Opera's Finest

Each year, the Barihunks site surprises us with its dedication to opera singers with lower voices -- as well as some musical theater notables (and a few non baritones for good measure). Their annual calendar features a selection of those same studs, and for its fifth edition, is no exception. All the singers included in the calendar are baritones or have lower voices -- except for Eric Stoklossa, who is the first tenor featured in the calendar. Plus, four singers were photographed this past summer in the Loire Valley for an exclusive shoot, including Marco Vassalli and Malte Roesner (below):

As Barihunks guru Jack Michaels tells Out:

"We rented a 16th-century manor in the countryside of the Loire Valley and invited about a dozen singers for a photo shoot. Six accepted, but only four made it, as singing commitments created conflicts for the other two. The singers photographed were Marco Vassalli, Cyril Rovery, Malte Roesner, and Richard Rittelmann. We shot throughout the Loire Valley, including one with Marco at an ancient Gallo-Roman amphitheater in Gennes."

We're also excited that openly gay singers Vassalli, Romain Dayez, Edward Miskie, and Vittorio Prato are included.

The full list of singers (and their country of origin) include: Cyril Rovery and Romain Dayez (from France); Malte Roesner, Eric Stoklossa and Marco Vassalli (from Germany); Iurii Samoilov (from the Ukraine); Tristan Hambleton (from England); Duncan Rock (from Australia); Patrick Egersborg (from Norway); Jason Forbach, John Paul Huckle, David Adam Moore, Seth Mease Carico, and Edward Miskie (from the United States); Gianluca Margheri and Vittorio Prato (from Italy;) and, Iosu Yeregui (from Spain).

Romain Dayez (left) and Jason Chandler Duika

Proceeds from the charity calendar will be used to fund the creation of the Foundation for the Advancement of Baritones (F.A.B.), which will "fund baritone and bass cash prizes at song competitions, commission music for baritones and basses, and be used to fund other projects featuring low male voices."

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