San Giovanni Battista 

Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 7:30 pm

Zilkha Hall / Hobby Center For The Performing Arts

This 1675 oratorio tells the story of the death of John the Baptist with great flair and vivid drama. The prodigiously gifted Italian composer Alessandro Stradella took no prisoners in life or in art: his vocal lines, by turns acrobatic and deeply expressive, resemble his brief but spectacular career. Our cast for this performance, the Houston premiere of San Giovanni Battista, includes counter-tenor Jay Carter in the title role, soprano Sherezade Panthaki as Herodiade, tenor Joseph Gaines as Consigliero, and bass-baritone Sam Handley as Herod.

SOLOISTS & FEATURED ARTISTS

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Sam Handley has been praised for “his rich, burnished” voice and the “genuine emotional depth of his characterizations.” As a member of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center, he performed more than a dozen roles, including Quince in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Tom in Un ballo in maschera. After appearing in Il trittico at the Castleton Festival, he returned to sing Colline in La bohème with Lorin Maazel. Charles Ward of The Houston Chronicle has described his “vivid and polished singing” as “. . .leaving the audience panting.” Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Sam now lives in Chicago, Illinois, and enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, especially while camping, hiking, sailing, cooking, and fine dining!

Soprano Sherezade Panthaki's international success has been fueled by superbly honed musicianship; “shimmering sensitivity” (Cleveland Plain Dealer); “radiant” voice (The Washington Post); and vividly passionate interpretations, “mining deep emotion from the subtle shaping of the lines” (The New York Times). An acknowledged star in the early-music field, Ms. Panthaki has ongoing collaborations with leading early music interpreters including Nicholas McGegan, Simon Carrington, Matthew Halls, and Masaaki Suzuki, with whom she made her New York Philharmonic debut. Panthaki’s recent performance with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and conductor Nicholas McGegan was named one of the “Top 10 Classical Music Events of 2015.” Ms. Panthaki’s 2017/18 season features performances of Vivaldi’s Gloria with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and the St. Louis Symphony (Nicholas McGegan conducting), the Milwaukee Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Music of the Baroque, her return to Ars Lyrica, Pasadena Symphony Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic, and a United States Christmas Oratorio tour with Bach Collegium Japan.

Jay Carter has gained recognition as one of the nation’s finest countertenors. A collaborator with both period and modern ensembles, Carter is recognized as a leading interpreter of Baroque repertoire and has been lauded for luminous tone, stylish interpretations, and clarion delivery. Recent appearances include Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with American Bach Soloists and Choir of St. Thomas Church, Bach’s Weinachtsoratorium with Masaaki Suzuki and Bach Collegium Japan, Handel’s Messiah with National Symphony and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Vivaldi’s Gloria with Nicholas McGegan and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.  He holds degrees from the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music as a pupil of Simon Carrington, Judith Malafronte, and James Taylor. He received his undergraduate degree from William Jewell College and studied with Arnold Epley. He lives in Liberty, Missouri with his family, and serves as Artist-in-residence at William Jewell College, mentoring undergraduate students and leading the Schola Cantorum.

A highly energetic, vibrant, and extremely versatile singer and actor, tenor Joseph Gaines has been described as "such an exuberant performer you couldn't help but smile" (The Minneapolis Star-Tribune).  In 2017 he created the role of Dan Leno in Opera Philadelphia’s world premiere of Elizabeth Cree, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning duo of Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell; Opera News wrote that the role “offered a field day to light tenor Joseph Gaines, who met the challenge with vocal skill and superb physicality.” A regular performer at Pittsburgh Opera, Utah Opera, Central City Opera, Resonance Works Pittsburgh, and Opera Colorado, recent company debuts include San Diego Opera, Virginia Opera, and Hawaii Opera Theatre. He joined the artist roster of The Metropolitan Opera for the first time in the 2013-14 season. A frequent concert artist, he has been featured with The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Detroit Symphony, The Charlotte Symphony, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and many period and chamber ensembles, as well.