Robert Hale, internationally acclaimed opera singer who spent some of his childhood in Marksville, will return to Avoyelles where he perform with his wife, Julie Davies on Sunday, August 19 at 6 p.m. for a fundraiser for the Fox Theatre at the Avoyelles Public Charter School in Marksville.  Hale and Davies will be accompanied by Colleen Adent.

The duet had performed in 2011 in Marksville, accompanied by local students in concert. At that time, Hale agreed to return for a fundraising performance. Tickets are $10.

 The program will include world music, Broadway, pop, gospel, spirituals and arias from well-known operas. 

ROBERT HALE

Robert Hale, Hale has made a name for himself in the States, as well as Europe. Hale, a Bass Baratone, has appeared at many leading opera houses including the New York Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, London's Royal Opera Hored with the many leading opera houses including the New York Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, London's Royal Opera House.

 In 1989, Hale returned to the United States from Europe to a sold-out debut at the Metropolitan Opera. He is best known for his Wagnerian roles, especially Wotan in "The Ring" cycle and the title role in "The Flying Dutchman," works that he has recorded with conductors Wolfgang Sawallisch and Christoph von Dohnányi. His performance in "Die Frau ohne Schatten" of Richard Strauss appears on DVD from a performance at the Salzburg Festival. Hale studied with Boris Goldovsky in New York and made his debut there in 1966 as Mozart's Figaro. He performed with the New York City Opera from 1967, as Don Giovanni, Oroveso, and as the Father in "Louise." His European debut was at Stuttgart in 1978 as the Dutchman, and he sang Jochanaan at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, in 1988 (returning as Orestes in 1990).

In 1992 he sang Barak in "Die Frau ohne Schatten" ("The Woman without a Shadow") at Salzburg. His Wotan in "The Ring" was admired at the Vienna Staatsoper and at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

 Hale maintains two homes -- one in Arizona and one in Germany, but still has fond memories of Marksville and his cousins in the Riddle, Saucier and Voinche family here.

Julie Davies

Soprano Julie Davies enjoys an active stage career, performing with international orchestras and opera companies. In the fall of 2011, she made her debut in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor with the Opera House of Darmstadt, Germany Delete period after Germany and add:..and later that season sang the same role with the Mannheim National Theater. In the same season, she appeared as guest soloist with the Mannheim’s National Theater, again as Lucia in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor. A review stated: “As Lucia, the brilliant young Julie Davies moved through every phrase with focused, colorful, and powerful ease.” In spring of 2012, Ms. Davies was featured in the premiere performance of Darmstadt’s new production of Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffman where she sang all four leading female roles. One reviewer said: “Ms. Davies performed the four roles with full, rich tones: an appealing, polished performance of a difficult task…demonstrating amazing versatility in her singing." In the coming 2012-13 season

Ms. Davies is already booked to be featured in the title role of Bellini’s masterpiece, La Sonnambula, and will also sing Norina in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Nedda in Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, and Gerhilde in Wagner’s Die Walküre. In 2010, Ms. Davies debuted with the Phoenix Metropolitan Opera as First Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. She will be returning Phoenix in March 2013 as Rosalinde in Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. In 2009, she sang in Stephen Schwartz's world premiere of Séance on a Wet Afternoon with the Santa Barbara Opera.  Other roles Ms. Davies has brought to life on stage include: Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Rita Billingsley in William Bolcom’s A Wedding, Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, Corinna in Il viaggio à Reims, Dido in Dido and Aeneas, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, and Mother in Hansel and Gretel.

A frequent concert singer, some of Ms. Davies' credits include Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Poulenc's Gloria, Stravinsky's Pulcinella, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, Bernstein's Jeremiah, Mendelssohn's Elijah and Psalm 115, Handel's Messiah, Fauré's Requiem, Mozart's Vesperae de Confessore and Requiem, and Beethoven's Choral Fantasia. Ms. Davies completed her bachelor’s degree at Baylor University and her master’s degree at the University of Oklahoma, both with honors in Vocal Performance. She has also won several competitions including the Metropolitan Opera Regional Auditions and the Naftzger Young Artists Competition, and was a Finalist in the Marilyn Horne Foundation.

COLLEEN ADENT

Adent has accompanied various vocal and choral groups, as well as solo appearances throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Her arrangements and accompaniments also appear on numerous recordings.