Famed tenor Hymel to appear at Temple Sinai

By ALAN SMASON, Exclusive to the CCJN

Brian Hymel, a rising star in the international opera world with an established repertoire at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, will headline a concert titled “Love Infinite” at Temple Sinai on Sunday, March 13.

Famed tenor Bryan Hymel, who appears in “Love Infinite” at Temple Sinai on March 13. (Photo courtesy Bryan Hymel)

Appearing with his wife, acclaimed Greek soprano Irini Kyriakidou, Hymel will help raise funds for the recently instituted Rabbi Edward Paul Cohn Rabbi Emeritus Chair and Cantor Colman Concert Fund at the Reform temple.

Hymel, a native New Orleanian who was a student at Jesuit High School and the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts before embarking on his college career at Loyola University, spoke exclusively with the CCJN about the upcoming concert.

Hymel says that both Cohn and Colman approached him about taking part in the fundraiser. “I used to sing at Temple Sinai as a part of the High Holidays ensemble,” he recalls. “I gave a recital at Temple Sinai in July of 2005, right before Katrina.”

The tenor considers the sanctuary as a great acoustic hall. “It is a beautiful sanctuary,” he says, “and it’s a great place to come back and sing. Plus it can hold a lot of people.”

Hymel plans two halves to the concert – the first will be entirely in French. Both he and his wife will have a number of duets and arias from operas like Hector Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust (The Damnation of Faust) and Les Troyens (The Trojans). The second half will be in Italian.

Hymel is one of only a handful of tenors in the world who has mastered the vocally difficult role of Rossini’s Guillaume Tell (William Tell). “That’s a specialized role and one I have coming up in the future,” he reveals. “It’s a tricky one. It’s like waking a tightrope for four hours. It’s so high and so exposed.  You have to use a lot of soft and sweet singing. It’s high and loud and with a big middle – and just so long.”

The tenor recalls that he met his wife while performing in Georges Bizet’s Carmen at the Royal Opera House in London. “She had some friends who were singing in the production. She was in the front row.”

Falling in love while balancing twin operatic careers has proved challenging and Hymel says he doesn’t necessarily recommend it as a practice for professional singers. “But I have to say it worked out well.” The two are now rearing two small children. Even so, they managed to appear together on stage last year in the New Orleans Opera Association’s production of Carmen before the second child arrived.

Greek soprano Irini Kyriakidou performing with her husband, tenor Bryan Hymel, on March 13 at Temple Sinai. (Photo courtesy Irini Kyriakidou)

“The first two years we didn’t have any children,” Hymel continues. “The first two years were like a honeymoon period. It was just fun traveling around and singing. With the kids, it’a a lot of work.”

Despite the challenges to their careers, Hymel believes they are fortunate. “We’re doing well and I think she’s a great mom and a great wife. We’re lucky that way.”

Hymel once had a budding career as a pianist-organist and a trumpeter. At Jesuit, he worked in the orchestra for several Broadway productions under instructor Sonny Borey as well as appearing on stage. He honed his musicianship at NOCCA under his mentor John Kinchen.

But, it wasn’t until he reached Loyola University on a full scholarship, where he became associated with assistant professor Dreux Montegut, and he was encouraged to embark on a strictly vocal career path.

Montegut is the director of music at St. Louis Cathedral and Hymel has had the privilege of playing the massive pipe organ there prior to launching his vocal career. He maintains a piano in his home for enjoyment and surprisingly adds “I still play trumpet.”

Hymel credits the work following his graduation from Loyola at the Philadelphia Academy of Vocal Arts with voice teacher Bill Schuman as especially significant. He notes the school has an enrollment of just 28 students and is extremely selective with the caliber of performer they accept.

The upcoming concert at Temple Sinai may be the largest Jewish crowd Hymel performs before in three years. That was when he traveled in January of 2013 to Israel to perform on a bill with conductor Neil Shicoff. The concert coincided with a rare snowstorm in Israel. “The concert wasn’t very well attended,” Hymel muses, but adds that most of the people were home listening to it over their radios.

The snow kept him from his anticipated sightseeing on that last day he was in Israel, but Hymel says he was treated so well “It’s a good reason to go back.”

The celebrated tenor has performed in most of the famous opera halls in the world, but there are a few that still remain elusive to him. La Fenice in Venice is one hall he hopes to one day play. And for a boy who was raised way down yonder, he would also love to appear at the Sydney Opera House too. “That’s another place I’d like to go,” he avers.

Tickets are $30.00 general admission in advance and $35.00 at the door. Student tickets are $10.00, while patron tickets, which include priority seating and a post-performance reception with the artists are $150.00 each. Sponsorships, which also include the priority seating and the reception $250.00 each. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m.

To reserve tickets for “Love Infinite,” call Temple Sinai at 504-861-3693 or write 6227 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA. 70118.