Metropolitan Opera singer Arnold Rawls to perform at Ouachita Nov. 10
October 14, 2016 - Sarah Davis
Ouachita Baptist University will host Arnold Rawls, a Metropolitan Opera tenor, in
concert Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be held in Jones Performing
Arts Center in conjunction with the Southern Region National Association of Teachers
of Singing (NATS) conference. Tickets for guests not attending the conference are
$12 each.
Rawls is an internationally known singer with a reputation of entertaining audiences
through his mix of vocal and dramatic skills. His Metropolitan Opera debut as Radamès
in Aida captivated the audience in 2011.
“He’s a world-class performer,” said Dr. Jon Secrest, OBU’s Addie Mae Maddox Professor
of Music. “A singer doesn’t go under contract with the Metropolitan Opera unless he
is one of the elite performers in the world. We’ve had some really fine guest recitalists
come in over the years. I believe he may be among the very best we have ever had.”
Rawls has performed across the U.S. and in other countries including Australia, Austria,
Canada, Germany and Switzerland. Recent performances include Hagenbach in La Wally and Calaf in Turnandot. He has a large repertoire of songs from opera arias to art songs.
“This is an amazing opportunity I hope everyone takes advantage of,” Secrest said.
“I think our audience will love this recital.”
Rawls’ program will feature art songs including “Adelaïde” by Beethoven; “Wohin?,”
“Halt!” and “Ständchen” by Franz Schubert; “Tre sonetti di Petrarca” by Franz Liszt;
three spiritual songs arranged by Michael T. Smith including “Love Lifted Me,” “Jesus
Loves Me” and “Ride the Morning Wind”; and the opera standards “Recondita armonia”
from Tosca by Giacomo Puccini, “Vesti la giubba” from Pagliacci by Ruggiero Leoncavallo and “Ah, si ben mio” and “Di quella pira” from Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi.
The recital is the featured guest artist event of the 41st annual Southern Region National Association of Teachers of Singing Conference and
Auditions that will be held on Ouachita’s campus Thursday, Nov.10, through Saturday,
Nov. 12. NATS is a non-profit association that promotes the highest standards in the
teaching of singing. This conference will feature several recital performances, a
three-tiered round of student competitions and two master classes. One of these master
classes, to be given by Rawls, will occur at 3:15 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, in Jones
Performing Arts Center. The public is invited to attend free of charge.
“Having NATS at Ouachita is tons of fun because we get to show off our facility and
be gracious hosts,” said Secrest, who serves as the current Southern Region governor
for NATS. “We should have somewhere between 300 to 500 students and 100 vocal teachers
who will be traveling to Arkadelphia.”
Rawls recently was named as a recipient of a grant from the Ogla Forrie Foundation
and has joined the foundation as an artistic advisor. His upcoming performances include
the production of Don Jose by Bregenz Festival in the summers of 2017 and 2018. He also will be in the Metropolitan
Opera production of Turnadot in 2017.
Tickets may be purchased at the OBU Box Office in JPAC on weekdays from 1-5 p.m. or
online at www.obu.edu/boxoffice. For more information, call the box office during business hours at (870) 245-5555
or email [email protected].
For more information about the Arnold Rawls recital, contact Jon Secrest at [email protected] or (870) 245-5134. For more about NATS Southern Region, visit www.natssouthern.com.
By Sarah Davis
October 14, 2016
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