More friends in opera…
…like the beautiful Austrian mezzo-soprano
Angelika Kirchschlager
- shown here with Jean-Yves at a reception following her Southern California debut, a recital presented in September 1997 by the Orange County Philharmonic Society* where she sang a daunting program of Lieder by Korngold, Berg, Mahler and Strauss to an admiring audience.
Today one of the world’s star mezzo-soprano whose artistic home is the Vienna State Opera, Angelika Kirchschlager often performs in recital with Jean-Yves. Their first US recital tour was in the Fall of 1997. She made her Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera debuts in 1998. She is as comfortable singing Cherubino and Dorabella as she is singing Mahler and Strauss. In 2002 she created to unanimous acclaim the title role in Nicholas Maw’s operatic version of William Styron’s best-selling 1979 novel Sophie’s Choice at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Versatile? Absolutely!
* The Orange County Philharmonic Society is well known for its great classical programming and for introducing rising stars in classical music to Southern California audiences.
…and the fiery young Russian baritone
Dmitri Hvorostovsky
- shown here with Jean-Yves shortly after a Benefit Recital for Classical Action in New York in the Fall 1996.
Hvorostovsky of course is one of today’s opera stars who sings regularly at the Metropolitan Opera and other great opera houses. He is a favorite “Don Giovanni” AND “Leporello” among opera lovers. He sang both roles in a Great Performances program called Don Giovanni Unmasked which aired on PBS in 2001.
Below is a video clip from a performance with star American baritone Thomas Hampson:
Click on to read about his most exciting moments in opera… on stage at the MET!
