Brian Hunter
Tenor, Composer, MCNY Vice President
MCNY Executive Director, 2018-2022, MCNY President 2008-2010, 2012-2018,
Serge & Olga Koussevitzky Young Artist Awards Jury 2008-2010, 2012-present
From 1981-1991, Brian Hunter performed the great liturgical and secular polyphonic repertoire with the Welch Chorale of St. Philip Neri Church in the Bronx. During that time, he completed a Bachelors of Arts (music), a Masters of Teaching in Music (violin), and a second Bachelors in Computer Science at Lehman College in the Bronx. He received the Charles W. Hughs Scholarship with his bachelors and the Emile Anders Choir Award with his bachelors and again with his masters.
In 1992, he moved to Manhattan and studied with the impresario Joseph H. Conlin and the French Canadian soprano Jeannine Morand, a student of Bernardo De Muro, whose technique was in the bel canto tradition. He also studied with tenor Sir John van Kesteran, and Broadway coaches Fred Silver and Stanley Sonntag. He studied and performed opera early in his career, learning and performing roles with Nico Castel (Alfredo/La Traviata, German operetta arias), Tony Amato at Amato Opera (Almaviva/Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Rudolfo/La Boheme, Tamino/Magic Flute, Box/Cox and Box) and Anton Guadagno at Palm Beach Opera (Trin/La Fanciula del Oest, Sargeant/Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Rodrigo/Otello, Ernesto/Don Pasquale). But his career as an Irish tenor and his concert and cruise work became the focus of his career fairly early on.
In addition to performing, Brian worked with Joseph Conlin as a musical impresario and in travel management, presenting hundreds of concerts and scores of cruise music programs, as well as working for both the Palm Beach Invitational and the Cincinnati World Piano Competitions. During this time, he hired and shared billing with many stars of the operatic and concert world, including Oxana Arkaeva, Rebecca Copley, Victoria Livengood, Boris Martinovich, Sherill Milnes, Roberta Peters, and Michael Svetlev. Since Mr. Conlin's passing in 2007, Brian has continued his impresario work, especially through the Musicians Club of New York.
Brian became the president of the Musicians Club of New York for the 2008-09 season and remained through 2009-10. After a stint as Concert & Artists Director for Steinway & Sons, he returned as president from 2012-13 through 2017-18. During those years, he increased funding to replace the Club's depleting endowment through a fall membership drive, end of year drive, and the Joseph H. Conlin Benefit Gala in the spring. He organized the free concert series to include the Dorothy Indenbaum Member-Composers Concert, the Serge & Olga Koussevitzky Young Artist Awards Finals, and the Dear Composers Concert, in addition to the concerts of prize winners from the previous year. In 2018-19, he became the Club's first executive director.
Four Songs of Mira J. Spektor -; music by Mira J. Spektor; Brian Hunter, tenor; Jean-Paul-Bjorlin, piano
The Musicians Club of New York Dorothy Indenbaum Composers Concert, March 24, 2019, Victor Borge Hall, Scandinavia House, New York City. Video by Paula and Chris Argondizza.
Declaration of Dependence - Suite Jesus: I. Rest, II. Give, III. Put, IV. Lo echsar; music and lyrics by Brian Hunter; Brian Hunter, tenor; Yue Chu, piano
The Musicians Club of New York Dorothy Indenbaum Composers Concert, March 18, 2018, Victor Borge Hall, Scandinavia House, New York City. Video by Paula and Chris Argondizza.
Declaration of Dependence - Marriage: I. The Same Great Love Song, II. The Wedding Song, III. I Depend on You, IV. In Good Times or Bad, music and lyrics by Brian Hunter; Brian Hunter, tenor; Bonnie McAlvin, flute; Andrey Tchekmazov, cello; Richard Dowling, piano.
Musicians Club of New York Member/Composers Concert, Saturday, March 21, 2015, Liederkranz Concert Hall, New York City.
Video by Paula and Chris Argondizza.
Scene from "Song O' My Heart" (Fairy Story by the Fire, Mighty 'lak a Rose) Brian Hunter, tenor, Jeremy Weissman, piano.
Musicians Club of New York Presents Brian Hunter and Jeremy Weissman, Saturday, March 18, 2012, Liederkranz Concert Hall, New York City. Video by Paula and Chris Argondizza.
Berceuse (Lullaby) from Jocelyn by Benjamin Godard, Brian Hunter, tenor, Yuri Vodovoz, violin, Richard Dowling, piano.
Musicians Club of New York's First Annual Joseph H. Conlin Benefit Gala, May 7, 2009, Steinway Hall, New York City. Video by Paula and Chris Argondizza.
"Love-Songs, At Once Tender and Informative", poems of Samuel Hoffenstein, music by Alexander Dmitriev; Brian Hunter, tenor, William McNally, piano
Musicians Club of New York Member/Composers Concert, Saturday, March 12, 2016, Liederkranz Concert Hall, New York City. Video by Paula and Chris Argondizza.
“Ode to the City of Cologne”, music by Leonard J. Lehrman; text by Samuel Tyler Coleridge, Brian Hunter, tenor; Leonard J. Lehrman, piano.
Musicians Club of New York Member/Composers Concert, Saturday, April 4, 2014, Liederkranz Concert Hall, New York City. Video by Paula and Chris Argondizza.
Links to other video files of Brian Hunter:
MCNY Presents "Ah, Moon of My Delight", Brian Hunter, tenor, Jeremy Weissmann, piano, March 18, 2012
MCNY Presents "Four Green Fields", Brian Hunter, tenor, Jeremy Weissmann, piano, March 18, 2012
Danny Boy, Brian Hunter, tenor; Louis Menendez, piano. 2009.
