Earth and Space News: Quinn Kelsey Sings for the World But Always Returns Home to Hawai'i

Summary: Hawaiian baritone Quinn Kelsey sings for the world but always returns home to Hawai'i to remain active in his home state's active musical scene.

Quinn Kelsey as Giorgio Germont with Danielle Talamantes as Violetta Valéry in Hawai'i Opera Theatre's 2019 staging of Verdi's La Traviata; scenery and lighting by Peter Dean Beck, costumes by Helen E. Rodgers: Hawaii Opera Theatre, via Facebook May 15, 2019

Hawaiian baritone Quinn Kelsey sings for the world but always returns home to Hawai'i to remain an active participant in his home state's lively musical venues.

Quinn Kamakanalani Kelsey (born March 7, 1978) traces his operatic beginnings to joining the Hawai'i Opera Theatre (HOT) Chorus in 1991, according to his website's Biography page. The teenager joined his father, Christopher "Chris" Kelsey, in the baritone section, according to Elizabeth Crean's article, "Love for opera keeps the Kelsey family close-knit," published in the March 28, 1996, issue of the Honolulu Star Bulletin.

Kelsey's 1991 HOT Chorus debut occurred in Aida by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901). The ancient Egypt-themed Verdian opera opened HOT's 31st season as the first of three operas and offered three performances (Friday, Feb. 1; Sunday, Feb. 3; Tuesday, Feb. 5).

"The family that operas together, stays together," Chris explained in Crean's article. Chris and his wife, Deborah "Debbie" Mary Kawaiho'ano Kelsey (Oct. 12, 1949-Oct. 16, 2020), had sung baritone and soprano, respectively, in the HOT Chorus since their 1988 debuts in Turandot by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). Quinn's sister, Blythe Iakuinipua'okahana Kelsey Takumuza, made her HOT Chorus debut as a mezzo-soprano in 1995 in Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

Quinn attended University Laboratory School (ULS) in Honolulu's Lower Manoa neighborhood. He graduated from the K-12 charter school, where his mother taught and directed the choir, in 1996.

Quinn received his bachelor's degree in music at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH Manoa) in 2002. He studied with John W. Mount, voice professor and bass-baritone local and mainland opera performer (Hawai'i Opera Theatre, Denver Lyric Opera, Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, Santa Fe Opera).

Quinn's transition from HOT Chorus singer to HOT's stage occurred in Hawai'i Opera Theatre's 40th season. He sang Melot in the 2000 HOT season's staging of Tristan und Isolde by German Romantic Era composer-librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883). Tristan und Isolde opened the season as the first of three operas and received three performances (Friday, Jan. 28; Sunday, Jan. 30; Tuesday, Feb. 1).

Quinn complemented his university education with participation in three training programs between 2001 and 2006. He attended summer school in 2001 at Chautauqua Institution (CHQ) in Upstate New York's Southern Tier subregion. He studied with American mezzo-soprano and voice instructor Marlena Kleinman Malas, chair of the CHQ School of Music Voice Program (1980-2022) and director of the Voice Program-refashioned Chautauqua Opera Conservatory (summer 2022 to present).

The following summer, 2002, Quinn participated in San Francisco Opera Center's (SFOC) prestigious Merola Opera Program. His portrayal of Marcello the painter in SFOC's Saturday, July 6, 2002, performance of Puccini's La Bohème in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) Theater memorably impressed the San Francisco Chronicle's chief classical music critic, American cryptic cruciverbalist Joshua Kosman (born Oct. 27, 1959). Kosman described Quinn as a "Hawaiian powerhouse" and "an artist to watch" in "Young cast dazzles in 'La Boheme' / Merola artists a thrill to watch," published in the July 8, 2002, issue of SFGATE.

From spring 2003 to spring 2006, Quinn finessed his professional artistry in the Lyric Opera of Chicago's renowned Lyric Opera Center for American Artists (LOCAA), known since 2006 as the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center. He studied with American coloratura soprano Gianna Rolandi (born Carol Jane Rolandi; Aug. 16, 1952-June 20, 2021), LOCAA director of vocal studies (May 2002-2006), LOCAA and Ryan Opera Center director and wife of English conductor Sir Andrew Frank Davis (born Feb. 2, 1944), the Lyric Opera of Chicago's music director and principal conductor (2000-June 30, 2021). Quinn made his company and role debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago during the 2003-2004 season as Prince Yamadori in Puccini's Madama Butterfly.

Chicago-based Quinn's extensive résumé as an operatic baritone lists performances in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America, according to his website, quinnkelsey.com. His North American opera company debuts include Saturday, March 29, 2008, at the Metropolitan Opera as Schaunard the musician in Puccini's La Bohème and Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008, at the San Francisco Opera (SFO) as La Bohème's Marcello the painter.

The well-traveled baritone intersperses his global schedules with performances in his home state. Quinn's most recent return to O'ahu occurred in 2021. He performed opera in a jam session Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, with Honolulan 'ukulele virtuoso Taimane Tauiliili Bobby Gardner (born Feb. 13, 1989) for Hawai'i Opera Theatre's world premiere of Opera Kanikapila.

In the 2018-2019 HOT season, Quinn sang paternally as Giorgio Germont in Verdi's Traviata. Verdi's bittersweet romance between provincial bourgeois Alfred Germont and Parisian courtesan Violetta Valéry was presented as the second of two operas in Hawai'i Opera Theatre's 59th season. La Traviata closed the season with three performances on Friday, May 17; Sunday, May 19; and Tuesday, May 21, 2019.

The 50th state of the United States of America (U.S.A.; USA) can rely on regular returns by native Hawaiian baritone Quinn Kelsey. His impressive voice is heard and respected around the world. Yet, Quinn Kelsey continues to give back to his home state.

Honolulan operatic baritone Quinn Kelsey returned to Hawai'i for the 2020-2021 HOT season's Opera Kanikapila premiere of Quinn's innovative jam session with Honolulan 'ukulele virtuoso Taimane Gardner; clothing by Honolulan designer Anne Namba: Anne Namba Designs, via Facebook Nov. 25, 2020

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Anne Namba Designs. "Musical magic with opera star Quinn Kelsey and ukulele master Taimane Gardner as they team up for an upcoming video presentation. Not only do they sound good but look good too sporting my creations! #tomesodemenshirt #obibustier #kimonojacket @therealquinnkelsey @taimanegardner." Nov. 25, 2020.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/122276357829441/posts/3671683662888675/

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Brown, Megan. "The Marlena Magic: Beloved Opera Conservatory Director Malas honored at reception, launch of scholarship bearing her name." The Chautauqua Daily > The Arts > Opera. Aug. 16, 2022.
Available @ https://chqdaily.com/2022/08/the-marlena-magic-beloved-opera-conservatory-director-malas-honored-at-reception-launch-of-scholarship-bearing-her-name/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-marlena-magic-beloved-opera-conservatory-director-malas-honored-at-reception-launch-of-scholarship-bearing-her-name

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Available @ https://www.facebook.com/HawaiiOpera/photos/pcb.10156446824347712/10156446821987712/
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10156446821987712&set=pb.100064556476961.-2207520000.

Hawaii Opera Theatre. "HOT's first ever Opera Kanikapila, starring Quinn Kamakanalani Kelsey & Taimane, is coming to HOT Digital on January 29, 2021. The internationally acclaimed star baritone joins with the 'ukulele virtuoso for a Hawaiian style jam session you don't want to miss! Get it on-demand: https://hotdigital.vhx.tv/.../opera-kanikapila-quinn..." Facebook. Jan. 20, 2021.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/HawaiiOpera/videos/hots-first-ever-opera-kanikapila-starring-quinn-kamakanalani-kelsey-taimane-is-c/1527302300812967/

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Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/10/madama-butterfly-is-most-performed.html

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Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/09/quinn-kelsey-has-tallied-nine-met-roles.html

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Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/09/quinn-kelsey-sings-amonasro-marcello.html

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Available @ https://www.operabase.com/artists/quinn-kelsey-14281/performances/en

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Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy_NA2-GFoY

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Available @ https://twitter.com/StarAdvertiser/status/1354859321537032192

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Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTSMvWuAyHw

Taimane. "Who said ukulele can’t play opera? One of my favorite experiences of 2020 was performing with international opera *star* Quinn Kamakanalani Kelsey. We played an entire concert together. Starting this weekend, you can watch it anywhere in the world online. The online premiere is this Friday (1/29) at 1pm HST / 6pm EST, and you can watch on-demand online anytime thereafter. Tickets here: http://bit.ly/hot_tix Mahalo to Hawaii Opera Theatre for making this 'Opera Kanikapila' happen! Two Polynesians sharing opera with the world from Hawaii." Facebook. Jan. 26, 2021.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/taimanegardner/posts/pfbid0vnxRHagxGV61N6zjrpCH9A8afVdVSafbtGvcFLFvf4VhyMEHTkg819VhcX9KuTEgl

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Earth and Space News

Monday, November 7, 2022

Quinn Kelsey Sings for the World But Always Returns Home to Hawai'i

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