Masuma: MEET THE 2013 TEN TENORS!

THOMAS BIRCH
TENOR
Thomas realised his love of musical theatre on being awarded the title of Victorian Primary Schools?, ?Best Lead Actor In A Musical?, at the age of 10 years. His role in The Ten Tenors represents his professional musical theatre debut as an adult and the realisation of career aspirations formed as a child in rural Victoria. ??Determined to develop his skills from an early age, he developed a voracious appetite for all things musical, with the overriding objective to eventually build a career in musical theatre. He undertook classical voice training, jazz, ballet and tap and soon enough was awarded roles in various amateur musical productions throughout metropolitan and rural Victoria; one of which included the role of Marius in the Les Miserable. Thomas was honoured to sing ?One Day More? alongside Rob Guest who performed the role of Jean Valjean during his regional tour.

?At the commencement of 2009, Thomas decided to undertake formal qualifications, enrolling in APO Arts Academy?s Certificate III in Performing Arts (Music Theatre). Not having quite completed his training, he was fortunate enough to be asked to audition for The Ten Tenors and of course was successful in securing a role.

BENJAMIN CLARK
TENOR
Benjamin enjoys performing a mixed genre of music from opera, contemporary, musical theatre and cabaret. His versatility was highlighted in March 2012 alongside Laura Fitzpatrick in ?Some Enchanted Evening? at Montsalvat, Eltham which received a standing ovation and a return invitation.

Internationally, Benjamin has performed at major sporting events such as the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball in the USA and Canada.

Benjamin graduated from the Victorian college of the Arts, and prior to his involvement with The Ten Tenors performed in musicals such as Sweeney Todd, Anything Goes, Guys and Dolls, The Wiz, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Pirates of Penzance. He was also a principal artist with Vicsound Entertainment and toured regionally throughout Victoria as a singer, entertainer and compere in seven original productions over four years.

After his break from the group, Benjamin is excited to return to touring with the The Ten Tenors in 2013.

KEANE FLETCHER
TENOR
A graduate of the?Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, 2011 marks Keane second year with The Ten Tenors.

Previous theatre credits include Jack Daw and understudy Ritchie Valens in the national tour of?BUDDY:?The Buddy Holly Story?(Live Theatre Productions), as the stand-by for Mark and Juan?in?Altar Boyz?(Ovations Live), as The College Boy in?Hello Again?(Gaiety Theatre?Co) and as Father Cody in?The Good Fight?at the New York Music Theatre Festival.

He has appeared in concert and cabaret inQuarter Life Crisis?for the Butterfly Club,?in?18Bites of the Big Apple?at The?Statement Theatre, as a guest artist for?Showqueen?Sundays,?Short Sweet + Song,?Carols in the Domain?(Channel 7),?in?BUDDY:?Unplugged?which he produced for SCOSA, and as a special guest performer in?YouTube Celebrity?? Miranda Sings? sell-out Sydney cabaret season.

Keane has also trained at the?Queensland Conservatorium of Music.

JACK FOWLES
YOUNG TENOR
Throughout his younger years, Jack has relished every opportunity to sing. He sung with the National Boys Choir, performing on the internationally televised QANTAS advertisement.

In his later years, as he developed into a tenor, Jack sang with the Choral Institute of Melbourne ? in which he performed onstage with Andr?a Bocelli at his Melbourne concert in 2008. Most recently, Jack has been performing as a soloist and ensemble member with the nationally acclaimed chamber choir, ?Concordis?.

In addition to choral music, Jack has developed a strong passion for music theatre, having performed in many musicals over the years. Some of his favourite performances include: Rapunzel?s Prince in Into The Woods, Tony in West Side Story, The Dentist in Little Shop of Horrors, Freddy Eynesford-Hill in My Fair Lady and Gaston in Beauty and the Beast.

Jack will join the Ten Tenors in 2013 as part of ?Young Tenor Scholarship Program?.

PAUL GELSUMINI
TENOR/MUSIC CO-ORDINATOR
Paul graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Music (Voice Performance) in 2008, as dux of his year.

Following his passion for voice, Paul travelled to Tuscany the following year, engaging in private tuition with a Puccini Master, before being invited to perform as a guest soloist at the inaugural?Puccini Festival.

Realising his aptitude for music theatre in addition to opera, Paul later graduated with a Diploma of Arts (Music Theatre) from?APO Arts Academy(Melbourne)?with training in singing, acting and dance.

Paul?s credits include Don Curzio in?Le Nozze di Figaro, Monostatos from?Der Zauberflote?and Orpheus in?Orpheus in the Underworld. He also made regular guest scholar appearances with Australian Music Events, including?Opera in the Alps?and was a Top 30 finalist of the?Rob Guest Endowment Award?in 2010.

Making his debut with The Ten Tenors in 2011, Paul wishes to thank both his family and friends for their love and support over the years.

CHAD HILLIGUS
TENOR
Chad has performed with many opera companies and orchestras across the US and Europe. As the 2009 Pierson Fellow with San Diego Opera, he appeared as Ferrando in?Cos? Fan Tutte?and recreated the title role in a new opera?Rumpelstiltskin.

His other operatic credits include?A Waltz Dream?(Lyric Opera of San Diego),?Madame Butterfly?(Sarasota Opera),?Faust?(Tulsa Opera),?The Merry Widow?(Lyric Opera of Kansas City),?GianniSchicchi?(Chelsea Opera),?Il Trovatore?(Nashville Opera) and?La Boh?me?(Ash Lawn Opera).

Chad gained international recognition on the musical theatre stage starring as Tony in the critically-acclaimed 50th Anniversary World Tour of?West Side Story. His performance with the Tokyo NHK Symphony was televised nationally throughout Japan. In addition, he has performed leading roles in?Show Boat,?Bye, Bye Birdie,?Scrooge,?Hello, Dolly,?Oklahoma,?State Fair,?Godspell,?Sound of Music?and?Street Scene.

Growing up in the Kansas, Chad began singing in church at a young age and was heavily involved with his schools? choral and theatre programs. He began his vocal training in Chicago at Olivet Nazarene University and then earned a Master of Music degree at the University of Utah. He has also completed post-graduate studies at Centro Studi Italiani in Italy and the Azurlingua School in France.

When he?s not touring, Chad resides in New York City and enjoys running, Bikram yoga, indie films, and pretending he?s a really important restaurant critic.? He would like to thank his family for their constant unconditional love and support.

SEBASTIAN MACLAINE
TENOR
Sebastian?s first significant venture into performing came in 2003, when he performed the role of the?Shepherd Boy?in Opera Queensland?s production of?Tosca.?This signalled the beginning of his love affair with opera and classical singing.

Seb has since appeared in a number of productions including Britten?s?Albert Herringwith the Queensland Conservatorium, Purcell?sThe Fairy Queen?(QCGU), Puccini?s?Gianni Schicchi?(QCGU), and in the world premiere of Betty Beath?s?Poverello.

He was also the featured tenor in Haydn?s?Nelson Mass?with the University of Queensland Chorale and in Mozart?sMass in C Minor?with the Brisbane Chorale.

Sebastian graduated from the Queensland in 2011 with a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice.

Sebastian has always envisaged a career in music, and is extremely excited to have the opportunity to debut with The Ten Tenors in 2012.

SCOTT MULLER
TENOR
Scott Muller has recently performed with the Fingask Follies in a revue show touring Scottish castles and closing in London.

His London stint follows study in the Graduate Music Theatre program at New York University. He returned home to perform his own sell-out show?Scott Muller: A New Voiceat RPAC (2008) and later won the Music Theatre section of the South East Queensland Aria and Concerto competition.

Scott has performed as Gaston in?Beauty and the Beast?(Harvest Rain) with further theatre highlights including Jamie in?The Last Five Years?(Best actor in a Musical, Gold Coast Area Theatre Awards), Banquo in?Macbeth: the contemporary rock opera?at QPAC and Galahad inSpamalot.

Scott graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Music (Classical Voice) at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. There, Scott performed in Operas?The Pilgrim?s Progress,Semele?and?The Magic Flute.

Scott fronted the?Brisbane All Stars Youth Big Band?which represented Australasia at the International Association of Jazz Education conference (2005) in California and Disneyland. His jazz quartet performed at the Spiegeltent as part of the 2006 Brisbane Festival.

While not performing, Scott works in childcare, putting to use his Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education.

JARED NEWALL
TENOR
Growing up in Perth, Jared began his professional music theatre career in 2007 as part of the tribe in?Hair: The American Tribal Love ? Rock Musical, followed by?Rent?as Steve. In 2008, Jared moved to Victoria to attend the University of Ballarat, to study Music Theatre.

During his time in Ballarat, Jared had the opportunity to play Homer Collins in Adam Guettel?s?Floyd Collins, Joseph ?Jojo? Morse in Cy Coleman?s?The Life?and Muzzy?s Boy/Ensemble in?Thoroughly Modern Millie.

His highlight was the chance to play the role of Bobby Strong in?Urinetown, under the direction of Tom Healey. He?also wrote and performed his own cabaret, which was creatively titled?Jesus Goes To Centrelink.

Jared loves playing guitar and piano, and has a passion for writing his own music.

BEN STEPHENS
TENOR
During his first year at Theatre Nepean, Ben was invited to attend the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts studying Musical Theatre. Whilst at Waapa, Ben played Franklin Shepard in Merrily We Roll Along as well as ensemble roles in My Favourite Year, The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Carousel. Ben was also fortunate enough to work with the late Nick Enright in Summer Rain. In his final year, Ben successfully auditioned for Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro after an invitation from the WA Conservatorium of Music and WA Opera Company.

After too long a break from performance, Ben played Patroclus in a revival of Jon English?s Rock Opera, Paris, for Southern Cross Musicals and also helped in developing new Australian musicals for Kookaburra Musical Theatre Company.

Ben found his ?inner trailer trash? for Jerry Springer The Opera, directed by one of the worlds leading directors, Gale Edwards. He most recently returned from an Asian tour of Jekyll and Hyde.

Ben is thrilled to be a part of The Ten Tenors and wishes to thanks his parents for their constant love and support.

DANIEL BELLE
TENOR
Bio coming soon?