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| James Morris (photo: Carol Mittelsdorf) |
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| NEW YORK, DECEMBER 22: Sherrill Milnes – the peerless American baritone who made his Metropolitan Opera debut exactly 50 years ago today – looks forward to honoring his beloved colleague, legendary bass-baritone James Morris, at the 2016 VOICE Gala on Friday, February 11. Hosted by Opera America CEO Marc A. Scorca at the Harmonie Club in New York City, this special event comprises dinner and vocal tributes by singers including soprano Amy Shoremount Obra and bass-baritone Mark Walters, two of the numerous young artists mentored by Milnes through his VOICExperience Foundation and Savannah VOICE Festival. Attendees will include performing arts luminaries Martina Arroyo, Carmen de Lavallade, Tony Roberts, Renata Scotto, Barry Tucker, and Fritz Weaver, and net proceeds from the gala will benefit VOICExperience scholarships. Click here to request an invitation. |
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| Like Milnes himself, James Morris’s existing honors include multiple Grammy Awards and an Opera News Award. As Opera News explained in a recent profile of the legendary bass-baritone, |
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| “When we think of this artist, we may think first of the rich gleam of his superb basso cantante, but it’s the humanity of his portrayals that feeds our memory of him. Few singers illuminate the frailty inside strong men better than James Morris.” |
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| Born in 1947, Morris trained in his native Baltimore with Rosa Ponselle and at the Peabody Conservatory before attending Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts. In 1971 he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera, the company with which he would become most closely associated. Today he is recognized as one of the world’s most versatile male voices, with a repertoire ranging from Mozart to Verdi, Wagner, and Britten. A preeminent Wotan interpreter, he has headlined Ring productions at companies including the Met, the Vienna State Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and San Francisco Opera. Other signature roles include the title role in Der fliegende Holländer, Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Scarpia in Tosca, which he most recently portrayed at the Met just last month. He and Milnes have performed and recorded together on numerous occasions. |
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| Morris and Milnes sing “Suoni la tromba e intrepido” from Bellini’s I puritani at the Metropolitan Opera in 1976. |
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About the VOICExperience Foundation
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| The VOICExperience Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, established by world-renowned baritone Sherrill Milnes and his wife, soprano Maria Zouves. Its mission is to pass on the traditions of great singing and develop new audiences for opera. Since 2000, VOICExperience has helped thousands of singers find their career path through educational programs and workshops, where emerging artists work with the best names in opera, musical theater, and song. Now under the umbrella of the Sherrill Milnes VOICE Programs, VOICExperience continues its dedication to the quality, integrity, and perpetuation of the vocal arts through life-changing intensives, performances, and community-enriching outreach events in Georgia, with its sister organization, the Savannah VOICE Festival, as well as in New York, Florida, and Illinois. |
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| The definitive Verdi baritone of his generation, Sherrill Milnes celebrated his 80th birthday in January and commemorates the 50th anniversary of his 1965 Metropolitan Opera debut today, December 22. To mark this milestone, November’s 81st Annual Metropolitan Opera Guild Luncheon, “Golden Celebration,” honored the three-time Grammy Award-winner alongside fellow Met legends Grace Bumbry, Mirella Freni, and Renato Scotto, all of whom also celebrated the golden anniversaries of their debuts at the New York opera house this year. Through his acclaimed Sherrill Milnes VOICE Programs© – VOICExperience and the Savannah VOICE Festival – the baritone continues to make an invaluable contribution to opera, actively and passionately training young singers and developing new audiences for the vocal arts. |
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| Sherrill Milnes (photo: Dario Acosta) |
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VOICExperience Foundation:
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Sherrill Milnes and VOICE Programs present:
2016 VOICE Gala
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Harmonie Club, New York, NY
Friday, February 11
Honoree: James Morris, bass-baritone
Emcee: Marc A. Scorca, CEO of Opera America
Performers to include:
Amy Shoremount-Obra, soprano
Mark Walters, baritone
Attendees to include:
Martina Arroyo
Carmen de Lavallade
Tony Roberts
Renata Scotto
Barry Tucker
Fritz Weaver
Net proceeds benefit VOICExperience scholarships. |
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