Singing in the New Year: Opera Southwest's NYE Concert features renowned heldentenor Clay Hilley
Opera Southwest is saying farewell to 2024 with its traditional New Year鈥檚 Eve concert on Tuesday, Dec. 31.
The performance at the National Hispanic Cultural Center will feature guest singer, heldentenor Clay Hilley, who has been recognized as one of the great American tenors of the 21st century, according to an Opera Southwest news release. Hilley was named the recipient of the 2024 Richard Tucker Music Foundation Award, which is presented to an American singer poised on the edge of a major national and international career in hopes the award acts as a catalyst to elevate the artist鈥檚 career to greater heights, according to the foundation鈥檚 website.
Singing in the New Year: Opera Southwest's NYE Concert features renowned heldentenor Clay Hilley
Hilley is the most famous singer that Opera Southwest has showcased, according to Anthony Barrese, artistic director and principal conductor.
鈥淐lay made his debut with us, I think it was his professional debut in 2015, singing in 鈥楢ida鈥 and he has gone on to sing in the biggest opera houses in the world, in Berlin, and Trieste (Italy), in the Bayreuth, at the Wagner Bayreuth festival in Germany,鈥 Barrese said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 just one of the top singers in the world now.鈥
Barrese decided to contact Hilley to see if he would be part of the New Year鈥檚 Eve concert.
鈥淗e鈥檚 always said, 鈥極h, I started my career in Albuquerque. I鈥檒l come back anytime you guys want me,鈥欌 Barrese explained. 鈥淎nd I said, 鈥楢ll right, I鈥檓 calling in the favor now.鈥 And he responded.鈥
There is a heavy Richard Wagner presence in the concert鈥檚 repertoire, along with works by Giacomo Puccini and Giuseppe Verdi and many other recognizable compositions.
鈥淲e wanted to play to Clay鈥檚 strength, so there鈥檚 just this inclusion of a lot of Wagner repertoire towards the end of the concert,鈥 Barrese said.
Hilley鈥檚 wife, soprano Sara Duchovnay, will be joining him on stage. Barrese selected the music for the performance based on what the couple preferred to sing.
鈥淲e get the singers first and then we pick the repertoire based on what they can do,鈥 Barrese explained. 鈥淪ince it鈥檚 only two people, there鈥檚 a lot more reliance on solo, orchestra numbers and choral numbers. And those are the pieces I just picked based on what I think the audience would like.鈥
There are some instrumental pieces and a few chorus numbers to give Hilley and Duchovnay breaks.
鈥淲hen you have four singers, people are alternating, they don鈥檛 ever sing two things in a row,鈥 Barrese said. 鈥淏ut with two singers, you really have to do a lot of breaking things up in other ways, and that鈥檚 where a lot of the chorus and the orchestra are going to do a lot of the heavy lifting.鈥
The number of performers can range in size from 25 to 50 people between the two choruses of Opera Southwest and the New Mexico Symphonic Chorus, the Albuquerque Youth Symphony and the orchestra, according to Barrese. It mainly depends on who is available for rehearsals and the performance on New Year鈥檚 Eve.
鈥淔or the rehearsals, typically, I鈥檒l go through the music with the singers and the piano, just to kind of figure out how they鈥檙e doing things,鈥 Barrese explained. 鈥淎lthough with the benefit of recordings these days, almost all the stuff that Clay is singing, I have a recording of him singing with some major European orchestras, so I can hear how he does these things, so that time with a piano and singers won鈥檛 be as crucial.
鈥淲e have about two rehearsals with the orchestra and the singers, and we have a dress rehearsal, and then we go. So it鈥檚 pretty quick, unlike an opera, which is about a four-week commitment, this is about a four-day commitment.鈥
A New Year鈥檚 Eve party will follow the performance at 5:30 p.m. at La Fonda del Bosque restaurant located at the NHCC. The limited party tickets are $95 and include a sit-down dinner, wine and a champagne toast.
Rozanna M. Martinez is the arts and entertainment editor of the 近距离内射合集. You can reach her at rmartinez@abqjournal.com.