were lucky enough to get a picture.
The opera is in two acts with a libretto from the novel-in-verse by Vikram Seth, adapted by the composer. It was originally part of the American Opera Projects and received a staged workshop production at the Rose Studio at Lincoln Center in New York City in January 2010. The performance featured David Adam Moore and was covered on this site, as well as reviewed in the New York Times. By the way, Hopkins also was a huge success in the aforementioned "Hydrogen Jukebox" performance in Ft. Worth with Dan Kempson.
You won't want to miss the pictures of any of the above singers in our calendar. They are HOT and we've been receiving amazing feedback about all of them. Most importantly, we want to thank our readers who have bought calendars for giving the gift of music through your purchase. Any money that we make on this site goes directly towards music education for young singers, whether its from our calendar, tee shirts or other apparel. If you don't purchase a calendar, we'd like to encourage you to send a check to your favorite young artist program this holiday season. If you have a website ( or know someone who does) or if you have a Facebook or Twitter account, please help us spread the word about this project by sharing this link: http://my.qoop.com/store/Barihunks-Store-6685588246852296.
We recently received an email asking us if we'd ever heard of the English baritone Omar Ebrahim, who were told was one of the first male opera singers to appear nude on stage. Amazingly, he was completely unfamiliar to us, despite an impressive discography and successful career in opera. You can see the uncensored version of the picture HERE. Of course now he's very familiar to us.
WARNING: NSFW below this point
Ebrahim was a regular with a small, innovative company in London called the Opera Factory in the late 80's and early 90's. According to our source, they often featured nudity in their productions. Many of their performances were recorded and broadcast in the UK on Channel 4, but they have not yet been released on DVD. Ebrahim also starred in a TV adaptation of Marschner's "The Vampyr" in 1992, in which he pioneered the nude baritone shower scene.
With Opera Factory he also performed a version of Ligeti's Aventures, in which Ebrahim and two sopranos all appeared nude. Ligeti said of the piece, "Something happens, but I do not know what it is, and you do not know what it is."
Omar Ebrahim in Ligeti's Aventures
These screenshots are from Ligeti's "Nouvelles Aventures," which you can watch below.
Ebrahim studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and at the Royal Shakespeare Company, before joining the Glyndebourne Touring Opera in 1980. Although he developed a reputation for performing contemporary operas, he was a noted Don Giovanni, and performed in Gilbert & Sullivan's Iolante, Bizet's Carmen and Puccini's La boheme. Ebrahim currently teaches, but has sung opera premiere’s by Kris Defoort for La Monnaie Brussels, Liza Lim for Elision Ensemble and Eotvos at the Chatelet Theatre Paris. He has also sung with New Israeli Opera, Scottish Opera and Opera Theatre Company Dublin.
Ebrahim is on recordings of Philip Glass' "The Penal Colony," the vocal work of György Ligeti, Michael Tippett's "Omar and the Angel," Michael Nyman's "Facing Goya," "Morton Feldman and Samuel Beckett - Words and Music," Enno Poppe's "Interzone," Chris Dench's "An Hypallage" Simon Holt's "Raju Raghuvanshi is a Ghost" and Harrison Birtwistle's "Gawain," in which fellow barihunk François Le Roux appeared nude. He also appears in the video of Michael Tippett's "King Priam," which is available on VHS, but not DVD.
Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com
If you want to enjoy sexy singers all year, make sure to purchase our 2012 Barihunks charity calendar. Click HERE to order today. All proceeds will support young artist programs.
Zachary Gordin showing off his guns in a Barihunk tee
Zachary Gordin, who is featured in our 2012 Barihunks charity calendar, is taking on Silvio in "Pagliacci" with the revived Sacramento Opera. We've seen a lot of Silvio's in our day, including old historical footage and we've never seen a Silvio this buff before. We can certainly understand why Nedda would want to wrap those big arms around herself. Maybe in this production, conducted by the amazing Michael Morgan, Canio dies from a choke hold by Silvio. Then again, maybe not, this is Sacramento, not Germany.
Performances are this Saturday and Sunday. Visit the Sacramento Opera website for additional performance information or to purchase tickets.
Here is another one of our calendar models, Michael Mayes, singing the duet between Nedda and Silvio. This was recorded last year at the Kentucky Opera. Mayes went out of his way to create a very special photo for the Barihunks calendar, which you won't want to miss. He's our February feature along with fellow singers with web shows, Michael Rice of OperaNow! (who appears in shorts floating in a pool) and Jonathan Estabrooks of the YouTube feature "A Singer's Life" (who shows a little extra skin than one usually sees from a Canadian). Don't forget to subscribe to Mayes' entertaining show, the Texapolitan Opera Roadshow. His guest this week is Maestro Jerome Shannon. If you tune in to the OperaNow! podcast this week, you can double your barihunk fun, as Michael Rice's guest star is Michael Mayes. We guarantee you that there are few things in opera more entertaining than the "Two Michaels."
We had a nice chuckle when we saw the following posted by "Superconductor" on the web. We can't believe that we left Warner Brothers' leading barihunk out of our calendar. There's always next year.
The concert debut of acclaimed baritone Giovanni Jones ended in surprising fashion when the ceiling of the arena collapsed. No one was injured, and Mr. Jones emerged from the rubble to take a bow.
Mr. Jones had become a fixture on the Los Angeles opera scene since singing the role of Ambrogio in a small San Pedro production of Rossini's L'inutile precauzione, with tenor Michele Maltese and bass Carlo Jonzio.
A powerful baritone singer with a half-octave range, Giovanni Jones drew acclaim for his performance as Gunther in the Christoph von Dohnanyi recording of Wagner's Götterdämmerung. The singer is also a leading candidate for inclusion in the forthcoming BariHunks 2012 calendar.
The singer was offering a recital focusing on the repertory of Rossini, including the aria "Largo al factotum." But his attempt to hit the high note at the end of the aria caused the concrete ceiling overhead to crack and shatter.
Conductor Leopold Lapin, who stepped in at the last minute for Hans Haasenpfeffer, could not be reached for comment. The maestro was on his way to an appearance at the carrot festival in Pismo Beach, but had taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque.
Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com
You can buy the actual Barihunks charity calendar by clicking HERE.
Dear Rogue: A Biography of the American Baritone Lawrence Tibbett
Today is the birthday of the legendary Lawrence Tibbett who was born on this day in 1896. He may not be the quintessential barihunk (like our birthday boy Paul La Rosa), but he was a huge star in movies, on the radio, in musical theater and on the operatic stage. He sang over 600 performances at the Metropolitan Opera from 1923-1950 where he was a fan favorite and to this day is considered one of the greatest Verdi baritones to grace that stage.
It's about the singing
A lot of people visit this site to see some skin, although we maintain it's about the singing. There is a famous clip of Lawrence Tibbett from his final movie "Under Your Spell" from 1936 where he appears in his birthday suit singing with the birds, frogs, an airplane and a female visitor. We thought it was appropriate to show the clip on his birthday, which you can see HERE. Before you send us an email, keep in mind that this a 1930s version of male nudity in a movie.
Tibbett sang a variety of roles including Silvio, Falstaff, Valentin, Tonio, the King's Herald in Lohengrin, Scarpia, Simon Boccanegra and the world premiere of The Emperor Jones. He was an equally big star off the operatic stage and was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in The Rogue Song. Here he is singing "Wanting You" with Grace Moore, who also crossed over between opera and movies.
Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com
You can help create the next generation of Lawrence Tibbett's by purchasing your 2012 Barihunks charity calendar. All proceeds go to benefit young artists programs. The calendar features 33 of the hottest singers from six countries. Click HERE to purchase your own calendar or make it the perfect holiday gift.
If you haven't visited La Cieca's "Parterre Box" website, then you haven't experienced the online world of opera in all its glory. La Cieca's site was the first successful non-company website to focus on opera and it's insider news, gossip, titillating photos and campiness has made it the most successful site of its kind in the world. Barihunks was inspired by Parterre in many ways and everyone involved with our site first read about the barihunks phenomenon on Parterre, so we owe her a great deal of gratitude.
We'd also like to thank her for the nice plug of our Barihunks charity calendar with the seductive photo of Randal Turner, which is included in the calendar. If you haven't bookmarked Parterre yet, click HERE and do it now.
If you want to buy the calendar, you can click on the link to the right.
Gabriel Preisser, Liam Bonner, Mike Nyby, Andrew Wilkowske & Ben Wager
The Minnesota Opera is one of the gems in the landscape of American opera houses. It doesn't always get the national notoriety that it deserves, but within music circles it is known for consistently strong vocal performances and their religious commitment to young artists and living composers.
The Minnesota Opera has premiered Oliver Knussen's "Where the Wild Things Are," Libby Larsen's "Frankenstein," Ricky Ian Gordon's "The Grapes of Wrath," and Bernard Herrmann's sole opera "Wuthering Heights." They've also presented the American premieres of Jonathan Dove's Pinocchio, Poul Ruders' "The Handmaid's Tale," Dominick Argento's "Postcard from Morocco," Rossini's "Armida," Laurent Petitgirard's "The Elephant Man," and Reinhard Keiser's "The Fortunes of King Croesus."
The latest premiere from the Minnesota Opera New Works Initiative is Kevin Puts' "Silent Night," which is based on the screenplay for Joyeux Noël by Christian Carion. The opera recounts a miraculous moment of peace during one of the bloodiest wars in human history. On World War I’s western front, weapons are laid down when the Scottish, French and German officers defy their superiors and negotiate a Christmas Eve truce. Enemies become brothers as they come together to share Christmas and bury their dead. Tenor William Burden, who has a place in barihunk history for starring shirtless opposite of Nathan Gunn in the production that gave rise to the term, stars as the soldier whose voice inspired peace among adversaries – if only for a day.
Canadian Mike Nyby plays Scottish soldier William Dale
The opera contains more sexy men than a World Cup soccer championship. There are four barihunks who have appeared on this site before, including Mike Nyby, Gabriel Preisser, Ben Wager and Liam Bonner. The world premiere was on Saturday, November 12 and there are additional performances on November 15, 17, 19 and 20, 2011. Visit the Minnesota Opera website for additional performance and ticket information.
Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com
Don't forget that you can support young artists like those performing at the Minnesota Opera by purchasing our 2012 Barihunks charity calendar. All proceeds go to benefit young artists. The calendar features the hottest singers from six countries. Click HERE to purchase your own calendar or make it the perfect holiday gift.
We're still not over the loss of Aussie Sam Roberts-Smith, who crossed over into the realm of the tenor repertory. So we were thrilled when a reader brought another Aussie barihunk to our attention, Morgan Pearse. Our reader heard him perform in the Australia Singing Competition, which is sponsored by the International Foundation for Arts and Culture.
Pearse sang a rousing rendition of Leporello's "Madamina, il catalogo è questo" from Mozart's "Don Giovanni," which seemed to be an audience favorite. There is already chatter Down Under that he is the heir apparent to New Zealander Teddy Tahu Rhodes, with whom he shares movie star looks, golden locks and unlimited charisma.
Pearse is finishing his Masters at the Royal College of Music, where he is studying on a Joan Sutherland scholarship. After the Australia Singing Competition, Pearse headed back to London where he is covering the role of Splendiano in the Royal College of Music's production of Bizet’s Djamileh and participating in a master class with baritone Gerald Finley.
Pearse will be singing Handel's "Messiah" on December 13 and 18 at the Sydney Town Hall. You can click HERE for tickets and additional information.
Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com
Don't forget that you can support young artists like Morgan Pearse by purchasing our 2012 Barihunks charity calendar. All proceeds go to benefit young artists. The calendar features the hottest singers from six countries. Click HERE to purchase your own calendar or make it the perfect holiday gift.
Fans of barihunks and Bach in Montréal were in luck this week when the internationally acclaimed Austrian barihunk Markus Werba teamed up with Canadian sensation and Met Auditions winner Philippe Sly for a riveting rendition of Bach's "St. John's passion." Our source in Montréal told us that Sly's voice filled the space with "a full, lush sound that radiated to the rafters." To top things off, Canadian barihunk Tyler Duncan was also in the cast.
We've followed Sly's career since he started creating a sensation during the Metropolitan Opera's National Council Auditions Competition. Opera aficionados are already hailing him as the next great baritone sensation. We've had the pleasure of hearing him in recital and performance and the early praise is well-deserved. He will be featured in a solo recital on June 1, 2012 at the Shenkman Arts Cenre in Ottawa. We're telling you about it now, because tickets are bound to sell fast. You can visit the Shenkman website for tickets and concert information.
We've posted Sly's rendition of Schubert's "Der Erlkönig" before, but we think it's worth posting again, as it rivals the greatest versions that have ever been performed (and he's in his early 20's!):
Markus Werba heads to the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris this December to sing Papageno in Mozart's "Die Zauberflöte" in a cast that features the brilliant soprano Sandrine Piau as Pamina. Click HERE for tickets or additional performance information.
Here is Werba as Papageno from a 2003 production at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari with a cast that also featured Piau:
Tyler Duncan can next be heard in an eclectic program of music inspired by water with The Jefferey Concerts in London, Ontario. Joined by soprano Martha Guth and Duncan's wife, accompanist Erika Switzer, the trio will perform works by Schubert, Fauré, Joni Mitchell and Stan Rogers. Visit their website for additional information.
Tyler Duncan
Duncan then heads off to Boston to join the Handel & Haydn Society for their annual dose of the Messiah.
Contact us at barihunks@gmail.com
If you're thinking about a holiday gift, don't forget to purchase our 2012 Barihunks charity calendar. All proceeds are going to benefit young artists, so buy your calendar now and support our future generation of singers.
Erwin Schrott has been acting a bit devilish lately and it has nothing to do with his wife Anna Netrebko. He recently wrapped up a run at the budget strapped Liceu opera in Barcelona where they performed a "semi-staged" version of Gounod's "Faust" to save money. The press dubbed it "champagne singers and a beer bottle budget," as he was joined by tenor Piotr Beczala, soprano Krassimira Stoyanova and baritone Ludovic Tezier.
He's now keeping in character as the devil, but switching composers, as he's performing Boito's "Mefistofele" at l'Opéra de Monte Carlo on November 13 and 16. Visit their website for additional information.
Here he is singing "Le veau d’or" from Faust in Barcelona:
Here is the Act 1 duet with Piotr Beczala, also from Barcelona:
Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com
Our barihunks calendar is available for purchase in the sidebar to the right. Order now as the perfect stocking stuffer for the opera lover in your life. All proceeds are going to benefit young artists, so you'll be giving twice.
If you missed Steven Blier's insightful and entertaining "Manning the Canon: Songs of Gay Life" last year, you're in luck because they are reprising the show in Maryland and New York City. The first performance will be at the Joseph & Alma Gildenhorn Recital Hall at the University of Maryland in College Park on November 15th. On November 17, the show returns to Merkin Concert Hall in New York City. The show includes two barihunks who have appeared regularly on this site, Tim McDevitt and fan favorite Jesse Blumberg (whose posts often shows up in our top ten site visits). Not only are these guys eye candy, but they are amazing singers and worth hearing. They will be joined by Scott Murphree and Matt Boehler.
Jesse Blumberg
The program includes a number of songs that might be familiar to you, as well as some that you'll want to experience. They include Marc Blitzstein’s “Purest Kind of a Guy," Christopher Berg’s "Is It Dirty?," Lutvak and Campbell's "Exit Right," Schubert's quartet for four male voices “Auflösung," Tchaikovsky’s “At the Ball," Poulenc’s “Montparnasse," Griffes’s “Evening Song,” John Wallowich’s “Bruce.” Bolcom’s “Piano Walk” and “I’ll Be By,” Camille Saint Saëns’s “Si vous n’avez rien à me dire,” Benjamin Britten’s “Night covers up the rigid land,” Manuel de Falla’s “Polo," Cy Coleman's "Tennis Duet," Chris DeBlasio’s “Walt Whitman in 1989,”Bernstein's “To What You Said,” and Cole Porter's "You're the Top."
Don't be fooled by the title, as this show isn't just for gay audiences. Like all of Steven Blier's shows they are an entertaining and thoughtful exploration of a canon of work. Anthony Tommasini wrote in The New York Times: "Such programs can easily fall into the trap of social politics and turn maudin, agenda driven and campy. This one was insightful and imaginative, touching and funny."
For tickets to either show, please visit the New York Festival of Song website.
Jesse Blumberg and Martin Katz working on Schubert last year:
We also want to remind fans of Jesse Blumberg on the West Coast that he will be performing Handel's "Messiah" with the American Bach Soloists on December 15, 16 and 18.
Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com
Don't forget to order your 2012 Barihunks calendar. Click HERE to order. All proceeds go to support young artists and young artist programs. It's a great gift and an easy way to support our next generation of baritones. You can read more about our calendar at this previous post.
We love the combination of a world premiere plus a new barihunk for the site. That's what happened when British composer Tarik O’Regan's new opera "Heart of Darkness" premiered at the Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House in London.
The opera is based on Joseph Conrad’s novel, which explores themes of obsession and brutality in the oppressive atmosphere of the African Congo, as the riverboat captain Marlow searches for a notorious ivory trader. The role of the mysterious and obsessed character of Kurtz is played by the Danish bass Moren Lassenius Kramp. Our source in London said that Kurtz looked "extremely hot and very fit" on stage.
The 39-year-old singer graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen in 1999 and has established himself in both recitals and on stage. He has sung primarily at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen and throughout Europe, singing roles like Masetto in Mozart's "Don Giovanni," Count Dominik in Richard Strauss' "Arabella" and Count Ceprano in Verdi's "Rigoletto."
You can read Jeanne Whalen's review of the opera in the Wall Street Journal.
Here is some behind-the-scenes footage of the young and very sexy Martin Sheen in his underwear from "Apocalype Now," which is based on the novel "Heart of Darkness":
Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com
Don't forget to order your 2012 Barihunks calendar. Click HERE to order. All proceeds go to support young artists and young artist programs. It's a great gift and an easy way to support our next generation of baritones. You can read more about our calendar at this previous post.
We've stopped posting a few barihunks in the past for a variety of reasons, usually it's retirement or that they've suddenly discovered deep-dish pizza with extra cheese while traveling on the road. But this is the first time that we can recall that one of the singers on our site has become a tenor.
We learned yesterday that one of the hottest future stars in opere, in looks and talent, was changing fachs. The news is somewhat surprising because the Aussie has been winning singing competitions as a baritone and has been impressing audiences at Opera Australia, where he is in the young artist program. One thing we know for sure is that this gifted and focused singer will succeed in any fach. We also have to believe that there a few sopranos who will look forward to singing with a lithe, 6' 6" tenor with movie star looks.
Barihunks would like to wish Sam Roberts-Smith great success and we hope that Hunkentenors gets revived so that we can follow him on that site.
The Hot Pole: Mariusz Kwiecien still sizzling hot at 39
There probably wouldn't be a Barihunks site if Mariusz Kwiecień wasn't brought into this world on November 4, 1972 in Kraków, Poland. In a story we've told numerous times, the Polish barihunk was one of the major inspirations for this site (which briefly was envisioned as a Kwiecien fan site).
Kwiecien's signature role has become Mozart's Don Giovanni, which he is currently singing at the Met. He has also performed the role at the Vienna State Opera, Bilbao Opera, Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Warsaw Opera, Royal Opera House in London, and the Seattle Opera. When he briefly had to withdraw from the Met performance due to a herniated disc in his back, the opera world and his fans almost went into a meltdown. After all, this was his Met debut in the role and it was scheduled to be broadcast into theaters across the globe. Unwilling to disappoint his fans, he miraculously returned to the stage thrilling audiences at the Met and in movie houses.
At the age of 26, he started winning or placing in major vocal competitions in Europe and represented Poland in the 1999 Cardiff Singer of the World competition. He has sung everything from Purcell to Szymanoski on the stage to great acclaim. He has been hailed as one the new generation of singers who take their acting and stage presence as seriously as their singing, making him the perfect Barihunk. We also have heard from singers, directors, conductors, fans and staff at various opera houses that he is one of the nicest guys in the business.
Mariusz Kwiecien sings Frédéric Chopin's "Narzeczony" (The Bridegroom's Return):
After his Met run, Kwiecien returns to his native country to perform Don Giovanni at the Opera Narodowa and then Janusz in Moniuszko's "Halka." He returns to the Met in March to perform Belcore in Donizetti's "L’elisir d’amore."
Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com
Don't forget to order your 2012 Barihunks calendar. Click HERE to order. All proceeds go to support young artists and young artist programs. It's a great gift and an easy way to support our next generation of baritones. You can read more about our calendar at this previous post.
We've learned that Dmitri Hvorostovsky aka "The Siberian Hunky," will be singing Iago at the Metropolitan Opera during the 2015/16 season. We'll have more on this as the date approaches.
Since today is Vincenzo Bellini's birthday, here is Hvorostovsky singing a jaw-droppingly beautiful version of "Ah, per sempre io ti perdei" from "I Puritani."
The other big news regarding roles comes out of Santa Fe. Thomas Hampson and Mariusz Kwiecien will be bringing roles to the U.S. that that received critical acclaim in Europe. Hampson will be singing Scarpia in Puccini's "Tosca" and Kwiecien will be performing his sizzling hot portrayal of King Roger in Karol Szymanoski's opera of the same name. Visit the Santa Fe Opera website for additional cast and performance information.
Here is Hampson singing the Te Deum from Tosca in Zurich:
You can watch an entire performance of King Roger with "The Hot Pole" on YouTube. Here is the Part 1 of 10:
Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com
Don't forget to order your 2012 Barihunks calendar. Click HERE to order. All proceeds go to support young artists and young artist programs. It's a great gift and an easy way to support our next generation of baritones. You can read more about our calendar at this previous post.
We don't need much of an excuse to post something about Italian barihunk Vittorio Prato, so when we saw these recently posted clips from Massenet's "Werther" on YouTube, we figured it was time to see what he was up to.
Prato was born in Lecce, Italy and graduated in piano from the Conservatorio Tito Schipa in Lecce and in harpsichord from the Conservatorio Martini in Bologna. He voice with the great baritone Ivo Vinco and even worked with Luciano Pavarotti. In 2003, he won the Mattia Battistini International Competition and his singing career took off from there.
Vittorio Prato sings "Elle m'aime" from Werther with Rocio Ignacio as Sophie:
Vittorio Prato in Act 3 of Werther with Anna Bonitatibus:
We couldn't find Prato performing anywhere for the remainder of this year, but in May 2012, Prato can be seen as Osman in Rameau's "Les Indes Galantes" at the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse. The production also includes fellow barihunk Thomas Dolié as Adario and will be conducted by Christophe Rousset. Visit their website for additional cast and performance information.
Thomas Dolié
Don't forget to order your 2012 Barihunks calendar. Click HERE to order. All proceeds go to support young artists and young artist programs. It's a great gift and an easy way to support our next generation of baritones. You can read more about our calendar at this previous post.
