Naxos Recording for RNCM Tenor

RNCM tenor Kang Wang spent time in the studio recently, recording Michael Balfe’s Satanella with Maestro Richard Bonynge AC CBE for Naxos.

Richard, a world-renowned conductor and pianist, visited the RNCM in June to lead two coaching sessions with Kang (who performed the role of Nemorino in the College’s 2013 production of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore) and RNCM repetiteur Jonathan Santagada, ahead of the scheduled recording at Cheshire’s Victorian Opera studio in July.

Opera critic Robert J Farr was invited to attend the recording, and shared the following thoughts:

‘As opera critic for Musicweb International, including its Seen and Heard reviews of live performances, I attended last December’s RNCM production of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore. I was very impressed by the young tenor singing Nemorino, Kang Wang. Later on, I learnt from Raymond Walker, Chairman of Victorian Opera, that he had been in touch with Lynne Dawson, the RNCM’s Head of the School of Vocal Studies, as he was interested in casting Kang in the then forthcoming recording of Balfe’s Satanella to be conducted by Maestro Richard Bonynge. After the conductor agreed Kang’s involvement he came from his home in Switzerland to prepare him for the demanding lead tenor role.

‘Later, I was privileged to attend the recording sessions and was greatly impressed by the young man’s deportment and the manner, along with his fully professional colleagues, by how he prepared himself for each session, and responded to the conductor’s musical nuances, as well as demands for repeats when the Maestro was not happy.

‘A pleasing start to what I am sure will be a successful career.’

The recording is due to be released next year.

Picture caption, from left: Jonathan Santagada, Richard Bonynge, and Kang Wang.

29 July 2014