Enchantment in Concert
Experience Biraj’s vocal wizardry in his upcoming performances.
Event Calendar
Handel’s Messiah
Brooklyn Contemporary Chorus performs Part 1 of Handel’s Messiah on December 7th with featured soloists
Suzanne Karpov: Soprano
Biraj Barkakaty: Alto
Robert Hughes: Tenor
Brian Mummert: Bass
Rautavaara’s : ‘VIGILIA’
“It looked as though these islands were floating in the air, colorful cupolas and turrets appearing between the trees. The bells began to ring, low-pitched booms and higher, shrill clinks: the world was filled with sounds and colors.” A visit to Valamo Monastery in 1939 burned in composer Einojuhani Rautavaara’s soul for decades before crystallizing into a monumental concert-length work in 1996. “Then there were the monks with dark beards and dressed in robes, the tall arching ceilings of the church, the saints immortalized in icons, the kings and angels…” Journey with The Sound Between through Rautavaara’s extraordinary experience as we bring to vivid life his unaccompanied choral masterpiece, VIGILIA.
https://www.tsbensemble.org/about#artists
Fairwell Soirée and Theatre
Biraj plays the Marquis de Croydon with Really Spicy Opera’s Fairwell Soirée to Lafayette. Spend an evening with Major General Lafayette and your American Friends of Lafayette hosts at the final ticketed event of our 5-day bicentennial tribute in Baltimore, a “Farewell Lafayette Soirée” sendoff starting at 5:30 PM. Immerse yourself in a journey through time, experiencing a unique blend of 19th century American and French history coupled with live music and theater from Really Spicy Opera the and a fine Franco-American cocktail buffet. Explore the beautifully restored Peale Museum Lafayette visited 200 years ago where the art of story-telling has a new life. Peruse the informative display panels that illustrate Lafayette’s contributions to American democratic ideals. Enjoy the debut of a historical musical production about Lafayette’s Baltimore visit, and indulge in a feast for the senses. This evening guarantees an unforgettable experience.
Opera Night - Barns of Rose Hill
Indulge in an unforgettable experience at the Barns as world-class vocalists take the stage for Opera Night! Showcasing a diverse repertoire of arias from renowned composers, our first Opera Night promises an evening of breathtaking beauty and artistic excellence.
Performers
Biraj Barkakaty : Countertenor
David Walton : Tenor
Danielle Talamantes : Soprano
Kerry Wilkerson : Bass-Baritone
Neenah Fusté : Soprano
Briggs Williamson : Tenor
Daniel Voigt: Tenor
Mark Irchai : Piano
Dr. Curt Christensen : Trumpet
Brixton Opera Gala
We invite you to two extraordinary evenings of opera with the Pegasus Opera Company at the Lambeth Town Hall Courtyard on Friday 16th August, from 7-9pm and in Myatts Field Park on Sunday 18th August 3 - 5pm - both FREE ENTRY.
Join the Brixton Chamber Orchestra and Pegasus Opera Company for an unforgettable performance of operatic excerpts from Mozart, Wagner, Verdi, Handel and more! Enjoy a tipple at our bar at Lambeth Town Hall while you soak up the atmosphere, and for our Myatts Field Park performance bring a family, picnic and blanket - we will be performing there during the community/ family fun day.
The Secret Garden
Biraj appears as Fakir in Couer d’Alene’s Summer Theatre production of The Secret Garden.
The enchanting, Tony Award-winning musical based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel is a compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.
This enchanting classic of children's literature is reimagined in brilliant musical style by composer Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of 'Night Mother. Orphaned in India, 11-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his disabled son Colin. The estate's many wonders include a magic garden which beckons the children with haunting melodies and the "Dreamers," spirits from Mary's past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing The Secret Garden's compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.
For more information and cast lists please visit www.cstidaho.com/2024
Create and Sing : Royal Opera House
Biraj sing’s the wonderful opening duet ‘In Met by Moonlight’ from Britten’s masterpiece A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as part of their Create and Sing National Schools Programme.
Cast:
Biraj Barkakaty : Oberon
Haegee Lee : Titania
Bernstein : Chichester Psalms
The Taylor Festival Choir in Charleston performs ‘To the Field of Stars’ - including works by Gabriel Jackson, featuring Natalia Khoma, cellist | Other repertoire from the upcoming TFC album “Pathways to Healing"
Messiah
Originally composed for the Easter Season, Handel’s autographed Messiah manuscript - and it's Premiere performance in Dublin - contained movements that are not the versions we are familiar with today.
Though it became a larger event over the years, the original Messiah was not the large choral and orchestral affair we often hear performed; quite the contrary, this famous piece first featured a small ensemble of voices and a modest consort of instruments. In many ways, the original Messiah was a very different piece of music, indeed!
Handel in Rome
Biraj performs ‘Piu non Spero’ from Handel’s cantata O Come Chiare e Belle at the Palffy Palace in Prague.
Plague of Love
Members of Campo delle stelle present a repeat performance of “The Plague of Love,” featuring madrigals by Strozzi and Monteverdi. In a time & region where devastating plagues could be common and life was short, composers Claudio Monteverdi and Barbara Strozzi and the poets whose texts they set focused much of their artistic energy on love, depicting it alternately as torture, war, distraction, delight.
Medieval Melodies
Biraj joins chamber ensemble Vox Regis as they present MEDIEVAL MELODIES - Sacred and Secular Songs of the Middle Ages
Featuring a wealth of music for voices from the Middle Ages - from monophonic chant to intricate polyphony, from music for the cathedral to songs from the towne fayre, there truly is an incredible variety of wonderful medieval music. Our program will be filled with music both sacred and secular, beautiful and fun - we know you'll enjoy every minute!
Messiah
Two of the city’s most notable Christmas traditions return with G.F. Handel’s Messiah, performed by the Choir of Men and Boys and New York Baroque Incorporated on December 5 and 7, and the family-friendly Christmas on Fifth Avenue on December 14 for which the Juilliard Music Advancement Program Strings Ensemble joins the Boys of Saint Thomas Choir.
A Musical Feast : A Celebration of Latin and African Music
El Parnaso Hyspano presents vocal works for one to four voices, accompanied by theorbo, guitar, and percussion. Most are in Spanish, but some are in traditional local languages such as Guarani, Quichua and Nahautl
With Lydia Ward (soprano), Biraj Barkakaty (alto), Rafael Montero (tenor and facilitator), John Sloboda (bass), Fabio Fernandes (guitar/theorbo), Johnny Rodriguez (percussion).
Saint Thomas at 200 : A Musical Legacy
Saint Thomas Church marks its own anniversary with Saint Thomas at 200: A MusicalLegacy on October 13. This free concert is part of the church’s bicentennial weekend festivities. Saint Thomas at 200 highlights past commissions for the choir from contemporary composers, along with works by former Saint Thomas Directors of Music, including: Te Deum in A by T. Tertius Noble (first director of music), A Song to the Lamb by Gerre Hancock (previous director of music), and Missa Sancti Thomae (by current Director of Music, Jeremy Filsell). The performance also features works of Nico Muhly and John Scott.
Magnificat
The Taylor Festival Choir, in collaboration with the Ensemble of St. Clare orchestra and conducted by Robert Taylor, presents Magnificat -- a concert featuring J.S. Bach's masterpiece by that name, as well as Trevor Weston's Magnificat, two movements fro Roxanna Panufnik's Westminster Mass, and Tomas luis de Victoria's O Magnum Mysterium.
Brontë
The world premiere of a compelling literary detective story about the turbulent lives of the Brontë sisters – based upon an acclaimed play by Polly Teale. In 1845, Branwell Brontë returns home in disgrace, plagued by his addictions. As he descends into alcoholism and insanity, bringing chaos to the household, his sisters write… Polly Teale’s powerful play, adapted as an opera by composer Lisa Logan, evokes the real and imagined worlds of the Brontës, as their fictional characters Jane Eyre, Rochester, Cathy, Nelly and Heathcliff come to haunt their creators.Bronte CastCharlotte-Elena Garrido Madronahttps://auditionoracle.com/singer/elena_garrido_madrona/ Anne- Grace Nyandoro https://www.gracenyandoro.co.uk/Emily- Anna MarmionPatrick/Rochester/Heger- Martin Lamb https://www.martinhlamb.com/Branwell- Alex WhiteCathy- Charlotte Hoather https://www.charlotte-hoather.com/Bertha- Magdalena Mannion https://magdalenamannion.com/Bell-Nicholls- Biraj Barkakaty https://www.birajbarkakaty.com
https://www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on/bronte-the-opera/Frida
Performed and acclaimed in the US, Mexico and Europe, the Festival will produce the UK premiere of Robert Rodriguez musical biography of Frida Kahlo. Described by USA Today as "exciting, raw, wonderfully dangerous theater", the production will be conducted by Cuban-American Odaline de la Martinez - a renowned contemporary music conductor and the first female conductor at the BBC Proms - and directed by Francesca Murray-Fuentes.
https://www.northernoperagroup.co.uk/frida
Loyola
Biraj performs the role of Mensajero 2 in The UK staged premiere of this long-lost baroque opera by Jesuit composer Domenico Zipoli. Originally written around 1720 for performance by Indigenous musicians on the Jesuit missions in Latin America, the score was recently discovered in the Archives of Chiquitos in Bolivia. One of the first operas to emerge from the melting pot of Hispanic and Native cultures, LOYOLA combines the sounds of Europe’s 18th century with Indigenous tradition.
LOYOLA is brought to Grimeborn by El Parnaso Hyspano: an ensemble led by Inca tenor Rafael Montero, dedicated to authentic performances of the Latin American baroque. This musical and cultural integrity is placed in a contemporary setting by director Michael Walling (The Ring – ENO), whose staging underlines the spiritual and existential dilemmas at the heart of this comic, impassioned and deeply spiritual work.
Ganga
'Gaṅgā' is a chamber opera in Sanskrit: a saga of heartbreak, promises and love.
Gaṅgā is a powerful, yet helpless, celestial river goddess, whose womb becomes the medium to fulfil the higher purpose of gods and men. Cursed and doomed to be born as mortals, the eight Vasus choose Gaṅgā to be their mother. She promises to release all but one from the curse: the last must live on earth. Gaṅgā chooses her beloved Shantanu, mighty king of Hastinapur, to be the father. But, to keep her promise to the Vasus, she must also break his heart.
Cast:
Ganga (Soprano) - Magdalena Maria Herfurtner
Vasu (Countertenor) - Biraj Barkakaty
Sunanda (Mezzo-soprano) - Nafissatou Batu Daramy
Mahabhish (Tenor) - Jonathan Cooke
Shantanu (Tenor) - Robin Bailey
Brahma & Pratip (Baritone) - Theo Perry
Music - Jataneel Banerjee
Words - Original Sanskrit text from Mahabharata by Veda Vyasa. Additional Sanskrit text by Dr Baldevanand Sagar
Producer - Jataneel Banerjee and 101 Music Ltd.
The Secret Garden
Biraj makes his musical theatre debut with TheatreLab Dayton in The Secret Garden. When young Mary Lennox loses her parents to a cholera outbreak in India, she is sent to live with her uncle, hermit Archibald Craven, who lives in an imposing, secluded manor on the British heath. There, her personality blossoms among the other residents of the manor as they bring new life to a long-neglected garden.
The Healing Journey
Biraj joins The Taylor Festival Choir in Charleston for the final concert of the 2022-23 Season as they present The Healing Journey, music for emotional, physical and spiritual healing.
Vivat Regina
Biraj joins the Taylor Festival Choir for “Vivat Regina: A Choral Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II,” performed by the Taylor Festival Choir (TFC). Music performed will stem from Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation, Wedding, Funeral, and Jubilee celebrations.
Chant: In The Round
One performance. Three ballets. Seven dancers. Five Singers and a String Quartet.
Chamber Dance Project bring you Chant: In the Round, enveloping you in a cathedral of sound with Gregorian chant. Experience the soaring beauty of our beloved pas de deux with Berceuse. Witness the riveting conversation of movement of four dancers around a table in Rondo Ma Non Troppo.
Biraj Barkakaty : Countertenor
David Evans: Tenor
Luke Frels: Tenor
John Murton: Baritone
Matt Scollin: Bass
Handel: Messiah
A mainstay of Christmas in New York, Concerts at Saint Thomas presents the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys’ performances of Handel’s Messiah with New York Baroque Incorporated. Hailed by The New York Times as “one of the most prominent and special [Messiahs] of the city,” these concerts have become an annual tradition for many, heralding the coming of the festive season.
Libera Nos
Biraj joins the London Euphony Choir for the very first multi-faith oratorio to be performed anywhere in the world. This monumental work was originally commissioned by the Musica Sacra organisation and took over three years to be researched and completed. At the helm, Derek Carden will conduct the London Mozart Players, an all-star cast of talented local soloists and over 100 musicians and singers from local orchestra Hastings Sinfonia, St Richard’s Catholic College Choir and the specially formed Libera Nos Choir.
Tandem: Two Pianos, Two Premieres
Biraj joins The Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys for a program of choral works and songs for piano and voice. Centered on a new Saint Thomas mass setting, the program also features the world premiere of a fiery new work for two pianos, for which the composer will perform alongside pianist Jeremy Filsell.
The Coronation of Poppea
Biraj plays the role of Ottone in Monteverdi’s masterpiece The Coronation of Poppea with Capitol Opera Richmond with four performances between July 15th and July 24th. Opening night includes Latin Ballet coupled with a highlights version
A Silver Spoon : The Love Story of Diana and Dodi
A new full length chamber opera
Lisa Logan (composer), David Peimer (librettist)
‘A Silver Spoon’ is a new opera. It is the first opera to look at the love story of Princess Diana and Dodi.
A Silver Spoon follows the story of two wanna-be East End gangsters and their plan to steal Princess Diana’s jewellery from a forthcoming Royal exhibition. It tells the love story of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed. It touches on the story of our Queen and how she has perhaps changed through her reign. It considers privilege, friendship, modern royalty and being born with or without a silver spoon?
Bach B Minor Mass
See and hear J.S. Bach’s monumental Mass in B minor performed by Richmond’s own Cathedral Schola Cantorum with the Three Notch’d Road: The Virginia Baroque Ensemble performing on period instruments.
