Two young operatic singers to watch (and listen!) for
May 21 '07
The Bottom Line Hear them if you get a chance!
This spring I've had the delight to see and hear a number of young singers (and a pianist) whom I think are likely to become stars. First there was baritone Eugene Brancoveanu as Nicomedes in the premiere of Lou Harison's "Young Caesar," then soprano Jessica Rivera in the American premiere of John Adams's "The Flowering Tree," and Chinese-born pianist Wang Yuja in the unlikely bravura vehicle of the Beethoven second piano concerto.
Yesterday, I heard a performance of the Beethoven Ninth Symphony with two very impressive male soloists (the female singers were also good, but they only perform in ensembles). The first voice heard (50 minutes in) is the baritone. Jeremy Galyon came in with great power and clarity as well as demonstrating a considerable range (the part goes quite low into true bass register).
I'd been told that tenor Sean Panikkar was someone to watch out for, on the basis of non-lead roles he has sung in San Francisco Opera productions, including "The Queen of Spades," "Tristan," and "Manon." Panikkar tossed off the highest notes strong and clear and without any apparent evidence. He has the voice of a heroic tenor from the top to the bottom of the tenor range, as well as being very handsome.
Both Panikkar and Galyon are recent San Francisco Opera Kurt Herbert Adler fellows. Panikkar has a BA and MFA from the University of Michigan. Of Sri Lankan background, he seems to have grown up in Pittsburgh. He sang Nadir in excerpts from "Les Pecheurs de Perles" at the Merola Opera Program's Yerba Buena Gardens Concerts. He sang the title role in the San Francisco Opera Center's production of "Le Pauvre Matelo," too.
Galyon also originally hails from Pennsylvania (Bethlehem). As a 2006 Adler Fellow at San Francisco Opera, he appeared in the productions of "Un Ballo in Maschera" "Rigoletto," "Il Barbiere di Seviglia," "Manon Lescaut " in the Fall of 2006, as well as singing Nick Shadow in "The Rake's Progress" with Merola Opera. I missed hearing him in Mozart's "Thamos, King of Egypt" with the San Francisco Symphony and MTT.
Panikkar is going to be in a Hollywood Bowl production of "The Magic Flute" conducted by Leonard Slatkin, and also in Pittsburgh, plus in the "Tristan Project of the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic (in Los Angeles and at Lincoln Center).
A photo and biography of Sean Panikkar can be seen at
http://www.imgartists.com/?page=artist&id=741&c=2
A photo and biography of Jeremy Galyon can be seen at
http://www.dispeker.com/page/galyon.html#1
Obviously, someone else had to notice all these young artists to contract them for the performances I've heard, so that they have already been "discovered." I think that all are great young musicians. I think that Wang Yuja and Sean Panikkar are going to be big stars, though much can go wrong in any career, and if I'm mistaken, no one will remember my predictions...
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