Grammy-Winner Richard Paul Fink Performs with True Concord
True Concord’s upcoming performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah, January 27-29, has been called the “cornerstone of the 2017 Tucson Desert Song Festival” and having Grammy-winning operatic baritone Richard Paul Fink in the title role is certainly one of the reasons. This will be a first for True Concord to perform a work on such a monumental scale with 70 vocalists and a 50-piece orchestra. A collaboration with the University of Arizona Choral Department, Music Director Eric Holtan said of the work “it’s one of those pieces that doesn’t get done very often in Southern Arizona. This will be a rare performance.”
Now in its 5th year, the Tucson Desert Song Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation initiated by a group of music-loving volunteers. Its purpose is to “coordinate, subsidize and publicize a unique classical voice festival highlighting the rich musical life of Tucson along with some of the country’s leading vocal performance artists through a series of concerts, lectures and master classes throughout the three-weekend festival.” Financial subsidies allow local performance organizations to hire vocal soloists they might not otherwise be able to afford, such as the renowned Richard Paul Fink.
Richard Paul Fink’s website reveals that he “delights in his craft of musical storytelling. With versatility and an extraordinary breadth of repertoire, he powerfully masters a variety of musical styles that captures audiences of all ages and interests. His mastery as a musician and commanding stage presence draws impassioned listeners in, ever desiring to hear more.”
Fink’s biography conveys that he “has been acclaimed internationally as a leading dramatic baritone at such theaters as the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Vienna State Opera, Berlin State Opera, Opéra National de Paris, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, San Diego Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse, Sydney Opera House, and at the Bregenz and Ravinia Festivals. His repertoire includes some of the most challenging roles of the baritone canon, such as the title role in Wagner’s Der Fliegende Hollaender, Telramund in Wagner’s Lohengrin, Don Pizarro in Beethoven’s Fidelio, the title roles in Verdi’s Nabucco and Rigoletto, Iago in Otello, Scarpia in Puccini’s Tosca and Gerard in Giordano’s Andrea Chenier.”
With three performances throughout Tucson and Green Valley, there is a venue not far from you! Prepare to be blown away.
