Metropolitan Opera star Samuel Ramey visits WMU

KALAMAZOO--Metropolitan Opera star Samuel Ramey will perform with the Western Michigan University Symphony Orchestra and Collegiate Singers in a free, public concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, in Miller Auditorium.

The concert will feature Gustav Mahler's Symphony Number 1 in D Major as well as scenes by Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and American composer Carlisle Floyd. It is part of Ramey's three-day guest residency at WMU, during which he will interact with music students through a master class, question-and-answer session, and private coaching.

For more than three decades, Ramey has reigned as one of the music world's foremost interpreters of bass and bass-baritone operatic and concert repertoire. He maintains a non-stop schedule of more than 70 performances each season, and has performed leading roles in some of the world's most prestigious opera houses.

Ramey holds the distinction of being the most recorded bass in history. His more than 80 recordings include complete operas, recordings of arias, symphonic works, solo recital programs and popular crossover albums on every major label. His recordings have garnered three Grammy Awards, Gran Prix du Disc Awards, and citations from journals including Stereo Review and Opera News. He is seen frequently on television in appearances with "Live from the Met" and "Live from Lincoln Center" as well as other productions taped for PBS.

Learn more about Ramey at samuelramey.com, and sample his music at myspace.com/samuelrameyofficial. For details on the artist's WMU residency, contact Carl Ratner, WMU associate professor of music, at @email or (269) 387-4706.