World's Finest Bass Ferruccio Furlanetto Comes to City Recital Hall Next Month

World-renowned bass Ferruccio Furlanetto is bringing his award-winning voice to Sydney, performing an enchanting repertoire in a two-concert series in the intimate surrounds of the City Recital Hall.

Glamorous divas and showy tenors are used to the spotlight, but it's a rare performer who can take a sonorous bass and make it world famous. Ferruccio Furlanetto is that performer: a gifted singeractor with a captivating voice.

He is sought after worldwide, from the Metropolitan Opera to La Scala, to sing the conflicted fathers, tortured priests and playful devils of great operatic works.

"He's one of the greatest basses of his generation. He's sung all the major roles in every major opera house in the world and continues to do so. I think people will remember him very fondly from his last acclaimed performance in Opera Australia's Don Carlos as King Phillip in 2015," said Opera Australia Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini.

"This will be a very different program - a remarkable treat. Ferruccio has lived in Vienna for many years so he was very keen to do the Winterreise, which is so beautiful. It is rarely sung by a bass."

In the first concert on 27 September, Furlanetto's powerful interpretation of Schubert's stunning song cycle, Winterreise captures the energy, despair and sensual longing of the work. Audiences are asked to take the journey with him as he traverses a cold winter landscape, along with Tchetuev's piano.

The second concert on 29 September explores the soulful poetry of Russian art song. Only the vast expanse of a Russian winter could inspire Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death and Rachmaninov's moody romances. Somehow, the music captures the darkness, cold and longing of a people waiting for the sun, for life and love to return - sparks of light and hope in a bleak night.

For tickets and more information visit www.opera.org.au.