FSYO Host 61st Season Opener, Featured Artist Thomas Potter

ORLANDO, FL – On Sunday, October 15, 2017, at 4:00 pm, Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras will astonish the public with the first concert of its 61st Season at the historic Bob Carr Theater, located at 401 W. Livingston St.

Featured guest artist Thomas Potter (Baritone) will perform Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer) accompanied by the FSYO Symphonic Orchestra. This concert will also feature the inaugural performance of FSYO's new Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Jeff Rupert.

With over 30 years of experience as a professional opera singer, Thomas Potter has shared the stage with great artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa, and Deborah Voigt, to name a few. As the director of UCF Opera, Potter collaborated with FSYO last season to bring to life an interactive version of Act II of Die Fledermaus, which wowed audiences at FSYO's Opera Gala. He is also a long time supporter and an Alumni parent of FSYO.

Tickets for this season subscription concert and to all other 61st season performances can be purchased on the FSYO website (www.fsyo.org) and at the door. Ticket prices for this concert range from $10 to $20. Florida academic and private teachers receive free admission to all FSYO season subscription concerts. This is one that you do not want to miss!

About FSYO: Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras exists to encourage children and young adults, through the practice and performance of orchestral music, to become passionate leaders, thinkers, and contributors in their local community and beyond. In its 61st Concert Season, FSYO comprises three full orchestras, one string training orchestra, an advanced chamber ensemble, and a new jazz orchestra made up of more than 250 students from nine Central Florida counties. Programs are sponsored in part by the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs; the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; Orlando Utilities Commission; The City of Orlando, Mayor's Matching Grant; and United Arts of Central Florida. We thank these groups for their generous support.

Learn more: web: www.fsyo.org | FB: @TheFSYO | Twitter: @FSYO | IG: @F_S_Y_O | Youtube: @fsyo

About Thomas Potter: With over 30 years of experience as a professional opera singer, Verdi baritone and seasoned voice instructor Thomas Potter has shared the stage with great artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa, Kurt Moll, Dolora Zajick, Ferruccio Furlanetto, and Deborah Voigt, to mention a few. A graduate of Indiana University, where his voice teachers were Signor Nicola Rossi-Lemeni and Madame Virginia Zeani, Potter began his professional career with a multi-year contract at the San Francisco Opera, then, after several years in New York, he found himself singing opera throughout Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland.

Thomas has sung leading roles with numerous International music festivals, including the Spoleto Music Festival in both Italy and the USA venues, the Ravenna (Italy) Music Festival, the Bregenzer (Austria) Festspiele, the La Biennale Festival in Venice, Italy, and the Festival de Inverno - Campos do Jordão in Brazil.

A few of the opera companies with which Potter has performed include the Teatro Comunale 'Giuseppe Verdi'; in
Trieste, Palm Beach Opera, Nashville Opera, Opera Cordoba, Opera São Paulo, Opéra du Rhin in Strasbourg, Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe, Atlanta Opera, Utah Opera, Orlando Opera, and Indianapolis Opera.

As a winner of the Luciano Pavarotti International Vocal Competition in Philadelphia Potter was awarded the opportunity to sing alongside Mr. Pavarotti in the resulting production of Verdi's opera UN BALLO IN MASCHERA. In 1992 he was a recipient of a study grant from the Licia Albanese - Puccini Foundation. From 1994 to 2000, Mr. Potter was engaged by the Stadttheater St. Gallen in Switzerland, singing the roles of "Scarpia" in TOSCA, "Jochanaan" in SALOME, "Alfio" in CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA, "Ezio" in ATTILA, "Amonasro" in AIDA, and "Giorgio Germont" in LA TRAVIATA, among others.

Following the birth of their son, he and his wife, soprano Kimberly S. Randall, decided to move back to the United States to begin new careers as university professors. Mr. Potter taught for five years in Indiana before joining the University of Central Florida in August of 2005, where he currently directs the UCF Opera program and teaches undergraduate and graduate level voice lessons.