February 2, 2001

Baritone Scott Hendricks to
Perform Feb. 17

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — The Marilyn Horne
Foundation presents its fifth recital at Middlebury College Saturday,
Feb. 17, with a performance by baritone Scott Hendricks who will be
accompanied by pianist David Holkeboer. The foundation’s mission
is to support song recitals and residencies by outstanding young
singers. Hendricks’ performance is at 8 p.m. in the Concert Hall
at the College’s Center for the Arts on South Main Street (Route
30). Hendricks will perform Vaughan Williams’ “Songs of Travel,”
four British folksongs arranged by Benjamin Britten, music by Carlos
Guastavino titled “Flores Argentinas,” and six selections from
“Schwanengesang.”

A native of San Antonio, Texas,
Hendricks received his bachelor of music education degree from
Louisiana State University and continued his music studies at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His list of operatic
credits is growing with debut European performances this season as a
member of the Cologne Opera. He will also make his debuts with the
Santa Fe Opera as Ford in “Falstaff” and with the Utah Opera in the
title role of “Eugene Onegin.” In the 1997-1999 seasons, he was a
member of the Opera Studio at the Houston Grand Opera. While there he
sang Marcello in “La Boheme,” Count Almaviva in “Le Nozze di Figaro,”
and the leading role of Prince Dimitry in the 1999 world premiere of
Tod Machover’s “Resurrection.”

Hendricks’ reviews speak almost
as much to his ability as a comic actor as they do to his vocal
talents. When he played Figaro in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia,” the
Kansas City Star wrote: “The fine singing was led by baritone Scott
Hendricks … For three hours Hendricks displayed a comfortable
ease on stage that put the audience in the mood to laugh. He played
Figaro’s gentle arrogance
with the stylish panache of a top-notch actor.”

Of his performance as Slook in “La
Cambiale di Matrimonio,” the Washington Post
called him an “outstanding baritone” as well as “a comic sensation,
winking, grimacing and cajoling … while at the same time sinking
his powerful and plummy baritone voice into a role
that has some of the best musical
moments in the opera.”

In addition to opera, Hendricks has
been a frequent soloist. As a song recitalist, he has performed in
more than 70 concerts with accompanist John Wustman as part of the
Complete Songs of Franz Schubert Recital Series. He’s also
performed as a soloist in Handel’s “Messiah” in New York and in
Copland’s “The Tenderland” with the Minnesota
Orchestra.

His awards include second place in
the Metropolitan Opera Southwest Regional finals, finalist in the
1996 Palm Beach Opera Competition, and third place as well as
Audience Choice Award in the 1996 Baltimore Opera
Competition.

Pianist David Holkeboer graduated
from Calvin College in Michigan, where he won first place in the
Grand Rapids Symphony Contest. He received a Master of Music in Vocal
Coaching and Accompanying from the University of Illinois. Mr.
Holkeboer has worked at the Chamber Opera Theatre of New York, the
First American Music Theatre Festival in Philadelphia, the
O’Neill Theatre Center in Connecticut, the Israel Vocal Arts
Institute, and the Florentine Opera. Along with Scott Hendricks, he
has been pianist in performance with Ariel Bybee, Philip Cokorinos,
Susan Dunn, Faith Esham, and James McCracken.

Tickets for Hendricks’
performance are $10 for general admission and $8 for senior citizens.
For tickets, call the College box office at 802-443-6433.

— end —