Nationally recognized baritone and Boston Wagner Institute alumnus, Joel Balzun will be singing in recital at First Church of Boston with pianist Brett Hodgdon, on Saturday, April 12, at 2:00 PM.
Featuring Wagner selections from Das Rheingold, Lohengrin, and Tannhäuser. Also presenting pieces by Gustav Mahler, Alma Mahler, Jean Sibelius, and Richard Strauß.
Free for STUDENTS and BWS Members — No purchase necessary!
Canadian baritone and composer Joel Balzun was recently named winner of the Fulham Opera Robert Presley Memorial Verdi Prize, and a prize winner in the Wagner Society of New York Singers Competition. Highlights of his 2023-2024 season include works of Mozart with San Luis Obispo Master Chorale, a recital with Cincinnati Song Initiative, his debut in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Los Angeles Opera and “Schaunard” (La bohème) with Opera Las Vegas. Recent performance highlights include “Marcello” (La bohème) with Pacific Opera Project, “Giorgio Germont” (La traviata) with Opera Santa Barbara and numerous recitals featuring the premiere performances of Black Dog by Tom Cipullo throughout the United States. He created the role of “Ivan Brisilov” in the world premiere of Stephanie Fleischmann and Peter Knell’s Arkhipov. He is an alumnus of the apprenticeship programs at Opera Saratoga and Santa Fe Opera and the fellowship programs at Tanglewood Music Centre and Ravinia Steans Music Institute.
Brett Hodgdon (pianist, coach, conductor) is the chorus director and principal coach at Boston Lyric Opera, where he has served on the company’s music staff since 2011. In addition to his work at BLO, Hodgdon has maintained frequent collaborations with the Boston Symphony Orchestra both as an orchestral pianist and as a rehearsal coach for vocal soloists and choruses. Hodgdon serves on the vocal coaching faculties of the New England Conservatory of Music and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. He has spent his recent summers as a pianist and coach for the Boston Wagner Institute. Since 2014, he has spent his summers on the coaching faculty of Si Parla, Si Canta! in Arona, Italy, where he made his international conducting debut with the Orchestra Sinfonica Carlo Coccia di Novara in 2019.
Program:
“Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge” | Das Rheingold
”Durch dich mußt ich verlieren” | Lohengrin
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen | Gustav Mahler
Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht
Ging heut' Morgen über's Feld
Ich hab' ein glühend Messer
Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz
Selections from Fünf Lieder | Alma Mahler
Die stille Stadt
Bei dir ist es traut
~ Intermission ~
“Wie Todesahnung... O du mein holder Abendstern” | Tannhäuser
Selections by Jean Sibelius
Var det en dröm
Drömmen
Nar jag drömmer
Dolce far niente
Selections by Richard Strauß
Zueignung
Befreit
Frühlingsfeier