Balzun-Bleakley Duo
JOEL BALZUN: Singer
Praised as a “mature artist with a voluminous sound,” baritone and composer Joel Balzun studied at Eastman School of Music with Jan Opalach and Benton Hess. He completed the young artist programs at Opera Saratoga, Pittsburgh Festival Opera and Tanglewood Music Center.
His continually-expanding repertoire includes the title roles of Don Giovanni and Gianni Schicchi, Marcello (La bohème), the Four Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann and Prince Yeletskiy and Count Tomskiy (Pikovaya Dama), among others.
He is a prizewinner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
LAURA BLEAKLEY: Pianist
Laura Bleakley received her Masters in Collaborative Piano at University of Houston, studying under Timothy Hester, where she’s currently a Doctoral Candidate.
She received her Bachelors of Organ and Piano Performance from University of Puget Sound. Laura has performed in masterclasses for Martin Katz, Kathleen Kelly and Howard Watkins.
She is a frequent collaborator with various groups and festivals, including Opera in the Heights, Opera Saratoga, Musiqa, The Texas Music Festival and Houston Symphony Chorus.
In 2021, Laura released an album of rare Russian art songs for KNS Classical.
Recent Comments