Secrest Artists Series to present opera stars Feb. 28
Lawrence Brownlee (left) and Eric Owens
The Secrest Artists Series will present tenor Lawrence Brownlee and bass-baritone Eric Owens on Feb. 28 in Brendle Recital Hall in the Scales Fine Arts Center. The performance by two of today’s operatic superstars will begin at 7:30 p.m.
It is a not-to-be missed program of operatic solos, duets and spirituals.
Brownlee was named 2017 Male Singer of the Year by the International Opera Awards. Owens, of the Metropolitan Opera, was named Musical America’s 2017 Vocalist of the Year. Owens is artist in residence at Glimmerglass, Wolf Trap and the Washington National Opera.
Brownlee and Owens will be joined by Grammy-nominated pianist Myra Huang, acclaimed by Opera News as being “among the top accompanists of her generation.”
Enrich your experience by joining a pre-performance talk at 6:40 p.m. in Room M208, adjacent to Brendle Recital Hall. The talk will be led by Assistant Professor of Music Bryon Grohman. Talk attendees will be taken on a tour of the vocal acoustics at play in male operatic singing. Grohman will also unlock some of the mysteries associated with the powerful tenor “High C,” by exploring the physiological and acoustic principles needed to accomplish such heroic vocal production. You will also look inside the bass-baritone voice and discuss the concept of vocal registers, highlighting what exactly makes bass-baritone voices sound so rich and acoustically complex.
Wake Forest University and Wake Forest School of Medicine faculty, staff and retirees receive free admission for themselves and one guest to each Secrest Artists Series performance. Wake Forest students and School of Medicine students receive free admission for themselves. Simply show your Wake Forest ID at the door. We encourage those with a Wake Forest ID to pre-register through the Secrest Series website so we can keep track of available seats for the community at large.
A master class with Brownlee and Owens will be held on Feb. 27 from 6 to 8 p.m in Brendle Recital Hall. The public is invited to observe as these acclaimed singers lead a master class with Wake Forest vocal students. This event is free.
