Music Galore. The Bel’s 24.

Written By: - NONE - | Issue: 2016/07 - July

Bel Canto has another great quartet of performers lined up for our 24th Annual Recital!  Mark your calendars for Sunday, September 11, at 4:00 P.M. for a wonderful evening of arias from your favorite operas, art songs, and hits from Broadway shows as well as a festive dinner at Highlands Country Club.

Returning for the third time will be soprano Sarah Jane McMahon, who wowed the audience in 2010 and 2013.  Hailed by The New York Times as “bright, active, and fastidiously musical,” and by Opera News as having “a golden sound,” she is recognized for her “beautiful vocal sophistication” and “sparkling stage presence.” 

Recently, Sarah Jane sang a Gala concert opposite Placido Domingo and made her debut with The San Francisco Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, the Wiener Konzert Haus, Bremen’s Die Glocke, and the Santo Domingo Festival in The Dominican Republic. A frequent guest artist at New York City Opera, she performed Mabel in their new production of “The Pirates of Penzance” and was described by The New York Times as “the most polished and flexible singer in the cast” and “a deft comic actress.” She also received their coveted Kolozsvar Award for her performances as Galatea in Handel’s “Acis and Galatea.”

Sarah Nordin is a “luscious mezzo-soprano” praised for her performance of Lola in “Cavalleria Rusticana” by Opera News for her ability to “hold her own with the big guns.”  Over the past two seasons she’s performed the roles of Dorabella in “Cosi fan tutte” with Opera Tampa, Winter Opera of St Louis and with Florida Opera Theatre, Flora in “La Traviata” with Opera Tampa and Cherubino in “Le Nozze di Figaro” with both Opera del West and Long Island Opera.  Other credits include Zita in “Gianni Schicchi” and Marcellina in “Le Nozze di Figaro” with Hubbard Hall Opera Theatre and Isabella in “L’Italiana in Algeri,” as well as Meg in “Falstaff,” with Taconic Opera.  Recently she sang Tisbe in “La Cenerentola” with Salt Marsh Opera and Orlofsky in “Die Fledermaus” with Geneva Light Opera.  Ms. Nordin has been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a number of prestigious companies such as Opera Theater of St Louis, Central City Opera, Opera North and the Metropolitan Opera. She has sung in eight productions with the Met including three HD live broadcasts and the 2011 tour of Japan.

Tenor Jon Jurgens has established himself as a versatile young talent with a wide range of repertoire. He has been hailed by Opera News as “…a surprise discovery, an affable, open-throated Italianate tenor with a full, easy top and real lyric bloom.” Most recently, he performed the roles of St. Brioche in “The Merry Widow” and Schmidt in “Werther,” while covering the roles of Camille and Werther (Boston Lyric Opera).   Other recent highlights include the title role in “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (Opera Fayetteville) and the roles of Rodolfo in “La Bohème” (OperaRaw) and Don José in “Carmen” (Opera NEO).

 As a studio artist with Sarasota Opera, he has performed many roles including Curley in “Of Mice and Men,” Steuermann in “Der Fliegende Höllander,” and Don Basilio in “Le nozze di Figaro.”  Jurgens was highly acclaimed as Tristan in Boston Lyric Opera’s production of “The Love Potion,” and he made his BLO debut as Gastone in “La traviata.” In the 2013-2014 season, Jurgens had the pleasure of making his debut with Chautauqua Opera in the roles of Fenton in “Falstaff” and Bob Boles in “Peter Grimes.”

Baritone Christopher Clayton is quickly establishing himself as a rising talent on the operatic stage. He has appeared with Utah Opera, Opera Birmingham, Sacramento Opera and Chautauqua Opera.  A versatile singer praised for his “golden baritone” and “dynamic” stage presence he performs musical styles varying from the title role in Monteverdi’s “Il ritorno d’Ulisse” Sharpless in “Madama Butterfly” and Tonio in Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci,” to Fredrich Bhaer in Adamo’s “Little Women.” 

Recent highlights are Alvaro in Catan’s “Florencia en el Amazonas” with Utah Opera, Falke in “Die Fledermaus” with Opera Theatre of the Rockies and Germont in “La Traviata.” On the concert stage he has appeared as a soloist in Ravel’s “Enfant et les Sortilèges,” Bernstein’s “Mass” and in Händel’s “Messiah” with the Utah Symphony, “Carmina Burana” and Hayden’s “Creation.” Mr. Clayton was a Portland Opera Studio Artist and returned there in 2010 for “Trouble in Tahiti.” He was a young artist with the Chautauqua Opera in both the apprentice and studio programs.

So mark your calendars for 4:00 P.M. Sunday, September 11.  Tickets have been selling out by the first week in August. Call (828) 787-1463 to get on our mailing list.