Visiting opera star facilitates master class

October 11, 2007

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The College of Fine Arts School of Music, in cooperation with the National Association of Teachers of Singing, will host a master class with Metropolitan Opera star and three-time Grammy winner Sherrill Milnes from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 20 at the University of Florida’s University Auditorium.

Milnes, universally acclaimed as the foremost operatic baritone of his generation, is one of the most popular and electrifying opera performers today. The adulation he receives is the kind usually reserved for tenors. His remarkable voice, artistic integrity and commanding stage presence have made him an audience favorite.

“He is truly an international superstar in the same league as Pavarotti,” said Tony Offerle, an associate professor in the School of Music.

The Oct. 20 master class is open to the public. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased at the door. UF students and faculty are admitted free with a valid school ID.

Milnes has conquered all of the great opera capitals of the world: the Royal Opera, Covent Garden; La Scala, Milan; Berlin’s Deutsche Opera; the Paris Opera; Buenos Aires’ famed Teatro Colon; the Liceu in Barcelona; the Bavarian State Opera in Munich; the Salzburg Festival; the Hamburg Opera and Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre. At the Metropolitan Opera, he has been honored with 16 new productions, seven opening nights, and 10 national telecasts, and he also performed at the 25th Anniversary Gala honoring James Levine.

Throughout his career, Milnes has worked extensively with young singers during his concert and opera tours. He has led master classes at the Julliard and Manhattan Schools in New York, and at major universities throughout the country.

In 2000, Milnes and his wife Maria Zouves, founded the non-profit organization VOICExperience to help young singers develop and pursue their careers with programming throughout the country.