LSM Newswire

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Nathan Gunn, baritone, Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 8 PM / Roy Thomson Hall / Toronto

February 22, 2010 // Toronto, ON With his rich expressive voice and electrifying performances on the worlds great stages, American baritone Nathan Gunn has quickly become one of todays leading opera stars. The Grammy Award-winning baritone makes his Canadian Recital Debut on Wednesday, March 10, 8 pm at Roy Thomson Hall in a captivating program that ranges from miniature Schubert masterpieces to romantic songs by Tom Waits, music theatre selections by Benjamin Moore, novelties by Charles Ives, and traditional American folk songs. He is joined in recital by his wife, the esteemed American pianist, Julie Jordan Gunn. 

One of the most exciting and in-demand baritones of the day, Nathan Gunn has thrilled audiences in opera houses from New Yorks Metropolitan Opera to Londons Royal Opera House, Covent Garden with his portrayals in the title roles of Billy Budd, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Hamlet and as Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte and the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro.  A frequent interpreter of new works, he has starred in several major world premiere performances, including Tobias Pickers An American Tragedy at the Metropolitan Opera; Andr Previns Brief Encounter at the Houston Grand Opera; and Peter Etvs Love and Other Demons at the 2008 Glyndebourne Opera Festival. He recently ventured into the music-theatre repertoire with concert performances of Camelot with the New York Philharmonic (broadcast live on PBSs Great Performances) and Showboat at Carnegie Hall.

Highlights of Mr. Gunns current season include the world premiere performance of Daron Hagens Amelia at the Seattle Opera, and appearances at the Metropolitan Opera in Die Zauberflte; the Dallas Opera in Don Pasquale; the Ravinia Festival in Le Nozze di Figaro; and the Los Angeles Opera in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and LElisir dAmore.  

Mr. Gunns impressive discography includes the title role in Billy Budd  (Virgin Classics), which won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording; the first complete recording of Rogers & Hammersteins Allegro (Sony); Peter Grimes (LSO Live!), which was nominated for a 2005 Grammy Award; and his debut album, a collection of American songs entitled American Anthem (EMI).  He also starred as Buzz Aldrin in Man on the Moon, an opera written for television and broadcast on the BBC in the UK, which won the Golden Rose Award for Opera at the Montreux Festival in Lucerne. Mr. Gunns most recent solo album, Just Before Sunrise (Sony/BMG Masterworks) features romantic arrangements of songs by Sting, Tom Waits, Billy Joel and others.   

Nathan Gunn was the recipient of the first-ever annual Beverly Sills Artist Award, and was recently awarded the Pittsburgh Opera Renaissance Award. He is an alumnus of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artists Program and was the winner of the 1994 Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition. Mr. Gunn is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana where he is currently a Professor of Voice. While he is justly famous for his vocal prowess and acting, Mr. Gunn has also received fame for his good looks and physique in 2008, he was featured in People magazine's list of "The Sexiest Men Alive."

Julie Jordan Gunn, pianist, music director, vocal coach, song arranger, and on the faculty at the University of Illinois, received her doctorate under the distinguished accompanist and teacher, John Wustman. She lives in Champaign, Illinois with her husband Nathan Gunn, and their five children.

Roy Thomson Halls 2009/2010 International Vocal Recitals Series continues Call 416-872-4255 for tickets:
         Alexandra Deshorties, soprano; Howard Watkins, piano Sunday, April 25/10, 2PM
Joseph Calleja, tenor; Craig Rutenberg, piano Friday, May 28/10, 8PM (rescheduled from Nov.15/09)

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