Remember
Tobias Greenhalgh, Steven LaBrie and Jarrett Ott
Michael Brofman, Adam Nielsen & Danny Zelibor
Songs by Benjamin C. S. Boyle, Jake Heggie, Jennifer Higdon, Lori Laitman, and Glen Roven
Hear the Guys sing "Remember"
Texts of the CD
EPK
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Physiologically, it is true that the baritone range is the most common territory inhabited by male voices, but voices such as those of young American baritones Tobias Greenhalgh, Steven LaBrie, and Jarrett Ott are anything but common. With Remember, this compelling disc on his own label, lauded composer, conductor, pianist, poet, and producer Glen Roven provides a platform via which these three gifted singers connect with listeners via intelligently-sung, affectionately-accompanied performances of Art Songs by some of America’s most renowned contemporary composers. Intelligence is commendable, not least owing to it being in sadly short supply, but the brightest mind achieves little in the service of mediocre vocal cords. Mediocrity finds no home on this disc.
BIOS
Tobias Greenhalgh joined the Glyndebourne Opera Tour for performances of Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Festival d'Aix-en-Provence for the title role in Dido and Aeneas, as well as returned to Theater an der Wien for Maria Stuarda and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Last season, he joined Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as Tom Joad in Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath, made his role debut as Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with the Orlando Philharmonic, joined the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in King Arthur, and returned to Palm Beach Opera as Sam in Pirates of Penzance. He also joined Charlottesville Opera for Jud in Oklahoma!, reprised Leo Stein and Man Ray in Gordon’s 27 with MasterVoices at City Center, and joined the Brooklyn Art Song Society for an all-German recital. Recent performances include leads in Peter Grimes, L’incoronazione di Poppea at the Theater an der Wien, Carmen, Hänsel und Gretel at the Wiener Kammeroper, Die Fledermaus at the Franz Lehár Festival in Bad Ischl, Austria, and returned to Palm Beach in Carmen. While a member of the Junges Ensemble of the Theater an der Wien, he sang Eugene Onegin at the Wiener Kammeroper, followed by performances of Argante in Rinaldo, which he reprised in a tour to the Bolshoi Theater, Ramiro in L’heure Espagnole, and was presented in solo concerts and recitals. On the concert stage, he has sung Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion with Soli Deo Gloria, The Druid Priest in Mendelssohn’s Die erste Walpurgisnacht and Vaughan Williams’ “Five Mystical Songs” with Saint George’s Choral Society[KL1] . He was presented by the Brooklyn Art Song Society in a recital of Wolf’s “Mörike Lieder.” Mr. Greenhalgh is a graduate of The Juilliard School from which he earned both his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees. He is a first place winner of the 2016 Riccardo Zandonai Competition and the 2013 Liederkranz Competition. His other competition wins included grand prize in the Metropolitan International Music Festival Competition, first place in the Mario Lanza Competition, second place in the Oratorio Society of New York Competition, and third place in the Gerda Lissner Competition.
Steven LaBrie recently performed with Sarasota Opera as Escamillo in Carmen, with Florida Grand Opera as Riolobo in Florencia en el Amazonas, and with the San Antonio Symphony for performances of Elijah. Mr. LaBrie’s 2016-2017 season included performances of Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Hong Kong, Marcello in La Bohème with Opera Omaha, and the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro with North Carolina Opera. In concert, he was heard in Carmina Burana with the San Antonio Symphony and Brahms’s Requiem with the Tulsa Symphony. Prior to that Mr. LaBrie made his debut at Lyric Opera Baltimore as Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. He appeared with Erin Wall at the George London Foundation Recital Series, with the New York City Ballet singing the baritone solos of Estancia both in New York City and on tour in Paris, and made his Carnegie Hall debut as the soloist in Matthias Pintscher’s “Songs from Solomon’s Garden” with the American Composers Orchestra. Mr. LaBrie received the 2016 Top Prize Award as well as a 2013 Encouragement Grant from the George London Music Foundation, Second Place from the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, and the Judges Award from the Opera Index Competition. He was awarded First Place in the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition and Second Place in the Palm Beach Opera Competition in 2008. In 2006 Mr. LaBrie was awarded The Mozart Award for Best Aria Interpretation.
In the 2015-16 season, Jarrett Ott performed the role of W.P. Inman in the East Coast premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain with Opera Philadelphia, as well as the Marchese D’Obigny in La Traviata. He sang Papageno in Die Zauberflöte (also with Opera Philadelphia as part of their inaugural 2O17 festival), Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Lyric Opera Kansas City and with Dayton Opera, Jupiter in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld with New Orleans Opera, and at Santa Fe Opera, Harlekin and Maximilian in Ariadne auf Naxos and Candide, respectively. Important concert debuts include Carmina Burana with Seattle Symphony, Brahms’ Requiem with Columbus Symphony, and Stanford’s “Songs of the Fleet” with the New York Choral Society at Carnegie Hall. Mr. Ott joins the Ensemble of Staatsoper Stuttgart beginning in 2018-2019. In 2016-17, Ott made his European debut at Deutsche Oper Berlin singing in Andrea Scartazzini’s Edward II, and embarked on a European tour with Perm Opera and MusicAeterna as Don Pedro de Alvorado in a concert version of Purcell’s Indian Queen. In North America, Mr. Ott made three important role debuts: as Curly in Oklahoma! with Glimmerglass Festival, Zurga in The Pearl Fishers with North Carolina Opera, and Charlie in Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers with Opera Memphis. He made his European concert debut with the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris performing pieces by Vito Zuraj and Bach, conducted by Matthias Pintscher. Other role debuts included The Count in Strauss’ Capriccio (a co-production with Opera Philadelphia and Curtis Opera Theatre) and Masetto in Don Giovanni with Santa Fe Opera. With the Center for Contemporary Opera, he debuted in Kenneth Fuchs’ Falling Man at Symphony Space in New York City. On the concert stage, he has given recitals with The Brooklyn Art Song Society, and has appeared as a soloist in Handel’s Israel in Egypt with the New York Choral Society at Carnegie Hall. He made professional debuts with Gotham Chamber Opera, Opera Philadelphia, The American Symphony Orchestra, and Annapolis Opera. [KL1] He has been featured in Curtis Opera Theatre productions,performing Dandini in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Marquis de la Force in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, Argante in Handel’s Rinaldo, Aeneas in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Gregor Mittenhoffer in Henze’s Elegy for Young Lovers, Valentin in Gounod’s Faust, Harašta in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, and Le Mari in Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tiresias. Based in New York City, he received his master’s degree at the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with baritone Randall Scarlata, as well as with Marlena Kleinman Malas.
Michael Brofman is the founder and artistic director of the Brooklyn Art Song Society, an organization dedicated to the vast repertoire of poetry set to music, now in its seventh season. His first CD, “New Voices,” on Roven Records debuted in the top 10 of the Traditional Classical Billboard Chart. He has performed and presented hundreds of songs, from Schubert’s earliest lieder to premieres of new songs by Tom Cipullo, Lowell Liebermann, and Glen Roven. He was hailed by the New York Times as an “excellent pianist,” and Feast of Music praised his “elegant and refined playing.” This season includes performances of Debussy and Faure with soprano Kristina Bachrach, Chausson, Duparc, and Poulenc with baritones John Moore and Steven Eddy, and the American premiere of Jean Barraque’s 3 Melodies with soprano Sarah Brailey. In addition, Mr. Brofman will perform Harold Meltzer’s Beautiful, Ohio with tenor Dominic Armstrong, Harrison Birtwistle’s Songs from the Same Earth with tenor Zach Finkelstein, and a world premiere by Kurt Rohde. Additionally, he performs a recital with Zach Finkelstein on Seattle’s classical radio station, and partakes in an artist residency at UC-Davis. Mr. Brofman made his Carnegie Hall debut with baritone Tobias Greenhalgh.
Adam Nielsen recent performances include the premiere of a new song cycle, Lazarus Lieder, by Jonathan Dove at Carnegie’s Weill Hall with baritone Davone Tines, Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto at his alma mater, Utah State University, a recital with mezzo soprano Tamara Mumford at the Frick, and a recital with bass Ryan Speedo Green at the Ravinia Festival. He joined the St. Louis Symphony for Phillip Glass’s opera The Trial with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and also collaborated with A Far Cry in performances of Matt Aucoin’s Crossing at BAM. Adam is a pianist for the semi-finals of the Met National Council Auditions, as well as the Dallas Opera Guild Competition. In recent seasons, Adam has been presented as a soloist and collaborator at the Myra Hess Recital Series at the Chicago Cultural Center, the Harris Theater Chamber Music Series at the Aspen Festival, the Musée de Beaux Arts in Montreal, the Ethical Society of St. Louis, Boston’s Schubert Theater, the Missouri River Arts Festival, the Grand Cayman Arts Festival, and in New York City at Steinway Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the 92nd Street Y. Adam is currently an associate faculty member of the Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts at the Juilliard School. He has been on the music staff at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Heifetz International String Institute, Aspen Opera Theater, Harvard’s American Repertory Theater, The Steans Institute of the Ravinia Festival, and has worked with Virginia Opera, Dallas Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, and Chicago Lyric Opera. A native of Layton, UT, he made his solo debut with the Utah Symphony under Joseph Silverstein at age 16, and is winner of the inaugural Steinway National Collegiate Artist Competition, second-prize winner of the Kingsville International Piano Competition, and winner of the Stony Brook Concerto Competition.
Danny Zelibor’s past season included recitals with Los Angeles Philharmonic principal cellist Robert DeMaine and Chicago Symphony cellist Brant Taylor, in addition to being a pianist for Fort Worth Opera’s festival of new works, “Frontiers.” He spent the past two summers as pianist and vocal coach at Seagle Music Colony in Upstate New York and for the summer of 2018 was a vocal piano fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. Mr. Zelibor’s debut CD for Toccata Classics, the first in a multi-volume set of the piano music of Alexandre Tansman, received widespread praise from music publications, including Fanfare, MusicWeb International, and Deutsche Grammophone. The second album in the series, which includes two world premieres, has been equally applauded. Fanfare praised “the brilliant young American pianist Danny Zelibor [who] proves an ideal exponent of this music, not only in the way he instinctively seems to grasp the essence of the composer’s often elusive idiom, but also in the way he infuses the music with the last ounce of character, color, and excitement.” While continuing to record Tansman’s vast piano repertoire, he also recorded his first album of music by Brazilian composer, Camargo Guarnieri, which will be released by the French label, Artalinna. Mr. Zelibor is a graduate of Texas Christian University and the University of North Texas where he studied with Tamás Ungár and Joseph Banowetz, and he recently completed his degree in Collaborative Piano with Warren Jones at the Manhattan School of Music.