Daniel Gallegos, baritone — “Ô vin, dissipe la tristesse” Hamlet
Cameron Kelsall: The last singer who really impressed us was baritone Daniel Gallegos, who sang the brindisi from Thomas’ Hamlet. Gallegos has the kind of velvety timbre any baritone would kill for—you can see him being equally successful in bel canto and Verdi—and a strong florid technique.
David Fox: He was very much on my short list last year, with a haunting performance of “Questo amor, vergogna mia” from Puccini’s Edgar, which I also think is a real kick-ass competition solo: largely unfamiliar, beautiful, and very memorable. Actually, I thought that suited him better than that Hamlet aria, but in both as you say, the velvety texture of the voice is exceptional. We’ve both talked here about specialness and individuality—it may seem to be asking a lot of a student, but we all know that those are the singers who become stars. And my money is on Gallegos, whose sound is personal and blue-chip.
– Parterre Box -avid