Nic Sluss Rodionov sings Ravel
Nic Sluss-Rodionov lived for a time in France and spoke French beautifully, so it's no surprise that he sings two of the Don Quichotte Songs of Maurice Ravel will exceptional grace and skill.
Nic Sluss-Rodionov sings Schubert II
It's hard not to feel a special chill when listening to my former student Nic Sluss-Rodionov sing Schubert's "Death and the Maiden." This song is very seldom sung by male singers, but I love how Nic so beautifully embodied both the fear of the maiden in the first half as well as the quiet, soothing
Nic Sluss-Rodionov sings Schubert
Here is another excerpt from the senior recital of bass-baritone Nic Sluss-Rodionov. He had a deep and rich affinity with the Lieder of Franz Schubert and I especially love the way he sang "Der Wanderer." The text is uttered by someone who finds themselves wandering in a strange land, far from home, surrounded by
Nic Sluss-Rodionov sings Leporello
I regret that my former student Nic Sluss-Rodionov never had the chance to perform the role of Leporello in a full performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni. He would have been absolutely perfect in the part. Leporello is Don Giovanni's right hand man - and in this so-called Catalog Aria, he is describing to Donna Elvira
Nic Sluss-Rodionov sings “Messiah”
This is from the senior voice recital of Nicholas Sluss-Rodionov, a former voice student of mine who was killed in a car accident earlier this year; He was 33 years old. His recital was chock full of difficult music, and he began the program in blazing fashion: with "Why do the nations so furiously rage?"
The Suicide Index- Morning Show
I am posting this on the last day of September because this month has been Suicide Awareness Month. Over the last twenty-plus years I have done a number of Morning Show interviews on the topic of suicide, but this is the conversation that I think was the most thought-provoking. Susan Wickersham's memoir "The Suicide Index:
Big Debut
I was just on hand for a most exciting singing debut. No, it wasn't in any opera house or concert hall- and it wasn't for hundreds of people. But trust me- it was still a really big deal, and a truly exciting and moving experience. The place: Siebert Chapel The occasion: Morning Chapel
Peter Gelb from the Met
Here is a Morning Show interview from the archives that preserves one of the most exciting experiences I've ever had with the show. Ten years ago, the Metropolitan Opera undertook a project that helped to reshape the way people could experience the beauty and power and passion of Grand Opera- the Metropolitan Opera's High-Definition Simulcasts
New Home
Sixty pounds. Over the past eight months, I have managed to lose sixty pounds ...... which, as a friend of mine pointed out to me, is the equivalent of losing a small child. Why did I do it? And how did I do it? WHY: I began this for one reason and one reason alone:
Where is Love – 2015 Voice Recital
Here is a beautiful song from Lionel Bart's "Oliver" and a performance of it by Caritas- Kate Potter Barrow, Kathy (my wife) and me. I suspect that it had been at least five years since the three of us had last sung this together- and we only managed to rehearse it the night before. Fortunately,