Dear Readers,
Surprise, surprise! Here I am writing to you from Bethesda, Maryland. Yes. I'm back.
The prodigal tenor hath returned! Have you missed your operatic greatest hits albums? We're bringing you a concert of romantic opera highlights. I'll be singing Faust with a tremendously talented group of singers including Alexandra Razskazoff (Marguerite), Olga Syniakova (Martha), and Michael Pitocchi (Mefistofele).
It's starting to feel as though the fabulous team at Maryland Lyric Opera has started a "fest" position. This will be my third appearance with this year and I will return in the January for Thais, March for L'Heure Espagnole, and then Mary in Le Nozze di Figaro. I arrived from Berlin two days ago, following a weekend of travelling around Eastern and Central Germany, where I worked a bit with Anne Larlee in Frankfurt, Damon Nestor Ploumis in Weimar and even ran into the indomitable Stephan Lano! Not to mention a weekend with my best buddy Richard Block and his beautiful family.
I am so grateful to the strong and supportive leaders of this opera company: Mr. Matthew Woorman, Maestro Louis Salemno, and Brad Clark. If you're a long time reader you'll know that my career has been more sinuous than meteoric, following an irregular and graduated path rather than an arch.
It difficult to summarize my feelings seeing my graying hair, and hoping that sometime soon the luck, timing, and opportunity that one cannot create but by chance is prepared to pursue should they align.
Keeping my fingers-crossed.
Filled with gratitude,
Joe
