MUSIC

The Society for the Performing Arts is proud to present The Ten Tenors, April 9 at Jones Hall.

With an energy and style all their own, this group of Australian singers captures the hearts of all music lovers. The Los Angeles Times hails, “The tenors just have fun making music.” The group’s Houston stop is part of its Nostalgica tour featuring a program of classical tenor repertoire, Neapolitan ballads and rock classics. The Ten Tenors, known for their ability to expertly belt out everything from Queen to Puccini, will highlight pieces from their most recent album, Nostalgica, released in August 2008, in recognition of their 10 years as a professional touring act.

The group’s light-hearted approach to performing is what brought them together. In 1995, a group of students studying opera at Queensland Conservatorium of Music formed The Ten Tenors. The group’s performances were few and far between, and were in essence a part-time affair. “We joke about it now, but back in the day, The Ten Tenors was really just a fun way to earn a bit of extra beer money,” said David Kidd, one of the group’s longest standing members. “It was all very informal and we could never understand why people would hire us to essentially fool around on stage.”

However, the group’s performance skills in music and comedy were the secret to their success. Their popularity continued to grow, and in 1998, the group decided to take their show on the road as a full time act. Four years later, The Ten Tenors garnered international attention following their performance as surprise guest artist at the Eurovision Grand Prix de la Chanson held in Kiel, Germany.

Today, the young men perform in front of sold-out crowds around the world. They tour for 10 months out of the year, playing an average of 250 international shows on five continents. The Ten Tenors have performed in famous venues including Royal Albert Hall, the Sydney Opera House and The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. In addition to their extensive touring, they have released eight studio albums and reached platinum-selling status.

Part of SPA’s International Series, this performance is generously sponsored by Cooper, Central Market, Continental Airlines, H-E-B and Invesco Aim.

Additional features include Arts Talk! sponsored by Invesco Aim (following the performance) and an H-E-B Performance Prelude by Bondy Intermediate School (7:30p, Lobby Piano Level).