Check out barihunk John Brancy and mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta performing Dorabella and Guglielmo's seduction duet from Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte in Neumarkt, Germany. The two singers are participating in the International Meistersinger Akademie with coaches like sopranos Edith Wiens and Ann Murray, as well as pianist Malcolm Martineau. Also in the program is barihunk Tobias Greenhalgh.
If the two seem particularly cozy in this video it's because they are dating off-stage, so John's seduction skills as Guglielmo must be pretty convincing.
Here is Brancy performing Largo al factotum from Rossini's Barber of Seville, filmed at a final dress performance for a concert that was broadcast throughout Germany.
The International Meistersinger Akademie is a great opportunity for young singers to work with amazing coaches, but it is also a destination for European agents, promoters, opera directors and festival managers. These networking opportunities often provide a launching pad for young singers embarking on a European career.
If you're in the Kansas City area on Wednesday, March 21, 2012, you can hear emerging barihunk Chris Carr for free. He'll be performing a masterclass with world-renowned mezzo Joyce DiDonato and the Kansas City Symphony at 7 p.m.
DiDonato recently won a Grammy for best classical vocal solo for her album “Diva Divo.” She will give her first Kauffman Center performance at 8 p.m. March 23-24 and at 2 p.m. March 25 with the Kansas City Symphony.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/03/17/3493204/songs-link-womens-passion.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/03/17/3493204/songs-link-womens-passion.html#storylink=cpy
The masterclass features three Kansas City-area vocal students, including University of Missouri/Kansas City student Chris Carr, who studies with famed tenor Vinson Cole. Carr was a Lyric Opera of Kansas City Artist Apprentice in the 2011–12 season. Carr will perform "Largo al factotum" from Rossini's Barber of Seville.
Listen to Chris Carr performing the Tanzlied from Korngold's
Die Tote Stadt at a Des Moines Opera masterclass:
Here's a more recent recording of Chris Carr singing Largo al factotum:
The event is free, but register HERE to ensure seating.
Dmitri Vargin studied choral direction in his native city Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and singing at the State Academy of Music and Theatre in Hamburg, with William Workman. In Hamburg he had the chance to participate in master classes with artists such as Kurt Moll and Franz Grundheber. He also appeared in numerous productions performing Junius in The Rape of Lucretia, Peter in Hänsel und Gretel, Marcello in La Bohème, Pappacoda in Eine Nacht in Venedig, and Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's dream.
During his last year at the Academy, he appeared as a guest at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf performing Silvio in I Pagliacci and has been invited to join the company. At the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, he has sung Marcello in La Bohème, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream and in the new productions - Achilla in Giulio Cesare, Valentin in Faust, Pelléas in Pelléas et Mélisande, Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore, and the title part in Eugene Onegin.
He also appeared at the Erfurt Opera as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, at the Hamburgische Staatsoper as Tusenbach in Tri Sestri by Peter Eötvös, and performed Mahler's 8th Symphony with Maestro Lorin Maazel.
Following his debut at Bolshoi Theatre Moscow as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, he has been re-invited to perform Marcello in La Bohème and Lopakhin in Fenelon's The Cherry Orchard. He also made his South American debut performing the title part in Eugene Onegin (Montevideo).
Upcoming engagements include both Brétigny in Manon and Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte (Düsseldorf), and Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos (Glyndebourne Festival), among others. Dmitri Vargin has been granted by the DAAD and awarded with German Federal Cultural Prize (2004), the Masefield Scholarship by the Alfred Töpfer Foundation (2005), and he has been actively involved, with the Yehudi Menuhin "Live Music Now" program, in projects bringing music to people unable to attend regular concerts.
There are only two weeks left to order your 2012 Barihunks charity calendar. All proceeds will go to benefit the Portland Opera Studio and the Seagle Music Colony, two of the best young artist training programs in America. You can help out dozens of young artists by purchasing your calendar today. ClickHERE and have your calendar before the new year.
Spanish barihunk Borja Quiza was recommended to us our favorite way - by a fellow barihunk. In 2009, he won the "Opera Actual" prize as best lyric singer and a year later won the "Premio Lirico Teatro Campoamor de Oviedo" as best zarzuela singer. His claim to fame in his young career has been playing the title role in Carlos Saura's filmed production of Mozart's "Don Giovanni."
In a short period of time he has established a successful career throughout Spain, singing in Valencia, Bilbao, La Coruna, Arriaga, Madrid, Barcelona and Oviedo. He has performed many of the great leading baritone roles, including Figaro in "Il Barbiere de Siviglia," the Count in "Le Nozze di Figaro," Guglielmo in "Cosi fan tutte," Don Giovanni, Papageno in "Die Zauberflote," Marcello in "La Boheme" and Zuniga in Pearl Fishers. He has also made his mark as a rapidly emerging star in zarzuela. His upcoming schedule includes mostly Mozart and Rossini.
We look forward to seeing more of this gifted young singer in the future. If you know of someone who should be featured on this site, please let us know at Barihunks@gmail.com.
Korean born barihunk Tae Joong Yang first came to international attention after performing in the Neue Stimmen competition in Germany. He is another one of our reader submissions from Germany.
Yang resides in Germany, but is a member of the ensemble at the Vienna State Opera in Austria. Yang continued his studies in Germany with Siegfried Lorenz at the Berlin University of the Arts. He has performed in throughout Europe and the Far East. In 2007, he won first prize in Plácido Domingo’s famous OPERALIA competition in Paris.
He made his critically acclaimed debut with the Vienna State Opera as Figaro in Rossini's "Barber of Seville. " As a member of the ensemble he has also performed Schaunard (La Bohème), Christian (Un ballo in maschera), Masetto (Don Giovanni), Silvio (Pagliacci), Marullo (Rigoletto), Belcore (L’elisir d’amore) und Alessio (La sonnambula).
His video of "Largo al factotum" has received almost 200,000 hits on YouTube.
Lunahan: Jordan Shanhan & Audrey Luna (photo by Greg James)
We've featured many opera couples on this site, from barihunk couples like Zach Altman and Dan Kempson, to superstar couples like Erwin Schrott/Anna Netrebko and Teddy Tahu Rhodes/Isabel Leonard. So let us introduce two fast rising stars who have also tied the knot, Tebaldi International Voice Competition winner Audrey Luna and Jordan Shanahan, who has been featured on this site before.
The original Barihunk couple: Dan Kempson (L) & Zach Altman (R)
The couple is singing Rosina and Figaro in Rossini's "Barber of Seville" in a collaboration between Mississippi Opera and Opera Memphis. They begin in Jackson, Mississippi on Saturday, April 9th and then head to Delta State University in Cleveland on Tuesday, April 12th. The production then wraps up in Memphis with performances on April 16 and 17.
You can hear Shanahan sing the famous "Largo al factotum" at his website.
Since all of the star couples have nicknames, we're suggesting "Lunahan" for opera's new love couple.
