Music belts through Cookstown
By Susan Stein

Photo by Susan Stein Three tenors, pictured above, three divas and others from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto perfored during the annual Music in Cookstown concert last week The event happened at Cookstown United Church.

Instead of writing, I would love to sing songs of praise. Of praise for those outstanding, wonderful singers, whose voices and exuberance made the Oct. 12 event, held at Cookstown United Church, such a success.

They were the Three Young Tenors, the three young Divas.

Salvatore Gambino, who began his career in musical theatre, followed by his first exposure to opera in Benjamin Britten's opera in celebration of this composer, held in Toronto. At the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music he recently performed the role of Il Buffone in the Canadian premiere of La Bella Dormente nel Bosco (Sleeping Beauty). He is a frequent soloist with the Brampton Symphony Orchestra . In April and May 2007 Salvatore sang the role of Peter in a musical production titled Emmanuel - The Story of Jesus, staged in Ontario and New York.

Over the past year, Salvatore has been busy recording songs by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Jerome Kerr. He is also working on a special project which involves a compilation of Neapolitan Folk Songs, accompanied by violin and piano. The release is scheduled for February 2008.

Salvatore Gambino is in his third year at the Glen Gould School, completing his bachelor's degree in vocal performance under the guidance of Joel Katz, chair of that department. Salvatore's goal is to sing in opera on the international stage. You will achieve that Salvatore Gambino!

Darrel Hicks has been studying classical singing for the last six years, first in the Royal Conservatory Community School and then in the full-time undergraduate program of The Glen Gould School, where he is in the fourth year studying with Joel Katz.

He has performed roles in La Vie Parisienne by Offenbach, in Mozart's Magic Flute, Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore and The Gondoliers. He has been the soloist at Leaside Presbyterian Church since 2002, has recently been chosen to sing the solos tenor parts in Beethoven's 9th Symphony November 23d with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

For me Darrell Hicks would be perfect in an opera by Wagner - he has the build and in my opinion the voice of a Helden Tenor.

Michael Ciufo is the winner of the "Most Promising Junior Singer Award" at the National Associaton of Teachers of Singing competition in 2005. In 2007 he has completef a nine-show tour across Canada, where he was the featured performer in Bravo Honours. Michael was mentioned prominently in the Amazing Canadian Magazine, the issue first distributed across Canada at Chapters, Indigo and select newsstands. Most recently his credits include the title role in the premier of Hamlet, by Toronto composer Mark Richards, the premiere of Sleeping Beauty with the Glenn Gould School, performing with Opera Atelier in Mozart's Magic Flute, as Joseph in the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Bye Bye Birdie.

He will have the honour of performing with the Orpheus Choir of Toronto.