Photo Flash: William Davenport and More in New Jersey State Opera's VERDI REQUIEM

Marcello Giordani was be unable to perform in last evening's performance of the Verdi Requiem for New Jersey State Opera due to illness. William Davenport stepped in to sing the tenor role, making his NJ State Opera debut. See below for photos from last night's August 16th performance!

Rounding out the international cast of soloists are Sharon Azrieli Perez- Soprano (Canadian Opera Company and Atlanta Opera), Margaret Mezzacappa- Mezzo-Soprano (winner of the 2012 MET Council Auditions) and Kevin Deas – Bass (New York Philharmonic).

The performance was conducted by Jason Tramm (named a 2012 Young Conductor to Watch, and sole American, by Symphony Magazine). Tramm led the New Jersey State Opera Chorus, over 100 voices strong, and full orchestra, reprising a 2009 performance in the magnificent Great Auditorium which aired as a feature presentation on PBS affiliate NJN, Verdi Requiem: Live From Ocean Grove and merited a regional Emmy award.

New Jersey’s historic venue, the Great Auditorium, has hosted operatic superstars dating as far back as the early twentieth century. Enrico Caruso, Rosa Ponselle, John McCormick, and many other legendary artists presented recitals in the extraordinary acoustics of the 6,500 seat Great Auditorium.

Davenport is rapidly garnering attention for his strong yet lyric tenor and Italianate style. In a year of debuts, 2012 has seen his first Duca di Mantua in Rigoletto performed with the Italian Opera Festival of Orange County. Further role debuts this year included, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Baltimore Concert Opera, Hoffman in Les Contes d'Hoffman and Riccardo in Verdi's Oberto at the Academy of Vocal Arts.

On the concert stage Davenport has performed as tenor soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Concert artists of Baltimore, Dvorák's Mass in D with Columbia Pro Cantare, Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle and Puccini's Messa di Gloria at Peabody, Messiah with the Frederick Chamber Singers, and Mozart's Coronation Mass with the Montgomery College Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. A native of Maryland, Mr. Davenport completed studies at the Peabody Conservatory of Music under Dr. Stanley Cornett where he performed the roles of Des Grieux in Manon, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, and Alfredo in La Traviata. He has completed young artist programs with Chautauqua Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, and Songfest. He is currently a Resident Artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia where he studies with Bill Schuman.

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