Florida Grand Opera baritone Will Hughes is a first-year baritone in our Young Artist Program this season. Will is performing the role of Zurga in Florida Grand Opera's lush and exotic production of Bizet's The Pearl Fishers on March 1 and 6.
Hello, Will. For those who may not have heard you before, can you start off by telling us a little about yourself?
I was raised in Richardson, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. I received my Bachelor of Music from Wheaton College in Illinois and my Master of Music from Westminster Choir College in New Jersey.While at Wheaton I sang in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience (Bunthorne) as well as in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel (Peter, the father). In grad school I sang in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Demetrius), Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi (Marco), and Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann (Schlemil and Crespel).
A lot of fantastic roles! Speaking of which, the role of Zurga is actually not your first time on the FGO stage. Your FGO debut was in our recent production of Madama Butterfly as Prince Yamadori. Can you tell us what that experience was like?
It was an incredible experience to get to make my debut as Yamadori. It was a perfect first role for me to do because it got me out on stage without demanding too much of me vocally: a great way to get my feet wet. And, even though the part I sang was smaller, it was still humbling for me to get to be a part of such a beautiful opera.One anecdote I like to share about my experience is that, since Yamadori is only in the second act, I was given permission to leave early every night if I wanted to. However, I was never able to make myself leave the theater. The music was just so beautiful, and I would always find myself making my way to the wings of the stage to listen to the last ten minutes or so of the opera…absolutely incredible.
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| Will Hughes as Yamadori (right) Photo: Rod Millington for Florida Grand Opera |
We glad you think so and are thrilled that you chose to spend your residency with the Florida Grand Opera Young Artist Program. What made you choose FGO over other programs?
The opportunity to perform actual roles on the main stage was certainly a huge draw for me. Not many young artists in other programs get that opportunity. |
| Will Hughes performing with Caitlin McKechney at ¡Opera Viva, Viva Opera! Photo: Brittany Mazzurco for Florida Grand Opera |
We are lucky to have you! Audiences may find it interesting to know that you used to play baseball in high school. Which position(s) did you play? Do you still play?
I still very much enjoy baseball. I played for as long as I can remember all the way through my junior year of high school (I didn’t play my senior year in order to focus on music and auditioning for collegiate music programs).For the most part, I played left field, and occasionally I played first base. I do still play for fun when I can with whoever has a glove and is willing to go play catch. As far as a favorite team, I’ve always been a Texas Rangers fan… even during the bad years.
Have you ever sung the national anthem before you played in your own game?
I was asked to sing the national anthem before one of my own games, but I didn’t want to distract myself or anyone else before the game. I think my sister sang instead.However, if I could sing the national anthem for any team, it would probably be the Texas Rangers or the Baltimore Orioles. My mother’s a huge fan of the Orioles since she grew up around there, and we have family friends who work for them. Our dog is even named Ripken after one of my mother’s favorite baseball players, Cal Ripken, Junior. We call him Rip for short.
Very neat! Now moving back to the topic of opera... What aspect of The Pearl Fishers are you looking forward to the most?
I’m really looking forward to collaborating with all of the artists involved and synthesizing the music to the drama. And, even though the story seems like a typical love triangle, I love the fact that it ends with a man realizing his fate and ultimately sacrificing himself for the people he loves.What is your favorite musical/dramatic moment in the entire opera?
There are many moments that I like musically and dramatically, but if I had to pick one, my favorite moment is probably the Act III duet between Leïla and Zurga. Both characters experience such inner conflict, and I love how the scene escalates.I also want to give a shout out to the Act II finale because I like the intensity of the music, and I think it will look really cool on stage.
We completely agree and cannot wait for audiences to see it! Now let's wrap up with some fun, random questions.
If you were stuck on a deserted island and were stranded with only the items contained in a small backpack, what would you want to be in that backpack?
Sunglasses, sunscreen (my skin doesn’t do too well in the sun), I guess a Swiss army knife, a deck of cards to work on some card tricks, my iPod (obviously with an unlimited battery supply), and some books by C.S. Lewis.What would we find in your fridge right now?
Not much…I need to go shopping.Will Hughes will be performing the role of Zurga in Florida Grand Opera's lush and exotic production of Bizet's The Pearl Fishers on March 1 and 6.
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