Distance Learning: Archive

Thomas Hampson Program

“Es gibt ein Reich” from Aradne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss

Christina Roszhart, soprano
Student of Shirley Close
Sungah Baek, piano
Student of Thomas Muraco

“Se vuol ballare” from Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Laureano Quant, baritone
Student of James Morris
Jestin Pieper, piano
Student of Kenneth Merrill

“The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by Ben Moore

Shelén Hughes, soprano
Student of Ashley Putnam
Tongyao Li, piano
Student of Kenneth Merrill

“Cäcilie” by Richard Strauss

Joseph Tancredi, tenor
Student of Ashley Putnam
Andrew King, piano
Student of Warren Jones

Thomas Hampson, America’s foremost baritone, has received international honors and awards for his captivating artistry and cultural leadership. Lauded as a Metropolitan Opera Guild “Met Mastersinger” and inducted into both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Gramophone’s “Hall of Fame,” Hampson is one of the most respected and innovative musicians of our time. With an operatic repertoire of over 80 roles sung in all the major theaters of the world, his discography comprises more than 170 albums, which include multiple nominations and winners of the Grammy Award, Edison Award, and the Grand Prix du Disque. He received the 2009 Distinguished Artistic Leadership Award from the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, and was appointed the New York Philharmonic’s first-ever Artist-in-Residence. In 2010, he was honored with a Living Legend Award by the Library of Congress, where he has served as Special Advisor to the Study and Performance of Music in America. Furthermore, he has received the famed Concertgebouw Prize.

Notable engagements for his 2018/19 season include Thomas Hampson's highly anticipated debut at the Canadian Opera Company, singing the title role in the world premiere of Rufus Wainwright’s Hadrian, as well as his debut at Houston Grand Opera as the famed librettist Lorenzo da Ponte in the world premiere of Tarik O’Regan’s The Phoenix. Further, he sings one of his signature roles, Scarpia, in Tosca, at the Wiener Staatsoper, and returns to Teatro alla Scala as Altair in Strauss’ Die ägyptische Helena.

Thomas Hampson frequently gives recitals all over the world with his long-time musical partner Wolfram Rieger. He starts his Schubert Week at Berlin’s Boulezsaal with an all-Schubert program, and further gives recitals at the Opernhaus Zürich as well as the Schubertiade in Austria.

On the concert stage, Thomas Hampson continues to show his great diversity in the 2018/19 season. In Vienna he performs Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem with the Wiener Symphoniker under Philippe Jordan, in commemoration the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. He then engages on an extensive tour with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Vasily Petrenko with works by Hugo Wolf, Aaron Copland, and others. He starts off the new year with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and conductor Bramwell Tovey with Copland’s Old American Songs, before he reunites with clarinetist Daniel Ottensamer and his ensemble the Wiener Virtuosen, for a chamber music concert with Dvořák’s Zigeunerlieder and a selection of Mahler songs in Vienna’s Musikverein.

Further orchestra concerts bring Hampson to Munich with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under the baton of Mariss Jansons (Kurt Weill: Four Walt Whitman Songs), to Berlin with the Radio Symphony Orchestra and Vladimir Jurowsky (Mahler: Rückert Lieder) and to Japan, where he performs Mahler Songs with the Gewandhaus Orchestra and Andris Nelsons. Thomas Hampson gives several gala performances with renowned vocal partners throughout the season, in Tokyo with Angela Gheorgiu, in Baden-Baden with Nadine Sierra, with Kristine Opolais in Leipzig, and at the Ljubiljana Festival with Elena Mosuc. He is also once again the star in the Bayerische Staatsoper’s summer open-air gala “Oper für Alle” under the baton of renowned conductor Kirill Petrenko. He will share the stage with his son-in-law, bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni for their “No Tenors Allowed” program in Boston, Toronto, and Santa Fe.

The 2018/19 season also marks the exciting launch of Thomas Hampson’s “Song of America: Beyond Liberty” project. Mr. Hampson will guide audiences through stories using personal anecdotes, historical monologues, and readings of his favorite poetry, to celebrate America’s history through song. The project, developed with stage director Francesca Zambello and writer Royce Vavrek, premiered at the Glimmerglass Festival, and shares the rich history of the people and events that helped create and define “the land of the free” with audiences, students, and educators across the US and beyond. Through The Hampsong Foundation, which he founded in 2003, he employs the art of song to promote intercultural dialogue and understanding.

During his 2017/18 season, Thomas returned to the Opéra National de Paris in one of his signature roles, Count Danilo in Lehár’s Die lustige Witwe. He also sang the title role in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra at the Wiener Staatsoper, and Scarpia in Puccini’s Tosca at the Bayerische Staatsoper. A highlight of his concert schedule was his debut concert tour in Australia, where he was critically acclaimed as “a singer of exceptional artistry…[it’s] easy to understand why he was a protégé of Leonard Bernstein” (J-Wire) and he was regarded as “The George Clooney of opera” (Sydney Morning Herald).

Hampson is an honorary professor on the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Heidelberg, and holds honorary doctorates from Manhattan School of Music, the New England Conservatory, Whitworth College, and San Francisco Conservatory, and is an honorary member of London’s Royal Academy of Music. He carries the titles of Kammersänger of the Wiener Staatsoper and Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of the Republic of France, and was awarded the Austrian Medal of Honor in Arts and Sciences. In 2017, Thomas Hampson received the Hugo Wolf Medal from the International Hugo Wolf Academy, together with his long-time musical collaborator, pianist Wolfram Rieger. The award recognizes their outstanding achievements in the art of song interpretation.

Thomas Hampson enjoys a singular international career as an opera singer, recording artist, and “ambassador of song,” maintaining an active interest in research, education, musical outreach, and technology, continually expanding his pedagogical activities. He is the Artistic Director of the Heidelberg Lied Academy, and collaborates with the Barenboim-Said Academy Schubert Week in Berlin each year. His recurring international master class schedule is a continuing online resource of the Manhattan School of Music, Medici.tv, and The Hampsong Foundation livestream channel.

Christina Roszhart, soprano
Soprano, Christina Kushnick Roszhart is a first-year Master’s student at Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Shirley Close. Ms. Roszhart is also an ongoing student at Dolor Zajick’s Institute for Young Dramatic Voices since 2017. Previous credits include Aida (High Priestess) and scenes from Ariadne auf Naxos (Ariadne). Ms. Roszhart was also chosen as the Soprano Solo Cover for Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 during Manhattan School of Music’s Centennial Celebration. Upcoming performances include Hansel and Gretel (The Witch) with Manhattan School of Music in April. Ms. Roszhart will also be participating in the Musiktheater Bavaria program this summer in Germany.
Ms. Roszhart is a humble recipient of the Licia Albanese/Puccini Scholarship.

Laureano Quant, baritone
Baritone Laureano Quant is a first-year Master’s degree candidate at Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of James Morris. Previous credits include Demetrius in Britten’s A midsummer night’s dream and the Captain and Prince Ragotsky in Bernstein’s Candide. 1st-prize winner in Premio de Canto Ciudad de Bogotá in 2018 and 2nd-prize winner in the National Voice Competition in 2016, hosted by Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra. Mr Quant has performed as soloist the major theaters in Colombia. He has participated in several masterclasses, including the Royal Opera House Jette Parker YAP Latin American Tour, SongFest, and several masterclasses hosted by Teatro Colon de Bogotá. Mr. Quant is a recipient of the Mae Zenke Orvis Opera Scholarship.

Shelén Hughes, soprano
Bolivian Soprano, Shelén Hughes passionatley believes in education, social service and music as a core value in life. Previous credits include Snegurochka from Rimsky-Korsakov’s Snegurochka (Manhattan School of Music) and Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen (Chautauqua Institution). Ms. Hughes was awarded 1st place and people’s choice award in the Harlem Opera Theater competition in 2017 and was a winner in the SAI competition at the Chautauqua Institution in 2018. Her upcoming performances include Magda in Puccini’s La Rondine and her Carnegie Hall soloist debut in April. Ms. Hughes is the founder of Voices for Bolivia, an international non-profit organization for those in need in Bolivia, fully funded by classical music. She graduated with her BM receiving the honorary Hugh Ross award from the Manhattan school of Music, is a recipient of the 2018-19 Mae Zenke Orvis Opera Scholarship and is studying with Ashley Putnam.

Joseph Tancredi, tenor
Tenor Joseph Tancredi from Bayville, New York is a fourth year undergraduate student at the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Ashley Putnam. Previous credits include L’elisir d’amore (Nemorino) and The Student Prince (Detlef) with the Chautauqua Voice Institute. Scene work includes Die Zauberflöte (Tamino), Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Belmonte), Don Giovanni (Don Ottavio), Street Scene (Sam Kaplan), and Vanessa (Anatol) with the Manhattan School of Music. He was named a winner of the 2018 Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies Inc. Competition at the Chautauqua Institution this past summer. This year, Joseph is a Eastern District Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition. Future engagements include Albert Herring (Albert) with the MSM Senior Opera Theatre and a Young Artist at the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program. Mr. Tancredi is a recipient of the Emily M. Voorhis Scholarship.

Sungah Baek, piano
Sungah Baek is currently a pianist at Manhattan School of Music studying under Mr. Thomas Muraco. She received her Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea. She has participated in various music festivals as a pianist and an apprentice coach, including IYDV Program, Mark Oswald Summer Program, Abe Keiko & Rosauro International Marimba Camp, Yeul Voice Music Camp, and Würzburg Music Festival. She also won second place in the Seoul International Music Competition and has played in master classes with Martin Katz, Susan Neves, Jennifer Lamore, Ferrucio Furlanetto, and Diana Soviero, Heikyung Hong. This summer, Ms. Baek will appear in Aspen Music Festival as a fellow opera coach.

Jestin Pieper, piano
Jestin Pieper, an active member in New York City’s classical music community, is a concert and collaborative pianist, vocal coach, conductor, and educator. Mr. Pieper has appeared in major venues across the country and abroad. A few highlights include appearances on WNYC and WNPR, and performances at Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, Kaufman Center, Opera America, The Long Center, Bates Hall and Harris Hall. Jestin made his conducting debut in 2015 at the Bruno Walter Auditorium in Lincoln Center with the Hellenic Orchestra. As an educator Jestin maintains a piano studio of students, who perform regularly at Steinway Hall. As an arranger, Mr. Pieper is in the Library of Congress with the only available arrangement of Mahler’s 4th symphony for two pianos. Jestin currently works as a pianist for the Sherill Milnes Voice experience and IVAI summer music festivals and works as a pianist and Assistant Conductor for Amore Opera, Regina Opera and Chelsea Opera companies. Jestin holds the organist position at Holy Trinity Episcopal church in Inwood, Manhattan, and is a staff pianist and vocal coach at Manhattan School of Music. Jestin received his BM magna cum laude in piano performance from Lawrence University, a MM in piano performance from the University of Texas at Austin, and is currently pursuing a Professional studies in collaborative piano here at Manhattan School of Music.

Tongyao Li, piano
Pianist Tongyao Li has been studying with Professor Kenneth Merrill at Manhattan School of Music since 2018. Born in a musical family in Jiangsu Province, China in 1994, Tongyao started her piano studies at the age of 6 with her mother and won several piano competitions in Jiangsu Province including the champion of the province under her guidance. She attended the Middle School affiliated with the Nanjing University of The Arts and studied from Professor Jun Xu and Gang Sun since 2006. After six years of middle and high school study, she was admitted to Shanghai Conservatory of Music and studied from Professor Keng Zhou for another six years since 2012. Tongyao won prizes in competitions held in Italy and China during this period. She began her master study in Shanghai Conservatory of Music after graduated with a bachelor’s degree of Piano Performance. In the first year of master study, she performed chamber music by Mozart and Piazzolla in the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Concert Hall and China Art Museum. In 2017 and 2018, she played Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Don Giovanni in He Luting Concert Hall in Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She also gave several performances of Grieg, Schubert, Ravel, and Debussy in her school. In 2018, Tongyao became a scholarship student in Kenneth Merrill’s studio and a pianist in Puccini’s La Rondine.

Andrew King, piano
Andrew King is a graduate student at the Manhattan School of Music, where he studies Collaborative Piano with Warren Jones. He has performed as piano soloist with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and the LeMoyne College String Ensemble. He has appeared at Carnegie Hall for the last two seasons as a collaborative pianist in Renée Fleming’s SongStudio and Marilyn Horne’s The Song Continues. Summer 2018 saw him at the Music Academy of the West, where he served as harpsichordist for Le Nozze di Figaro. Andrew holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.