ORIGINS

Nick (of Simply Three) and Richard have been lifelong friends since they started attending high school together in Tempe, Arizona. Having collaborated since the age of 13, they now are bringing up the low-end of the musical spectrum in their new dual-recital Basso Cantante. Literally translated from Italian as "singing bass," this program showcases the virtuosic range of which bass-baritones and a double-basses are truly capable.
 
Villalobos and Ollarsaba show their solo skills with adaptions like the III. Andante from Rachmaninov's Cello Sonata and Steven Mark Kohn's vocal tour de force,The War Prayer. They bring together their combined artistry in a rendition of Verdi's aching "Ella giammai m'amó" (She Never Loved Me) from his opera Don Carlo, and a set of songs practically written for this duo, David Baker's WITNESS - six compositions in spiritual style for baritone and contrabass.