HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THOMAS HAMPSON

Birthday boy, Thomas Hampson

Today we're honoring one of the most heralded singers in all of opera. He also happens to be one of the most popular and enduring barihunks in the world. He has kept both his voice and his matinee idol good looks in tact at the age of 57. In fact, he's survived long enough to perform with his fellow barihunk and son-in-law Luca Pisaroni.

Hampson has performed a broad range of music, from Handel and Gluck to contemporary operas. In between, he's managed to sing all of the major leading Mozart roles, while also establishing himself as a Verdi and Wagner singer of the highest order. Last season, he created the role of Rick Rescorla in the world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis’s Heart of a Soldier at the San Francisco Opera. He's currently performing Hindemith's "Mathis der Maler" at the Zurich Opera.

Beyond maintaining his status as one of the most sought after singers in the world, he is equally in demand as a lieder singer. His commitment to the artform prompted him to create Hampsong in 2003, which is dedicated to the worldwide understanding of the art of song. Last year he hosted and co-produced "Song of America," a 13-part radio series that explores the history of American culture through song. Below you can listen to Hampson talk about the art of song on WNYC.

We asked fellow barihunk and vlogger Jonathan Estabrooks to submit a video tribute to Hampson, since the young Canadian embodies much of what Hampson has brought to opera and lieder.

We also received a message from Krassen Karagiozov, who said:

"I wish you a continuos success on the operatic and concert stages worldwide for many  more years to come. I wish you a lot of health and a lot of happiness in your personal life.  I'm big admirer of your talent and career and I hope I have the privilege to meet you one day in person."  

Have a fantastic celebration among family and friends!  

Krassen Karagiozov

"I would like to wish you a happy birthday in Bulgarian since I'm Bulgarian: 

Chestit Rojden Den i za mnogo godini! Nazdrave!!!  

The entire Barihunks family would like to wish Thomas Hampson a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and thank him for bringing us decades of great music (and looking great doing it!).

Fans in the United States can next see him as Scarpia in Tosca at the Santa Fe Opera.

Ildebrando D'Arcangelo First Don Giovanni in 90 Years at Verona; New Recording with Pisaroni and Wolff

We were amazed to learn that the new Zeffirelli production of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Arena di Verona was the first performance of the opera at that venue in ninety years! The opening cast featured barihunk Ildebrando D'Arcangelo in the title role, which he will turn over to fellow barihunk Erwin Schrott on July 12 and 18. D'Arcangelo performs the role on June 29 and July 6 and 25.

The season will continue with some of the more regular staples of their repertory, Aida, Carmen, Roméo et Juliette, Turandot  and Tosca. Visit the Arena di Verona website for additional information.

D'Arcangelo is also coming out with a new recording of the opera with an all barihunk cast. He's joined by the Leporello of Luca Pisaroni and the Masetto of Konstantin Wolff. The Deutsche Grammophon recording is scheduled for release on September 7, 2012.

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

NY Phil's "Don Giovanni" Hottest Ticket Around

Keith Miller

Good luck trying to get a ticket for the New York Philharmonic's concert next weekend at the Park Avenue Armory. It's sold out and today's article in the New York Times is only going to increase the demand. The concert is entitled "Philharmonic 360 – Spatial Music from Mozart’s Don Giovanni to Stockhausen’s Gruppen."

Most of the buzz is around German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen's "Gruppen," which is played by three orchestras in a spatially separated configuration. However, we're excited about the scene from Don Giovanni, which includes three of the hottest barihunks around. Ryan McKinny will sing the title role with Keith Miller as Leporello and Kelly Markgraf as Masetto in the final scene of Act 1.

The concert will also include Boulez's "Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna" and Ives' "The Unanswered Question."

Kelly Markgraf

Ryan McKinny will be focusing on Wagner's Tristan und Isolde after wrapping up this project. He'll debut as Melot in Toronto and then debut Kurwenal in Houston. The Isolde in Houston will be the amazing Wagnerian soprano Nina Stemme. On April 26 and 28 of 2013, Kelly Markgraf will graduate to the title role in Don Giovanni at the Madison Opera. We couldn't find Keith Miller's up-to-date schedule, but you can follow him on Twitter @KeithMillerBass.

Mariusz Kwiecien Stars In Two Met HD Broadcasts

Mariusz Kwiecien as the title character of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”

Photo: Nick Heavican/Metropolitan Opera

On Wednesday night, the Metropolitan Opera launched their latest installment of the Live in HD broadcasts to hundreds of movie theaters across the United States with Donizetti's Anna Bolena.

There are five more broadcasts and two feature barihunk mega-star Mariusz Kwiecien, who will be seen in June 27th performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni and the July 18th performance of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. The Don Giovanni is a barihunk lovers dream cast, as it also includes Luca Pisaroni as Leporello and Aussie Joshua Bloom as Masetto. The Lucia performance will feature Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala as the ill-fated lovers.

Mariusz Kwiecien and Luca Pisaroni (Leporello) in the Met's Mozart's "Don Giovanni"

Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

Additional broadcasts include Anna Netrebko in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann on July 11th,  hunkentenor Juan Diego Flórez in Rossini’s Le Comte Ory on June 20th and Renée Fleming in Der Rosenkavalier on July 25th.

All screenings will begin at 6:30 p.m. local time. You can click HERE to find the theater closest to you.

Fans of Kwiecien should be reminded that he'll be in Santa Fe performing Karol Szymanowski King Roger from July 21 through August 14th. Check out the Santa Fe Opera website to watch Kwiecien discuss the opera or to purchase tickets.

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Quartet of Barihunks arrives at Merola

Hadleigh Adams

It's not often that we post about events in the same city two days in a row, but there has been quite a bit of chatter about some of the barihunks in the Merola Opera Program in San Francisco. It started with and email that read, "Have you seen Hadleigh Adams? Whoa!" It's been a steady stream of "tips" about this model turned opera singers since he arrived in San Francisco. 

Of course, we were tipped off about the New Zealand native years ago by our eagle eye down under in Australia. Adams will be performing in Merola's Schwabacher Summer Concerts on July 5th and 7th, where he'll be performing Ralph's aria "Quand la flamme de l'amour" from Bizet's rarely heard La jolie fille de Perth. The concert on July 5th is at the Herbst Theater and the July 7th concert is free to the public at Yerba Buena Gardens. 

Seth Mease Carico as he appears in the Barihunks calendar

Also at Merola is Seth Mease Carico, who is one of our 2012 Charity Calendar models and a regular on this site. Carico, recently scored another critical success in his young career as Leonidas in the Fort Worth Opera's production of Mark Adamo's Lysistrata. Don't miss the pictures we posted of Carico and fellow barihunk Michael Mayes in drag at a mock "Battle of the Sexes" event promoting Lysistrata. Admittedly, he won't be a contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race, but it ranks as one of our favorite posts of all time. 

Carico will also be performing in Merola's Schwabacher Summer Concerts and singing Nick Shadow's music from Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress. We've had the good fortune of having seen this American singer a few times and he's an artist well ahead of years and not to be missed. 

Joseph Lattanzi: Opera singer or Brooks Brothers model?

We've been following the budding career of Joseph Lattanzi with great interest. Like Adams and Carico, he is perfectly suited to where opera is heading with HD broadcasts. All three singers are perfectly suited for the stage, but also have the looks to start hearts fluttering on the big screen. He's also one of our 2012 Barihunks Charity Calendar models.

We've posted about Lattanzi's recent work with the Seattle Young Artists Program and added him to our growing list of singing competition winners (Palm Beach Opera Junior Division Winner). 

Lattanzi will be performing in Merola's Postcard from Morocco by Dominick Argento on July 19th and 21st at San Francisco's Cowell Theater. 

Gordon Bintner

A new singer to us is bass Gordon Bintner, who joins the growing list of Canadian barihunks on the site. The Saskatchewan native attended McGill University and studied with the great baritone Sanford Sylvan. (As an aside, recent Merola sensation and Metropolitan Opera National Council winner Philippe Sly also studied at McGill.) Bintner also has been wowing judges at competitions, having won the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal Standard Life competition in 2011. 

Bintner wil be performing Mozart’s La finta giardiniera with Merola on August 2nd and 4th at San Francisco's Cowell Theater. 

You can see all of the wonderful Merola singers at their Grand Finale on August 18th. Tickets and memberships can be purchased online. 

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Listen to the "Three Barihunks" from Montreal; Barihunks Sly and Brancy take 1st & 3rd

Sidney Outlaw, Philippe Sly and John Brancy

As a follow up to our post on Sunday about the Concours vocal competition in Montreal, we'd like to let readers know that the performances by the three barihunks who advanced to the finals are now available online. In fact, Sidney Outlaw, Philippe Sly and John Brancy perform one after another, providing an amazing opportunity to compare these three amazing artists.

We admit to being biased towards lower voices, but these three men are truly some of the best opera singers emerging on the scene today. The depth of their artistry and the quality of their voices is remarkable, especially considering that the youngest, Phillippe Sly and John Brancy, are just 23!

The winners will be officially revealed on Friday, but we've heard that Sly took away the top prize, shortly after having won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. The three top singers will appear in the Winners’ Gala Concert this Friday, June 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Maison symphonique de Montréal. Under the direction of Alain Trudel, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal will accompany the winners. Tickets are available at 514 842-2112. The winners are:

FIRST PRIZE – $30,000

PHILIPPE SLY, BASS-BARITONE, CANADA

Added to the First Prize is the Career development programme, valued at $20,000.

SECOND PRIZE – $15,000

OLGA KINDLER, SOPRANO, SWITZERLAND

THIRD PRIZE – $10,000

JOHN BRANCY, BARITONE, UNITED STATES

For the finals, John Brancy kicked it off with Wagner's "O su mein holder Abendstern" from Tannhäuser,  Tchaikovsky's "Postoite na odno mgnovenye!" from Pique Dame, Mendelssohn's "Es ist genug" from Elijah and Rossini's "Largo al factotum" from the Barber of Seville. Phillipe Sly then follows with Stravinsky's "Come, master" from the Rake's Progress, Handel's "Invida sorte avara" from Ariodante, Mozart's "Hai già vinta la causa!" from Marriage of Figaro and Bach's "Mache dich, mein Herze, rein" fo from the St. Matthew Passion. Sidney Outlaw finishes up this amazing run of baritone music with Mendelssohn's "Draw near ye people....Lord God of Abraham" from Eljah, Handel's "Sibilar gli angui d'Aletto" from Rinaldo, Korngold's Tanzlied from Die tote stadt and Verdi's "Death of Rodrigo" from Don Carlo.  

Click here to listen to the performance. The barihunk run starts at about the 27 minute mark and is worth the listen.

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com

Reader submission: Tom Krause

Tom Krause as Don Giovanni

Our latest reader submission is the Finnish baritone Tom Krause, who was a leading baritones for four decades across the globe. He originally planned on becoming a psychiatrist, and received his medical degree from Helsinki University. However, he opted for a career in opera, beginning his studies in Helsinki, and later at the Vienna Music Academy and in Berlin.

Since his debut in Berlin in 1957, Tom Krause has established himself as a leading baritone with a vast repertoire, ranging from Bach to Messiaen. He was with the Deutsche Oper Berlin for three years and was a member of the Hamburg State Opera for decades beginning in 1962, where he performed in a number of world premieres. He went on to perform in most of the major houses in Europe, including La Scala, Vienna, London, Berlin, Munich, Copenhagen, Brussels, Amsterdam and Rome. He performed leading roles in The Marriage of Figaro, Les Contes d'Hoffmann, La Concrentola, Parisfal, Elektra, Cosi fan Tutte, The Queen of Spades, Katya Kabanova, and Saint Francois d’Assise.

In 1963, he made his American debut in America at Tanglewood with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1967 as Count Almaviva.

Tom Krause appears on numerous recordings of both opera and lieder, including works by Brahms, Schumann, Moussorgksy, Schubert and Sibelius).

He is currently teaching in Hamburg and is member of numerous Voice Competitions through the world.

Move Over Tony Romo, Papageno Is In The House

Patrick Carfizzi as Papageno

The Dallas Cowboys were a pretty mediocre 8-8 last year, causing many fans to grumble that a better team needed to be assembled at Cowboys Stadium. That has happened, as the Dallas Opera has put together a winning team for the April 28 live simulcast of Mozart's The Magic Flute starring the always entertaining Patrick Carfizzi as Papageno. Devotees of low voices will also be treated to the resonant low notes of Raymond Aceto as Sarastro.

The opera will be simulcast on the massive high-definition video-screens at Cowboys Stadium beginning at 7:30 PM with doors opening at 6 PM. Over 30,000 tickets have been requested, leaving about 1,500 for the performance. You can reserve your tickets by clicking HERE.

The show will be seen on four viewing screens (the largest is 72 feet tall and 160 feet wide) above the stadium's playing field. The opera also stars soprano Ava Pine as Pamina, L'ubica Vargicova as the Queen of the Night, Angela Mannino as Papageno and tenor Shawn Mathey as Tamino. Listen to Raymond Aceto below (don't miss this voice!).

If you'd rather see the opera at the Winspear Opera House, it opens on Friday, April 20 and runs through May 6. Visit the Dallas Opera website for tickets and additional information. 

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Reader Submissions: Nate Jones and Kyle Albertson

Nate Jones

There are few things that we enjoy more than our "Reader Submission" feature. Over the years, we've been introduced to some of the most amazing talent and absolute eye candy from across the globe. We've had submissions come from as far away as Belarus and Indonesia, from boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives, ex-lovers, men and women ranging from teenagers to people who reminisce about having seen Gina Cigna (look her up!) and even a number of proud moms. Gotta love those proud moms!

Our latest reader submissions are Nate Jones and Kyle Albertson.

Nate Jones is  a 25-year-old lyric baritone who is a third-year student at Duke Divinity School. He's graduating in May with a Masters Degree. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Duke in 2009 and has been studying voice primarily with Elizabeth Linnartz.

Below are two videos from Nate Jones' Graduate Recital from 3/24/12 at Duke University

In 2009, he won the Schloss-Mirabell competition in Salzburg, where he performed a concert of Schumann and Mozart in the Mozart Festival, while also playing Figaro. He also has won the National Association for the Teaching of Singing (NATS) competition at the state and regional levels. He won a full scholarship to the American Singers Opera Project, where he played Don Alfonso in "Cosi fan Tutte," and studied voice with Sherrill Milnes' ex-wife, Nancy Stokes-Milnes.

Jones originally planned on going into doctoral work in theology/philosophy but has recently decided to go into opera full-time and plans on auditioning for some young artist programs.

Jones has been active with Long Leaf Opera in North Carolina, most recently singing Clay in Chandler Carter's "Strange Fruit" and Valentine in Joel Feigin's "The Twelfth Night." He also played the title role in "Sweeney Todd" at Duke.

Kyle Anderson

When we recently posted about the winners at the Gerda Lissner International Singing Competition we sure heard about the prize winners who we omitted (including one of our longtime favorites Dan Kempson). One singer who is new to us and who took a second place cash award is Kyle Albertson.

Albertson is a former participant in the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program. He has gone on to sing   Leporello in Don Giovanni, Lescaut in Manon Lescaut,  Henry Kissinger in Nixon in China. Blitch in Susannah, Mephistopheles in Faust, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, and the Four Villains in Les Contes d’Hoffman.

Current and upcoming engagements include covering the roles of Bretigny in Manon, Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro, Masetto in Don Giovanni, and the Jailer in Dialogues des carmélites at the Metropolitan Opera.

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Luca Pisaroni featured in Opera Now

Luca Pisaroni (photo by Marco Borggreve)

Luca Pisaroni is featured in the new issue of Opera Now. The magazine has recently featured barihunks Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Christopher Maltman on the cover. This month Pisaroni didn't make the cover, as that went to the equally hunky tenor Juan Diego Florez. If you're an opera fan and don't read Opera Now,  you're missing a world of great opera writing, reviews and photos. We never miss and issue and travel with the iPad version of the magazine. Barihunks readers can get a free introductory offer by clicking on the link to the right and entering the code BAR12.

Here's a teaser from the article entitled "Leader of the Pack," which refers to Pisaroni's love of dogs and being a social animal:

Luca Pisaroni is shaping up to be one of the most successful baritones of his generation. He talks to Louise Flind about his growing recognition in major opera houses around the world, and how his trusty dogs help to keep him grounded.

There may be a handful of opera singers as tall, dark and handsome as Luca Pisaroni, but few are as adorable, funny and ambitious. He and his American wife Cate (petite, blonde and foxy, if you're asking) were at Glyndebourne last summer where Pisaroni stole the show in Robert Carsen's new production of Handel's Rinaldo. 

[Read the entire article by accessing your free trial offer].

Pisaroni can next be seen on April 29th in Heidelberg, Germany where he will be performing a gala concert with his father-and-law and fellow barihunk Thomas Hampson. The two singers will perform  arias and duets by Verdi, Rossini and Mozart. In May, he performs Figaro opposite the Count of barihunk Simon Keenlyside in Munich. In June, he performs the same role opposite Gerald Finley in Vienna.

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Shirtless Samuel Dundas Heats Up Cosi with Oz Opera

Samuel Dundas in Opera Australia's 'Cosi Fan Tutte' (©Branco Gaica)

Australian barihunk is singing Guglielmo in Opera Australia's visually stunning run of Mozart's Così fan tutte. Dundas who has played Masetto opposite the famously shirtless and ripped "Teddy Bare" a.k.a. Teddy Tahu Rhodes, appears to be the next generation of sexy barihunk from Down Under.

Dundas has been performing throughout Australia and New Zealand since 2005.  Since 2010, he has been a member of the Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist program at Opera Australia.  In 2010 his roles included Doctor/Inquisitor/Judge/Stanislaus in Candide, the appropriately named character Handsome in La Fanciulla del West, Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Ceprano in Rigoletto.  In 2011 his roles include Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, Pish Tush in The Mikado, Cascada in Merry Widow and Masetto in Don Giovanni. 

Samuel Dundas in Opera Australia's 'Cosi Fan Tutte' (©Branco Gaica)

Other recent engagements have included Papageno The Magic Flute for Victorian Opera, the bass solos in Brahms Requiem with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chorus and his debut with Sydney Sinfonia in a Discovery series concert at the City Recital Hall in Sydney.

Dundas's 2012 roles include Fiorello in The Barber of Seville and Yamadori in Madama Butterfly for Opera Australia and the Title role in Opera Australia's tour of Don Giovanni. 

Watch a trailer of the production:

Performances of Così fan tutte are running through March 26. Get additional performance information or ticket on the Opera Australia website. In July 2012, Dundas will be reprising another Mozart role when he performs Don Giovanni in Michael Gow’s new production for Opera Australia.

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Opera Returns to Baltimore with Barihunk Nozze; Daniel Mobbs joins SFCM Staff

Daniel Mobbs performing Figaro in Baltimore (Photo by Julius Ahn)

When the economic collapse happened in 2008-2009, few things suffered more than the arts. Opera companies, small theaters and orchestras across the country shuttered their doors. One of the unfortunate victims was the creative Baltimore Opera, where many young singers launched their carees. We are pleased to announce that opera has returned with the Lyric Opera of Baltimore, which will be presenting Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro with barihunks Daniel Mobbs as Figaro and Marian Pop as the Count.

Opera in Baltimore has a long, rich history that dates back to the mid-18th century. Opera was initially influenced by the English and later by French refugees fleeing the Revolution. The first opera performed in Baltimore was John Gay's The Beggar's Opera in 1752. From 1883-1959, Baltimore was a regular stop for the Metropolitan Opera Tour and many of the biggest names in opera performed there.

Daniel Mobbs & Marian Pop bringing opera back to Baltimore (Photos by Julius Ahn)

Joining the two barihunks in Nozze will be Caitlin Lynch as the Countess, Janinah Burnett as Susanna and Kirsten Gunlogson as Cherubino. Performing in the pit will be the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra conducted by Joseph Rescigno. The production will be directed by Bernard Uzan in a production from  L’Opéra de Montréal. Click HERE for tickets and additional information.

In related news, opera students on the West Coast were thrilled to learn that Daniel Mobbs will be joining the voice faculty staff at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in the fall of 2012. Interested students should click HERE for additional information.

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CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Teddy Tahu Rhodes' Tattoo Becomes a Popular Search

A tattooed Teddy Tahu Rhodes in Così fan tutte

We recently noticed that we were getting a lot of hits for a 2008 post about Teddy Tahu Rhodes showing off his tattoo to female reporter. When we explored why there was a sudden interest in his tattoo, we realized that he's been heavily tattooed for the current production of Mozart's "Così fan tutte" at the Washington National Opera.

Teddy Tahu Rhodes' actual tattoo

The Jonathan Miller production runs through March 15th with a cast that also includes Elizabeth Futral, Renata Pokupic, Joel Prieto, William Shimell, and Christine Brandes. Visit the opera company's website to purchase tickets. The 6' 5" New Zealand barihunk received a nice mention from Tim Smith in the Baltimore Sun:

As Guglielmo, Teddy Tahu Rhodes towers over his colleagues physically and reveals a beefy sound to match his animated delivery.

 CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

A "Don Giovanni" So Sexy It Was Banned By Google Ads

Duncan Rock (L & R) and Opera Poster Banned by Google Ads

If you think opera hasn't caught up with movies, films and the theater in terms of raw sex appeal, then you haven't heard about "Don Giovanni: The Opera." The production, which will open at London's famous nightclub Heaven on April 15 is a modern retelling of Mozart's classic tale of sexual pursuit set in the heyday of the Eighties club scene and inspired by New York's legendary Studio 54.  "Don Giovanni" is still a lecherous playboy and licentious nightclub owner, who pursues men as well as women.  In this production the sopranos become tenors and baritones become mezzos (except for the Don).

  

This production was originally seen on the Main Stage at Trafalgar Square for London Pride in 2009 and was huge success. After the run at Heaven, the opera will be shown at the 2012 World Pride celebration. 

Barihunk Duncan Rock (photo by Daniel Swerdlow)

The production is already causing waves in London three months before their opening. First, Google Ads rejected the producers ad [see top photo], because it was deemed too racy. Then they snagged one of the hottest young talents in England (in terms of looks AND voice), the sexy strawberry blonde Duncan Rock. Tickets will be available at Ticketmaster. 

Duncan Rock sings Billy’s aria from Britten, Billy Budd:

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Markus Werba & Alex Esposito in Fenice's "Le Nozze di Figaro"

Markus Werba & Alex Esposito opening at La Fenice this week

They better have the sprinklers ready at La Fenice, because the famous theater is going to be on fire later this week. Luckily, not like the fires of 1774, 1836 and 1996, which literally burned the theater to the ground. This time the heat will be coming from Austrian barihunk Markus Werba as Count Almaviva and Italian barihunk Alex Esposito in their revival of Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro."

The two singers will share the stage in the first cast run of the opera beginning this Friday, October 14 and running through October 22. Visit the La Fenice website for additional cast and performance information. Here are Werba and Esposito singing some Mozart.

Werba singing Nozze:



Esposito singing Leporello in Don Giovanni:



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Schrott and Netrebko Nixed From Salzburg

Hot Schrott & Anna Netrebko

Erwin Schrott is in the middle of a successful run of Mozart's "Le nozze di Figaro" at the Salzburg Festival. He is playing Figaro opposite the Count of fellow barihunk Simon Keenlyside. The performance was broadcast worldwide yesterday to great acclaim and Schrott remains a fan favorite in the Austrian city.

So it came as a surprise when Schrott and his soprano wife, the equally beautiful Anna Netrebko, gave an interview to the German magazine NEWS and revealed that they are being nixed from future performances after Netrebko's upcoming Boheme.

NEWS: Weshalb kommt in Ihren Plänen für die nächsten Jahre Salzburg nicht vor?
Schrott: Ganz einfach deshalb, weil in ­Pereiras Plänen kein Platz für mich ist. Aber ich habe viele andere Projekte ­anderswo.

NEWS: Aber Sie, Frau Netrebko, singen nächstes Jahr die Mimi in Puccinis „Bohème“. Wie geht es dann weiter?
Netrebko: Danach gibt es auch für mich keine Projekte in Salzburg.

NEWS: Schmerzt das nicht?
Netrebko: Ja, das tut es.
Schrott: Ja, das tut es.

The worst part of the interview is that they both said that the obvious slight hurts. Netrebko and Schrott are not only rock stars in Austria and at Salzburg in particular, but they have become global ambassadors for the art form. If you want to see Schrott in what appears to be his final performances at Salzburg for awhile there are still limited tickets available for August 4, 11 and 13.

Schrott with the Susanna of Marlis Petersen at Salzburg

The couple also revealed that they plan on opening up a restaurant in Vienna in the near future. The couple joked that they didn't know yet if the menu would include Churrasco from Schrott's native Uraguay or Borscht from Netrebko's Russia.

Here is Schrott at Covent Garden performing "se vuol ballare":



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Reader Submission: Stefan Hagendorn & Axel Humbert

Stefan Keijo Hagndorn as Papageno

Meet the barihunks of the opera in Pforzheim, Germany - Stefan Keijo Hagendorn and Axel Humbert.

Stefan Hagedorn studied in Frankfurt and debuted with the Theater der Stadt Bieleford. He went on to perform with the Chamber Opera at the Rheinsberg Castle, Staadstheater Braunschweig and the Festival Rossini in Wildbad. He is currently in the ensemble at the opera in Pforzheim.



Axel Humbert is also part of the ensemble at Pforzheim and he takes on the roles in the lower bass-baritone range. He studied in Würzburg and went on to sing a number of Mozart roles, including Don Alfonso in Cosi, Figaro in Nozze and Colas in Bastien und Bastienne.

Axel Humbert

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com

Remembering Two Great Basses

Two of the greatest basses died on June 21st, the first day of summer, thirty years apart - the Austrian Emanuel List and the German Karl Ridderbusch. Although they might not necessarily be remembered as quintessential barihunks, they were two amazing singers who deserve to be remembered today.

Emanuel List

The noted Austrian-born American bass, Emanuel List (1886-1967) - real name, Flessing - was a boy chorister at the Theater-an-der-Wien. Following voice training with Steger in Vienna, he toured Europe as a member of a comic vocal quartet. He went to the USA and appeared in vaudeville, burlesque, and minstrel shows. After further vocal studies with Zuro in New York, he returned to Vienna in 1920.

In 1922 Emanuel List made his operatic debut as Charles Gounod's Méphistophélès at the Volksoper. He then sang at Berlin's Städtische Oper (1923-1925) and State Opera (1924-1933), London's Covent Garden (1925; 1934-1936), the Salzburg Festivals (1931-1935), and the Bayreuth Festival (1933). List made his Metropolitan Opera debut in New York in December 1933, as Hermann in Tannhäuser. While remaining on its roster until 1948 [16 seasons (1933-1948, 1949-1950), 449 performances, 17 roles, 16 works), he also appeared in San Francisco and Chicago (1935-1937) and gave lieder recitals. He was again on the Metropolitan Opera's roster in 1949-1950. In 1952 he returned to Vienna.

Emanuel List was especially admired for the rich vocal resources he brought to such roles as Osmin, the Commendatore, Sarastro, Rocco, King Marke, Hagen, Pogner, Hunding, and Baron Ochs.




The fine bass singer, Karl Ridderbusch (1932-1997) , first wanted to become a engineer. He was discovered at a singing competition by Rudolf Schock, who partly financed his musical education. From 1955, he studied at the Duisburg Conservatory, then from 1957 to 1961 at the Folkwangschule, Essen, with Clemens Kaiser-Brehme.

Karl Ridderbusch

Karl Ridderbusch had his debut at Münster in 1961 (Philipp II., Commendatore, Mathis der Maler). From 1963 to 1965, he was a member of the Essen ensemble. During this three-year engagement he began to add the great Wagner, Strauss and Verdi roles to his repertoire. In 1965 he joined the prestigious Deutsche Opera am Rhein Düsseldorf-Duisburg (Sparafucile, Boris Godunow, Hunding). In 1967, he debuted at Bayreuth, which was the beginning of an international career. Until 1975, when he departed in anger from Bayreuth, he had sung Heinrich der Vogeler, Fasolt, Fafner, Hagen, Pogner, Hans Sachs, Hunding, Daland, Titurel, Koenig Marke. Other roles included Ochs auf Lerchenau, Monteverdi's Seneca, Donizetti's Henry VIII., Verdi's and Nicolai's Falstaff, Flotow's Plumkett, Cornelius's Barbier von Bagdad, Cardinal Madruscht in Palestrina, and numerous oratorio parts (Bach, Bruckner). He was a regular guest at the great opera houses of the world: La Scala (debut 1966), Metropolitan Opera (1967), Vienna State Opera (1968, Kammersänger 1978), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (1971), Paris (1967), Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Salzburg Osterfestspiele (1968).

Karl Ridderbusch possessed a voice of rich colour, which, allied with his rock solid technique spanning a full 2 octaves, made him a formidable singer. In the opera house, his voice easily sliced through the thickest orchestra, with a diamond like brilliance to the tone, yet he always maintained an almost bel-canto tone, even at extremes of volume. This made his success in parts like Hans Sachs, The Flying Dutchman and Boris almost a foregone conclusion when he finally added them to his repertoire. He was a powerfully built man, and his impact on the stage in the great Wagner roles was almost as impressive as his voice. His other roles included Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier, Hunding in Die Walküre, and Hagen in Die Götterdämmerung.

Karl Ridderbusch died of severe heart condition and liver disorder at the age of 65 in June 1997, after his wife had taken him back to his home from an Austrian hospital the day before.



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Reader Submission: Sean Sullivan

Sean Sullivan

Our reader submissions continue with, Sean Sullivan who began singing at age nine with the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, and was subsequently invited to sing in the Children’s Chorus of the Los Angeles Opera, where he decided to pursue an opera career.

He made his solo operatic debut as Young Prince Hrothgar in the world premiere of Elliott Goldenthal’s Grendel at the Los Angeles Opera. He reprised this role in New York at The New York State Theater for the East Coast Premiere. Sean attended L.A. County High School for the Arts where he sang several roles including Mr. Peachum in Britten’s The Beggar’s Opera and Carl Olsen in Weill’s Street Scene. At CSUN, Sean played Antonio in Mozart’s Le Nozze de Figaro, David in Barber’s A Hand of Bridge and The Mysterious Man in Sondheim’s Into the Woods.

You can read an interview with Sean Sullivan HERE.

Sullivan can next be heard in an abbreviated concert version of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" at the Golden Gate Club in San Francisco on May 26 & 27. For reservations, call (415) 447-6274. Sullivan will perform Masetto opposite the Don Giovanni of his voice coach and fellow barihunk Eugene Brancoveanu.

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Erik Anstine Featured on Seattle Opera Blog

Barihunks in disguise: Anstine and Cutlip (Photo by Rozarii Lynch)

We recently introduced Erik Anstine to readers and we suspect that he has a big career ahead of him. He is currently one of the priests in the Seattle Opera's "Magic Flute," which includes the Papageno of barihunk Philip Cutlip and the Sarastro of barihunk and ex-football player Keith Miller. The second cast also includes British barihunk Leigh Melrose as Papageno, a singer who we blogged about last year and who should be better known on this side of The Pond. Cheers to the Seattle Opera for showcasing him to U.S. audiences. The always entertaining Seattle Opera blog has a profile of Anstine and tenor Eric Neuville, which you can read HERE.

Seattle Young Artist member Erik Anstine

Tickets remain for the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday performances. The costumes for this productions are by the internationally renowned fashion designer Zandra Rhodes and are not to be missed! You can click HERE for ticket and performance information.

Philip Cutlip (Top) and Keith Miller (Bottom)

Here is a sampling of Anstine singing Mozart's "Ha! Wie will ich triumphieren" from Die Entführung aus dem Serail.



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