Luca Pisaroni: Classical Singer Coverboy

Luca Pisaroni

We like the recent trend of Barihunks adorning the covers of major music magazines. Following Mariusz Kwiecien's appearance on the cover of Opera News and Christopher Maltman's appearance on Opera Now, we now have Luca Pisaroni as the latest coverboy. The Italian barihunk, who is appearing in the Met's "The Enchanted Island" through January 30th is  on the cover of the January 2012 issue of Classical Singer magazine.

Here is the interview:

Many singers view their career as a sprint to the finish line. Discordant with instrumentalists who can pick up the violin at age 3 and make their Lincoln Center debuts before they’re 10, and even fellow crooners in other genres who can go platinum before they’re able to legally drive a car, classical vocalists face a variety of developmental hurdles before the real work can begin.

Traditional training today leaves singers taking an average of one voice lesson a week and often being catapulted into roles—either by agents or opera companies—at preternaturally early ages, ages often included in (if not headlining) marketing copy. What follows is an inevitable, and often very public, burnout.

Bucking this trend, however, is bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni. Born in 1975, Pisaroni is just beginning his rise to prominence in the United States. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut at 29 as Publio in Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, but gave a star turn in New York as Leporello in the company’s new production of Don Giovanni (and returns this month as Caliban in the world premiere of The Enchanted Island). Compared to many of his peers who have headlined multiple Met productions and sweep across Europe, it may seem to some as a delayed trajectory—but for Pisaroni it’s not the majority of a sprint, but rather the first few miles of the marathon.

“It takes a life to master your voice, and it takes really only a few bad repertoire choices to ruin your voice. And once it’s gone, it’s gone,” explains the Venezuelan-born Italian singer over ginger ale at a hotel lounge that faces the Met. Growing up in Busseto, a comune in Parma and the birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi, Pisaroni developed an early passion for opera, admitting that he cannot remember his life without the art form. He listened obsessively to Boris Christoff singing the Verdi canon, from Don Carlos’ “Ella giammai m’amo” to Simon Boccanegra’s “Il lacerato spirito” to selections from the cabaletta-rich Attila. A few years later, at age 11, he saw his first opera—Aida. Around the same time, he destroyed a cassette tape of Pavarotti, singing over his recording of Tosca trademark “E lucevan le stelle” in tandem with the star tenor and checking to make sure his notes were high and long enough. [Continue reading HERE]





After his run at the Met, Pisaroni sticks to baroque music, as he rejoins cast member David Daniels in at the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Argante in Handel's Rinaldo. Performances run from February 29-March 24. Click HERE for additional cast and performance information. 

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

LA Times: "Ildebrando D'Arcangelo wants to be more than a pretty face"

From his Deutsche Grammophon website:

“Ildebrando D'Arcangelo is a complete knock-out as Leporello – charming, funny, sexy, but pointedly in touch with his emotions in ways that his master can never be. What a difference a native Italian speaker makes in the role.”

The Independent

The Los Angeles Times is featuring an article on Ildebrando D'Arcangelo that thoroughly covers his status as a reigning barihunk. Although the Italian singer denies that he's thought much about it, we think his recording company, agent and publicist have given it plenty of thought. On his IMG Artists website the three pull quotes have him variously described as a "hunk," having "presence" and "looks," and, finally, being "an unusually sexy Enrico."

Check out his publicity photos and website that we've included in this post.

Ildebrando D'Arcangelo: Trying hard to NOT look sexy

Here is the article from the L.A. Times written by David Ng:

When Ildebrando D'Arcangelo storms the stage in Mozart's "Così fan Tutte" at Los Angeles Opera, the bass-baritone singer projects a swaggering confidence and dangerous sex appeal that act like a powerful audience magnet. But please don't call him a bari-hunk.

The 41-year-old D'Arcangelo, who is one of six members of the "Così" ensemble cast, has garnered fans around the world as much for his voice as for his model looks — tall, dark and handsome in an earthy way.

Yet the singer appears uneasy with references to his status as a bari-hunk — the group of opera stars known for their pecs and neck size, as well as their deep, sonorous voices.

"To be honest, I'm uncomfortable," said D'Arcangelo when the subject came up during a recent interview. "I appreciate it if people say something about looking good. In opera, if you see a beautiful person, it helps. But for me, honestly, I never thought about it." [Read entire article HERE]

Fans in California can catch him in Mozart's "Cosi fan tutte" at the Los Angeles Opera through October 8th. He then switches Mozart roles, tackling Don Giovanni at La Scala from December 16-28 before heading off to Weisbaden, Germany for a New Year's Day concert.

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com