A tenor from Redmond, William Austin, sings the role of Beppe in Lyric Opera Northwest’s production of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30 at the Theater at Meydenbauer Center, 11100 NE 6th St. in Bellevue.
Austin will perform on stage with Eduardo Villa, a leading tenor from the famed Metropolitan Opera.
Villa will reprise his roles as Canio in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Turridu in Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana this weekend at Meydenbauer Center.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday Aug. 28; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday Aug. 29; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30.
Tickets for all shows are $42-$45 general admission, $35 seniors/students. Tickets for the opening with after-show patrons’ gala are $65.
Originally from Dallas, Austin’s numerous operatic credits include such leading roles as the Duke in Rigoletto, Nemorino in
Elisir d’Amore, Elvino in La Sonnambula, Ernesto in Don Pasquale, Romeo in Romeo et Juliette, Rinnuccio in Gianni Schicchi; The Prince in Love for Three Oranges, Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte and Alfred in Die Fledermaus.
Austin has appeared in seven operatic world premieres including Menotti’s The Hero and John Eaton’s Cry of Clytemnestra.
He has made solo appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Anchorage Symphony, Bellevue Philharmonic (under the
baton of Maestro Joseph Scott), Delaware Symphony, Seattle Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, San Francisco Opera, New Jersey State Opera, Virginia Opera Theater, Arizona Opera, Charlotte Opera, Orlando Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera and has performed in more than 30 states, touring with Western Opera Theater and Texas Opera Theater.
Austin is equally at home in Music Theater having performed in Dinner Theater and Summer Stock in such roles as Karl Franz in The Student Prince, Charlie in Brigadoon, The Padre in Man of La Mancha, Lun Tha in The King and I, and Lt. Cable in South Pacific.
Austin studied at The Juilliard School, (American Opera Center), The Curtis Institute of Music and received a diploma from the Academy of Vocal Arts. He toured Italy under a grant from the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation, performing opera and oratorio in Rome, Assisi and Florence.
Austin is vice president of the Seattle real estate management firm Epic Asset Management and is married to harpist and teacher Alison Austin. They celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary this year and have two children, Diana and Patrick.
Further information on the opera production is available at www.lonw.org.
Tickets may be ordered online at www.brownpapertickets.com, or by calling 1-800-838-1020. They are also available at the Meydenbauer ticket office prior to each performance.
