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The 16th annual Bel Canto recital will be held Sunday, Sept. 7 at the Martin Lipscomb Performing Arts Center.Baritone John Packard has been added to the lineup. A prominent contemporary performer, he has been characterized as a charismatic young “rich-voiced” baritone. In his recent debut as Rigoletto, Opera Magazine said, “... a superb Verdi baritone in John Packard – a seamless voice, with character and a gleaming upper register. There are surely big things ahead for him.” Growing up in Elmhurst, Ill., and later Allentown, Pa., he said it never occurred to him he would be a singer. “Growing up, I sang in church choir and boys’ choir,” he said in an interview for OperaWeb magazine. “Opera wasn’t thrust upon me, it just kind of happened in college. I didn’t think of singing as a career until my junior year in college. Some people heard me and encouraged me to take lessons and I really got into it. I had practiced instruments before and had enjoyed it, but never realized how thrilling it was to sing.” Packard’s repertoire covers roles from all the classic bel canto composers of the 19th century — including Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini — follows the golden age of Verdi and rounds out with contemporary French composers including Puccini and Strauss. John Packard in “Dead Man Walking.” Known mostly for his contemporary roles, he first won acclaim with his creation of the modern role of Joe deRocher in Jake Heggie’s “Dead Man Walking,” a debut performance he made during the 2000-01 season in San Francisco. Packard said the part was satisfying for the emotional pull it had on the audience.“Sure, it’s satisfying to sing a wonderful aria and get a big ovation,” he said of a role like Rodrigo in Verdi’s “Don Carlo.” “But, to see people with tear-stained cheeks, as they were after ‘Dead Man Walking’ is somehow more satisfying.” The role quickly propelled him into the spotlight, becoming a favorite with San Francisco, Baltimore and New York operas. Packard made his New York City debut as Marcello in “La Bohème.” He also toured twice with the company both as Marcello and as Figaro in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” At the Dallas Opera and the Greater Buffalo Opera he portrayed Sharpless in “Madama Butterfly.” Again as Sharpless, he made his Italian debut with the prestigious La Fenicein Venice. His first European performance, however, took place in Paris with Packard as Silvio in a concert performance of “I Pagliacci,” under the baton of Antonello Allemandi. He added Valentin in “Faust” to his repertoire in a new David Alden production at the Wiener Volksoper. He made his initial appearances in Israel with the New Israeli Opera in a production directed by Franco Zeffirelli. In Israel, Packard also sang his first performances of Carmina Burana with the Haifa Symphony. Packard has been the recipient of the Robert Jacobson Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation, and he has been a winner of the Puccini, MacAllister, Loren Zachary, and Liederkranz competitions. Bringing this star of the contemporary opera to the stage in Highlands will be a new joy to opera lovers both young and old. Pairing him against tenor Roy Cornelius Smith, who comes to Highlands for the second time, will be a one-of-a-kind experience to all in attendance. The recital this year falls under the direction of Stella Zambalis in her new role as artistic director. All three will be working with the musical accompaniment of pianist Dr. Stephen Dubberly. The event will take place Sept. 7 at the Martin Lipscomb Performing Arts Center and will be followed by a dinner at Highlands Country Club. Tickets are $150 and proceeds benefit the music program at Highlands School and the permanent collection of The Bascom. For more information, call (828) 526- 9047 or write P.O. Box 2392, Highlands, NC, 28741. |
