International vocal artist to give free master class at LCC

Caption: Jason Ferrante, an acclaimed international American tenor, will hold his first-ever master class on the Laredo Community College campus next week.

Jason Ferrante, an acclaimed American tenor who has performed on five continents, will make at pit stop at Laredo Community College for his first-ever public master class on campus.

The master class will be held on Monday, Sept. 6, at 1 p.m. in the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center, room 102, located on the Fort McIntosh Campus. A question and answer session also will be held later that evening in the same location at 7 p.m.

Both events are free and open to the public.

Ferrante has quickly become recognized as one of the leading character singers of his generation.

Recent highlights include his debut at the New York City Opera as King Ouf in "L' etoile," Basilio in "Le Nozze di Figaro," and a return to Italy as Beadle in "Sweeney Todd" at Teatro Comunale di Bologna.

Opera News has praised Ferrante for "singing up a stylish storm," and for getting "the gold star for trills." PBS and National Public Radio also have featured Ferrante on its television and radio programming, respectively.

As a graduate of New York City's Juilliard School, one of the world's most prestigious performing arts conservatories, Ferrante sings comedians and protagonists on the operatic stage. In concerts, Ferrante performs from a wide range of composers from Bach and Handel to John Musto and Lowell Liebermann.

Ferrante has frequently performed the role of Goro in "Madame Butterfly," Beadle in "Sweeney Todd," and as Tybalt in "Romeo et Juliette."

In May 2010, Ferrante traveled to Guangzhou, China to sing as Pong in "Turandot" under the baton of Lorin Maazel to open the new Guangzhou Opera House.

Ferrante holds a bachelor's and master's degree in music from the Juilliard School. In addition to maintaining a busy performing career, the Baltimore native currently resides in Miami where he serves as a voice and opera faculty member in the New World School of Arts.

For more information about master class or question and answer session, contact the LCC Performing Arts Department at 721-5330 or email suzanne.ramo@laredo.edu.