From Carnegie Hall to the Metropolitan Opera, renowned baritone Gordon Hawkins has shared the operatic stage with Mirella Freni, Placido Domingo, and Grace Bumbry.
His roles over his career have included title roles in "Rigoletto" and "Porgy and Bess," as well as Alberich in the "Ring" cycle (see video below), Baron Scarpia in "Tosca" and Marcello in "La bohème."
He currently serves on the faculty at Arizona State University.
Hawkins is at Interlochen this weekend working with Arts Academy voice and opera students during the Voice Festival.
For young singers who one day want to sing at the Met, Hawkins advises caution about getting into opera too soon.
"There are so many different connotations and images about opera, like that it has to be big, grand and loud," Hawkins said. "I want young singers to be just the opposite: connect to the intimacy, the poetry and the language. I want them to be able find themselves."
It's hard to find yourself as a singer, he explained, if you're too focused on being larger than life, as opera can require.
His advice? Listen to art songs: "Anything that makes them intimately and lovingly and passionately and generously connected to the music," he said.
Hawkins's first choice of art song when he was a teenager was Leontyne Price singing Samuel Barber's "Hermit Songs" with the composer at the piano.
"That did it for me," he said. "There was something about the simplicity and lyricism of it."
Hawkins performed Barber's "Sure on This Shining Night" in Studio A with collaborative pianist Casey Robards.
Hawkins said there are two roles that he hasn't sung yet: the title role in Verdi's "Falstaff" and Iago in Verdi's "Otello."
"At this point in my life, I understand theater well enough to know how to project these characters," he said.
Directors, take note.
Hawkins is working with Interlochen Arts Academy voice students this weekend during the Voice Festival.
He'll also take the stage of the Dendrinos Chapel on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. during the Festival's Faculty and Guest Artist Concert.
Michael Culler engineered this edition of Studio A.
Digital content production provided by Isabel Li and Scott Clemens.
Thanks to Ty Chiko for additional support.
