The Collegiate Chorale Presents BEATRICE DI TENDA at Carnegie Hall, 12/5 Page 2- BWWClassical MusicWorld

A native of Riverside, CA, Baritone Nicholas Pallesen is establishing himself as one of the most promising talents of his generation. He is a 2012 recipient of a Richard Tucker Career Grant, was a Grand Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and can be seen in the documentary, "The Audition". Mr. Pallesen's performance in Beatrice di Tenda will mark his Carnegie Hall debut. He will also make two title-role debuts: as Lord Ruthven in Marschner's Der Vampyr with the American Symphony Orchestra and in Rigoletto with Shreveport Opera. He will return to the Metropolitan Opera's roster for Ades' The Tempest. Future engagements include debuts with the Metropolitan, Fort Worth and Cincinnati Operas, all in leading roles. Mr. Pallesen is a winner of the Giulio Gari, Sullivan Foundation, Opera Index and the Bel Canto Foundation competitions. He has also won awards from the George London Foundation, the Loren L. Zachary Society, the Liederkranz Foundation, the Gerda Lissner Foundation, the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation and the Santa Fe Opera, among others.

Subscription tickets can be purchased by contacting The Chorale office at (646) 435-9465 or via their website: collegiatechorale.org. Single tickets start at $20. Tickets to individual Carnegie Hall concerts may also be purchased through the Carnegie Hall Box Office 60 days in advance of each concert and on Carnegie Charge at (212) 247-7800 or www.carnegiehall.org. Single tickets for all concerts, and for the Fall Gala and Spring Benefit, can be obtained by calling The Collegiate Chorale at (646) 202-9623.

The mission of The Collegiate Chorale, led by Music Director James Bagwell, is to enrich its audiences through innovative programming and exceptional performances of a broad range of vocal music featuring a premier choral ensemble. Founded in 1941 by the legendary conductor Robert Shaw, The Chorale has established a preeminent reputation for its interpretations of the traditional choral repertoire, vocal works by American composers, and rarely heard operas-in-concert, as well as for commissions and premieres of new works by today's most exciting creative artists. The many guest artists with whom The Chorale has performed in recent years include: Stephanie Blythe, Victoria Clark, Nathan Gunn, Thomas Hampson, Angela Meade, Kelli O'Hara, Eric Owens, Rene Papé, Bryn Terfel and Deborah Voigt. Last season's highlights included the critically acclaimed concert presentation of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado at Carnegie Hall. In addition to The Chorale's presentations, the chorus performed in five programs during the American Symphony Orchestra's 2011-12 season, sang with the Israel Philharmonic at the Salzburg Festival and in Israel in July 2012, and will return to Verbier in the summer of 2013.