Stearns Steps in to Gioconda at the Met

Baritone Jason Stearns stepped in for ailing Carlo Guelfi at the Metropolitan Opera Saturday night, singing the lead baritone role of Barnaba. Mr. Stearns, who received final word about the cancellation at 7:10 PM, was received warmly by the in-house audience. Martin Bernheimer, of the Financial Times, said: 

"Barnaba, the villain with a heart of ice, should have been Carlo Guelfi, but illness forced the last-minute substitution of Jason Stearns. Jason Stearns? He had once served in the Met chorus and undertaken tiny solos. In spite of a few pardonably rough patches, one had to admire his firm, wide-ranging baritone, not to mention his steadfast bravado."

Upcoming engagements for Mr. Stearns include Tonio in Pagliacci in matinee performances at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Monterone in Rigoletto at the Met, and the title role in Rigoletto at Baltimore Opera. 

Madeline Bender Headlines Sing for Hope

Renowned operatic soprano Madeline Bender and fellow artists have donated their time and talent to the creation of an evening of music to benefit Sing for Hope. The concert will be held at:

Lancaster Mennonite School Fine Arts Center located at 2176 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA on October 25th 2008 at 7 PM.   Suggested donation for the event is $15 per person.

The concert will feature Soprano Madeline Bender whose starring roles include Violetta in La Traviata at Santa Fe Opera, Euridice in Orfée at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, and Helene in A Midsummer Night's Dream at Glyndebourne Opera.  Accompanying the concert will be Conductor/Pianist Tim Long, who has led orchestras at The New York City Opera, The Opera Theater of St. Louis, Boston Lyric Opera and Wolf Trap Opera.  Performing with the artists will be the Lancaster Mennonite High School Chorale in a program designed for enjoyment by people of all ages. 

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Larry Guengerich at 717-859-1151.

Jason Stearns Makes Role and Festival Debut in Savonlinna

On July 16, baritone Jason Stearns debuted to critical and audience acclaim at the Savonlinna Festival in Finland as Der fliegende Holländer in Wagner's opera of the same name. This engagement represents both a house debut and role debut for Mr. Stearns, who will next be seen at the Metropolitan Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago in the 2008-2009 season. Mr. Stearns will also sing the title role in Rigoletto with Toledo Opera in November 2008 and join Norwegian Opera in the fall of 2009 to sing Jack Rance in La fanciulla del West.

Neil Funkhouser on the Opera Quiz

Neil Funkhouser joined Cori Ellison, Dramaturg for New York City Opera, and Willie Anthony Waters, Artistic Director of Connecticut Opera for the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera Quiz during the first intermission of the live broadcast of Tristan und Isolde on March 22, 2008. The Quiz was moderated by British mezzo-soprano Felicity Palmer and hosted by producer William Berger. Craig Rutenberg, Director of Music Administration for the Metropolitan Opera, played musical examples during the Quiz.

(Left to right: Craig Rutenberg, Cori Ellison, Neil Funkhouser, Willie Anthony Waters, William Berger, Felicity Palmer)

Barbara Quintiliani and Jason Stearns team up for Ernani in Boston

Continuing a season of collaborations by singers on the Funkhouser roster, soprano Barbara Quintiliani and baritone Jason Stearns will star in Opera Boston's production of Verdi's Ernani. Neither artist is a stranger to the great works of Verdi. Ms. Quintiliani, who will sing Elvira, was the 2006 first place winner of the Francisco Viñas Competition, where she also received the Verdi prize, while Mr. Stearns, who will sing Don Carlo, was the 2005 first place winner of the first annual Chester Ludgin American Verdi Baritone Competition. 

Ernani opens May 2, and repeats May 4 and 6, and the production will be conducted by Gil Rose.

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting the new blog for Neil Funkhouser Artists Management. This blog will be used to display news regarding the company and its roster. Please check back often for updates!