Bill Doggett: Russell 'Thomas is the first Black Tenor to sing a Principal Tenor Role in recent years at San Francisco Opera'

Russell Thomas
www.russell-thomas.com 

Russell Thomas 

Photo credit: Bill Doggett Productions: 

signed insert and program by the three Principals

PRESS RELEASE

October 1, 2014

From: Bill Doggett Productions

A critical moment in African American Opera history has occurred at San Francisco Opera.

Russell Thomas, the young celebrated  African American tenor from Miami completed an historic first last night with the final performance of Bellini's NORMA.

He sang the Principal role of Pollione in San Francisco Opera's production of NORMA, replacing Marco Berti .

Second only to Vinson Cole in L'Amico Fritz in 1976 and again in La Boheme in 2003-04, Thomas is the first Black Tenor to sing a Principal Tenor Role in recent years at San Francisco Opera, a house famous for its history of nurturing and featuring Black Singers from 1957-2007

A brilliantly sung performance, Thomas sang opposite two extraordinary Principal singers: Norma - Sondra Radvanovsky - The Leontyne Price/ Montserrat Caballe for Our Times and Adalgisa - Jamie Barton, clearly "the young Marilyn Horne" of Our Times 

Bravo Russell Thomas. 

Bill Doggett