Two singers lauded in The Times sing out again in Menotto’s comic opera “The Telephone”

Bass-baritone Jacob Will and soprano Diana Amos performed Gian Carlo Menotti’s comic opera “The Telephone” at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival last spring and got a nice review in the The New York Times.

“Diana Amos and Jacob Will gave the piece a nice workout. Ms. Amos was especially impressive in passages that wove laughter or other nonverbal expression into the musical line,” said The Times.

The opera was part of an all-Menotti concert by the Piccolo Spoleto Festival Orchestra conducted by USC Symphony Orchestra music director Donald Portnoy. Now the two singers will again join Maestro Portnoy for a concert performance of the one-act opera, this time with the USC Symphony Orchestra. The opera is part of the Oct. 18 concert which also includes the “Capriccio Italien” by Tchaikovsky and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4.

Diana Amos is an instructor of voice at Columbia College and a graduate student in vocal performance at USC. She has had a long career in Europe, performing leading roles with more than thirty-five European companies including Queen of the Night in Mozart's “The Magic Flute” at the Berlin State Opera, Olympia in “The Tales of Hoffman” at the Semper Opera in Dresden and at the Cologne Opera, and Zerbinetta in “Ariadne auf Naxos” at the Staatsoper in Hannover, Germany.

Since arriving at USC Ms. Amos has sung the title role in “Miss Havisham's Wedding Night” and the Fairy Godmother in Massenet’s “Cendrillon” with Opera at USC. Amos received a Bachelor of Music degree in voice from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio and a vocal performance diploma from the Hochschule fuer Musik in Cologne, Germany.

An associate professor in the USC School of Music, Mr. Will has appeared with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Vladamir Ashkenazy and with the Cabrillo Festival under the baton of Dennis Russell Davies. He has sung the title role in “Le Nozze di Figoro” with the New York City Opera and performed with the Vancover Opera, the Bavarian State Opera and the San Francisco Opera. He has also appeared at the International Bach Festival of Schaffhausen, Switzerland and with the Vienna Symphonic Orchestra. He made his New York Philharmonic debut as soloist in the American Premiere of the Messa per Rossini, a performance televised live nationwide.

An experienced concert artist, Mr. Will has sung for many years with the Zürich Opera appearing in roles such as Raimondo in “Lucia di Lammermoor,” Mustafa in “L'Italiana in Algeri” and Colline in “La Boheme.”

The Hartsville, S.C., native studied at Furman University, USC and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.

When first performed in 1947, “The Telephone” was coupled with the darker Menotti opera “The Medium.” The two were so successful they were transferred to Broadway where they ran for 211 performances. In “The Telephone” Ben has come to Lucy’s apartment to propose, but every time he gets ready to pop the question she makes or takes a telephone call. He ends up phoning her with his proposal.