George London Foundation Presents Tenor Aaron Blake In Recital, April 24

The George London Foundation for Singers concludes its 2021-22 season of events with a recital by tenor Aaron Blake, a 2017 George London Award winner who has received acclaim in some of opera's most prominent recent productions, with pianist Ken Noda.

On Sunday, April 24, 2022, at 4 pm, at The Morgan Library & Museum's Gilder Lehrman Hall, Blake and Noda will perform a program beginning with songs by Bellini and Donizetti, followed by selections by Tosti, Strauss, and Liszt, and then songs by Copland, Porter, and Gershwin. There is one opera aria on the program: "Tombe degli avi miei" from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, the performance of which won Aaron Blake his George London Award in 2017. (The full program is below.)

The George London Foundation and George London Awards are named for the legendary Canadian-American bass-baritone (1920-1985), one of the great opera singers of 20th century, who devoted much of his time and energy in his later years to the support and nurturing of young singers.

Over the past few years, Aaron Blake has won consistent critical praise for performances in some of opera's most high-profile productions. About his appearances in the role of Timothy Laughlin in the world premiere of Gregory Spears's Fellow Travelers, The New York Times said, "Aaron Blake brings an appealingly vulnerable, clear-toned tenor to Tim's early appearances that are exquisitely calibrated." About his New York City Opera debut as Louis in Peter Eötvös' operatic adaptation of Angels in America, New York Classical Review, calling him "a magnetic actor," said, "There was aching depth to Aaron Blake's interpretation of Louis, [combining] a bright, creamy tenor and vocal intensity to give the finest singing of the night." And of his performances Tamino in Barrie Kosky's production of Mozart's The Magic Flute with the Komische Oper Berlin, Limelight Magazine said, "Aaron Blake excels as Tamino, cutting a dashing figure and singing with an effortless, smooth, gleaming tenor."

The goal of the George London Foundation, the support and nurturing of young singers, was an abiding interest of the great bass-baritone George London. "Remembering his difficult road to success, George wanted to devise a way to make the road a little easier for future generations of singers," said George London Foundation President Nora London. Since 1971, the annual competition of The George London Foundation for Singers has given more than 300 awards, and a total of more than $2 million, to an outstanding roster of young American and Canadian opera singers who have gone on to international stardom - the list of past winners includes Christine Brewer, Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, Christine Goerke, Catherine Malfitano, James Morris, Matthew Polenzani, Sondra Radvanovsky, Neil Shicoff, and Dawn Upshaw. As The New York Times recently noted, "this prestigious competition ... can rightfully claim to act as a springboard for major careers in opera."

On February 25, the winners of the 2022 George London Awards were announced: mezzo-soprano Megan Moore, tenor Eric Ferring, and baritones Blake Denson, Erik Grendahl, and Timothy Murray. The event is available to watch on the George London Foundation's YouTube channel.

The George London Foundation Recital Series, which began at the Morgan in 1995, was established to give grantees exposure and experience, and, in many cases, a New York recital debut. And since 2010, the foundation has sponsored a program which gives scholarships to selected vocal students in the pre-college programs of The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. www.georgelondon.org.

Aaron Blake began his 2021-22 season with his return to the Cincinnati Opera as Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville. He then returned to the Israeli Opera to open their season as Tamino in the Barrie Kosky production of The Magic Flute, and made his role debut as Alfredo in Verdi's La Traviata with the Jerusalem Opera. He continued his season with performances as Tamino at the Komische Oper Berlin and the Des Moines Metro Opera. In May 2022, he makes his Opera de Montréal debut as Tamino and he finishes his season with a return to the Metropolitan Opera to reprise his role as the High Priest of Amon in Phelim McDermott's production of Akhnaten.

During the COVID19 pandemic Mr. Blake created and produced a video series, "Tosti Tuesdays," with his longtime collaborator and friend Cris Frisco. The series, which chronicled the songs of Tosti and his contemporaries throughout 25 episodes, received thousands of views across online platforms and social media. He also joined White Snake Projects for their virtual production of Death by Life, an homage to George Floyd. In addition to engaging with these projects, Mr. Blake oversaw the planting of his family's vineyard, which features Pinot noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, San Giovese, and Chardonnay grapes. www.aaronblaketenor.com

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