Andrew Potter, bass and Joel Balzun, piano

A bass vocalist of increasing demand who towers at an imposing and athletic 6’10”, Andrew Potter is a true Basso who has been welcomed by audiences and critics across the country for a larger-than-life Mr. Potter's mellifluous sonority lends itself beautifully to profundo roles like Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte and Osmin in Die Entführung, while he has demonstrated the range and physicality to perform buffo roles like Dottor Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Uberto in La Serva Padrona; as well as the flexibility and agility to sing challenging Handelian roles including Zoroastro in Orlando, Ariodate in Serse, and Argante in Rinaldo. Having also shown a powerful upper extension of his basso, Mr. Potter has been lauded by critics in Bass-Baritone roles such as Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen; and Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca. Mr Potter has graced the stages of some of America’s most exciting regional companies, like Indianapolis Opera, Winter Opera St. Louis, Des Moines Metro Opera, Pacific Opera Project, Tulsa Opera, Opera Steamboat, Connecticut Lyric Opera, Mid Ohio Opera,  and many more.

This season, Mr. Potter has role debuts of Vodnik in Rusalka, Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin, Ferrando in Il Trovatore, and Hunding in Die Walküre; along with many reprisals of some of his favorite roles across the country.

Joel Balzun studied piano alongside his composition studies at University of Calgary with Charles Foreman and Vladimir Levtov, and at Biola University with George Boespflug, in addition to private studies with Donna Meyers. A proponent of the music of contemporary composers, he has given the regional and world premieres of works by Luis Serrano Alarcón, Christos Hatzis, Henry Kucharzyk, John Mackey, and David Maslanka, among others. His performances of the piano music of Alexina Louie have won critical acclaim from the composer; his performances are featured on her website. He was a multiple prize-winner at the Calgary Kiwanis and Contemporary Showcase Festivals. As an enthusiastic orchestral keyboardist, he was the principal keyboardist for the Canadian Wind Orchestra from 2007 to 2010. He was also a featured soloist with the University of Calgary Wind Ensemble in Joseph Schwantner’s …and the mountains rising nowhere in a tour across Western Canada.

Mr. Balzun has previously served as the vocal coach and rehearsal pianist for Biola Opera. Although his recent activities have focused on vocal performance and teaching, Mr. Balzun continues to enjoy playing the piano at Grace Evangelical Free Church of La Mirada in addition to recitals in the Los Angeles area. www.joelbalzun.com

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