Alasdair Kent Explained

Image Upright:1.1
Birth Place:Perth, Western Australia
Occupation:Operatic tenor
Years Active:2013–present

Alasdair Kent is a British-Australian operatic tenor, principally known for his interpretations of the Italian bel canto of Rossini and Bellini, and Mozart.[1] [2] In 2016, Richard Bonynge presented him with the Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation Bel Canto Award.[3] After his European debut with the Rossini Opera Festival in 2017, his international career has seen debut performances around Europe and the United States, usually in the roles of Rossini and Mozart.[2]

Early life and education

Alasdair Kent was born in Perth, Western Australia. He studied music and performance at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and the University of Western Australia with mezzo-soprano Megan Sutton,[4] as well as English literature, and Italian, French and German languages.[4] He sang with the West Australian Opera Chorus for several seasons in various repertoire,[4] and also took part in the Lisa Gasteen National Opera Program.[5] In 2017, he received an Artist Diploma from the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, where he studied with Bill Schuman and sang performances of Lindoro (L'italiana in Algeri), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) and Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi).[6] He was an Emerging Artist with Opera Philadelphia,[7] and a Filene Young Artist with Wolf Trap Opera,[8] where he performed as Ritornello in Florian Leopold Gassmann's L'opera seria,[9] and Giocondo in Rossini's La pietra del paragone.[10] He also took part in the Martina Arroyo Foundation's Prelude to Performance[11] and the Merola Opera Program.[12]

Career

Kent made his professional debut in Australia at the age of 25, as Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola with Opera Queensland in 2013.[13] [14] While at AVA, he made his US concert debut with The Dallas Opera in 2015,[15] and his US operatic debut in 2016 with Opera Philadelphia in Cold Mountain, an operatic adaptation of Charles Frazier's novel composed by Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Higdon.[16] [17] His European debut followed in 2017, as Cavaliere Belfiore in Il viaggio a Reims for the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, marking the beginning of his international career.[18] He has since been engaged at many of the most important international theatres and concert venues, including the Bayerische Staatsoper, the Vienna State Opera, Opernhaus Zürich, the Teatro di San Carlo, the Royal Concertgebouw, Konzerthaus Berlin, the Elbphilharmonie and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.[19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]

A tenore di grazia frequently associated with bel canto,[13] [25] [26] [27] his principal repertoire includes roles of Rossini, Mozart, Donizetti, Bellini, Bizet, and Verdi. However, he has also performed works by composers as diverse as Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky.[6] Of these composers, he has sung most frequently:

Other notable operatic performances include Paolino in Cimarosa's Il matrimonio segreto, in Pier Luigi Pizzi's new production with the Festival della Valle d'Itria and the Teatro Regio di Torino,[42] [43] [44] Tamino in Die Zauberflöte for the Royal Opera House Muscat,[45] [46] Argirio in Rossini's Tancredi with the Teatro Petruzzelli,[47] and his debut as Arturo in I puritani with Ópera de Oviedo in 2020.[48] [20] In concert and recital, the tenor's performances include various repertoire, ranging from Rossini's virtuoso Messa di Gloria[49] to Lili Boulanger's song cycle Clairières dans le ciel.[50] [51]

Personal life

Kent is currently in a relationship with Benedikt Schobel, principal bassoonist of Sinfonieorchester Basel.[52] [53] The two have performed in concert together.[54] The tenor enjoys weightlifting and is a champagne enthusiast.[55] He has frequently cited fellow Australian Joan Sutherland as a vocal inspiration,[56] [57] [58] and lists Jascha Heifetz, Martha Argerich and Vladimir Horowitz as non-operatic artistic heroes.[59] He is also a polyglot, speaking multiple European languages.[60] [61]

Repertoire

I puritani – Lord Arturo Talbot

Don Procopio – Don Odoardo

Il matrimonio segreto – Paolino

L'opera seria – Ritornello

Orlando paladino – Orlando

Gianni Schicchi – Rinuccio

Platée – Thespis

Cublai, gran kan de' Tartari – Timur

Falstaff – Fenton[62]

Awards

Discography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alasdair Kent – Biographie. Olyrix. August 16, 2020.
  2. Web site: Alasdair Kent, tenor. Operabase. June 14, 2021.
  3. Web site: Bel Canto Award. The Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation. June 14, 2021.
  4. Web site: Welcome to Art Song Perth. Art Song Perth Artist Bios. August 16, 2020.
  5. Web site: Our Alumni. Lisa Gasteen National Opera Program. August 16, 2020.
  6. Web site: Alasdair Kent. Academy of Vocal Arts Alumni. August 16, 2020.
  7. Web site: Q&A with Emerging Artist Alasdair Kent. Opera Philadelphia Opera Blog. August 17, 2020.
  8. Web site: Alasdair Kent. Wolf Trap Opera. August 17, 2020.
  9. Web site: L'opera seria. Wolf Trap Opera Past Productions. August 17, 2020.
  10. Web site: La pietra del paragone. Wolf Trap Opera Past Productions. August 17, 2020.
  11. Web site: Legacy. Martina Arroyo Foundation. August 17, 2020.
  12. Web site: Program Alumni. Merola Opera Program. August 17, 2020.
  13. Web site: Bel Canto and Elizabeth Connell Prize winners announced. Limelight Magazine. August 17, 2020.
  14. Web site: Alasdair Kent. The Dallas Opera Performer Biographies. August 17, 2020.
  15. Web site: Female conductors – a rarity – shine at Dallas Opera workshop concert. The Dallas Morning News. 6 December 2015 . August 17, 2020.
  16. Web site: Cold Mountain review. Opera News. August 17, 2020.
  17. Web site: Cold Mountain. Opera Philadelphia What's On 2015–16. August 17, 2020.
  18. Web site: Archive of Programs, Stagione 2017. Rossini Opera Festival. August 17, 2020.
  19. Web site: Mosè in Egitto. Teatro di San Carlo. August 17, 2020.
  20. Web site: Alasdair Kent, tenor. Operabase. August 17, 2020.
  21. Web site: Berliner Operngruppe. Konzerthaus Berlin. September 8, 2021.
  22. Web site: Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Wiener Staatsoper. June 19, 2022.
  23. Web site: Mo, 27.03.2023 - Mozart: Cosi fan tutte. Elbphilharmonie. March 19, 2023.
  24. Web site: Cosi fan tutte, Mozart. Theatre des Champs-Elysees. March 19, 2023.
  25. Web site: AVA Resident Artists Win Big During the Giargiari Bel Canto Competition. AVA Opera Blog. August 16, 2020.
  26. Web site: Rof, alla scoperta di Alasdair Kent, tenore australiano che sognava di cantare a Pesaro. Pesaro Urbino 24. 5 August 2017 . August 17, 2020.
  27. Web site: BASEL/ Theater: IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA (Produktion der Komischen Oper Berlin). Online Merker. August 17, 2020.
  28. Web site: Il barbiere di Siviglia, review. Opernmagazin. August 17, 2020.
  29. Web site: Il barbiere di Siviglia, Season 2020-2021. Opernhaus Zürich. August 17, 2020.
  30. Web site: Il barbiere di Siviglia. Oper Köln. August 17, 2020.
  31. Web site: Il barbiere di Siviglia. Bayerische Staatsoper. June 12, 2021.
  32. Web site: The Barber of Seville. The Dallas Opera. June 12, 2021.
  33. Web site: Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri at the Hungarian State Opera. Magyar Állami Operaház. August 17, 2020.
  34. Web site: L'italienne à Alger. Opéra de Toulon. August 17, 2020.
  35. Web site: L'Italienne à Alger. Ópera Orchestre National Montpellier. August 17, 2020.
  36. Web site: L'italiana in Algeri. The Israeli Opera. June 12, 2021.
  37. Web site: Vasilisa Berzhanskaya in Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri. Concertgebouw. June 12, 2021.
  38. Web site: Così fan tutte, March 16-24, 2019. Lyric Opera of Kansas City. August 17, 2020.
  39. Web site: The Great War of the Sexes: Così in Kansas City. Bachtrack. August 17, 2020.
  40. Web site: Cosi fan tutte. The Israeli Opera. August 17, 2020.
  41. Web site: Così fan tutte – F.R.L.M.. Fondazione Rete Lirica delle Marche. August 17, 2020.
  42. Web site: Il matrimonio segreto. Festival della Valle d'Itria. August 17, 2020.
  43. Web site: Secret affairs in an Italian summer: Cimarosa's Matrimonio segreto at Martina Franca. Bachtrack. August 17, 2020.
  44. Web site: Il matrimonio segreto. Teatro Regio Torino. August 17, 2020.
  45. Web site: Die Zauberflöte, The Magic Flute. Royal Opera House Muscat. August 17, 2020.
  46. Web site: Royal Opera House Muscat 2019–20 Review: Die Zauberflöte. Opera Wire. August 17, 2020.
  47. Web site: Sito Petruzzelli. Teatro Petruzzelli. August 17, 2020.
  48. Web site: I puritani. Ópera de Oviedo. August 17, 2020.
  49. Web site: Noé, une soirée exceptionnelle dediée à la danse et à la musique. Pau – Culture et Patrimoine. August 17, 2020.
  50. Web site: Alasdair Kent. Oper Köln. August 17, 2020.
  51. Web site: European Journey: French Recital – Productions. Academy of Vocal Arts. August 17, 2020.
  52. Web site: Q & A: Alasdair Kent on Mozart, Bel Canto & His Beginnings. OperaWire. November 5, 2023.
  53. Web site: Fagott. Sinfonieorchester Basel. November 5, 2023.
  54. Web site: Alasdair Kent "Arien". Bärenstutz1. November 5, 2023.
  55. Web site: Q & A: Alasdair Kent on Mozart, Bel Canto & His Beginnings. OperaWire. November 5, 2023.
  56. Web site: Q & A: Alasdair Kent on Mozart, Bel Canto & His Beginnings. OperaWire. November 5, 2023.
  57. Web site: Q&A with Emerging Artist Alasdair Kent. Opera Philadelphia. November 5, 2023.
  58. Web site: Tenor Alasdair Kent in the Spotlight. Wolf Trap Opera. November 5, 2023.
  59. Web site: Tenor Alasdair Kent in the Spotlight. Wolf Trap Opera. November 5, 2023.
  60. Web site: Rof, alla scoperta di Alasdair Kent, tenore australiano che sognava di cantare a Pesaro: “Questa è la Mecca”. pu24.it. November 5, 2023.
  61. Web site: About. Alasdair Kent. November 5, 2023.
  62. Web site: Alasdair Kent, Repertoire. Operabase. June 12, 2021.
  63. Web site: 2017. The Gerda Lissner Foundation. August 16, 2020.
  64. Web site: Finalists. The Loren L. Zachary Society. August 16, 2020.
  65. Web site: The Marten Bequest Past Recipients. Australia Council for the Arts. August 16, 2020.
  66. Web site: Bel Canto Award. The Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation. August 16, 2020. February 7, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170207234107/http://www.jsrbfoundation.com/awards-prizes/bel-canto-award/. dead.
  67. http://www.liciaalbanesepuccinifnd.org/pastwinner/2016.html The Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, Past Winners 2016
  68. Web site: Voice competition winners announced. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 16, 2020.
  69. Web site: Vocal Competition. Opera at Florham. August 16, 2020.
  70. Web site: Poul Ruders: The Thirteenth Child. Bridge Records. August 16, 2020.
  71. Web site: Discography. Alasdair Kent. June 12, 2021.

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