Sat 5/3 @ 8PM
Sun 5/4 @ 4PM
Even before the advent of recording, radio, TV, and the Internet, music produced superstars and idols. One of those was 18th-century tenor Pierre Jélyotte, a star at the Paris Opera who specialized in what then would have been contemporary French music — composers of the late 17th and early-mid 18th centuries.
“The Leading Men,” the next offering from Cleveland chamber music group Les Délices, focuses on the composers and music associated with Jélyotte, such as Lully and Rameau.
And it will feature a new leading man, rising young tenor Jason McStoots who, since getting his M.A. in voice performance from Boston University in 1999, has been steadily building a diverse career in opera, recital, and musical theater. His lightness of tone and spirit echoes some of what made Jélyotte so popular.
He’ll join the Les Délices players — violinists Scott Metcalfe and Cynthia black, viola de gamba player Emily Walhout, and harpsichordist Michael Sponseller for two concerts. They’ll perform at the Busta Gallery on Saturday and Plymouth Church in Shaker Heights on Sunday.
Tickets are $25-$35.