For Lyric Tenor, Mark T. Panuccio Dedication and Tradition Equal Success
“I’ve always wanted to be a singer ever since I was a little kid; I first sang in public when I was in kindergarten,” declares Panuccio, as if he never had any doubt about what he wanted to do in life. It’s the day after his debut with the Arizona Opera Company in early October, and he’s relaxing over lunch at Cuvee, one of Tucson’s pleasant eateries, enjoying a salad and a glass of red wine. “It’s okay to have a glass now that the performance is over,” hinting at a life filled with hard work, but not one without enjoyment.
It’s an exciting time for Panuccio in his singing career as he just now has made a big artistic leap into the opera world. He was signed by Artistic Director Joel Revzen to sing Edgardo, in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor with the company here in Tucson for a performance and two more at the acoustically-inviting Symphony Hall in Phoenix. The tenor seems in a reflective, but affable mood due to the fact that he is not only singing his first major role with an established regional opera company, but also that it happens to be as one of Donizetti’s most beloved and tortured heroes. “I was quite happy the way things turned out yesterday, and I love this role. I think the role suits my voice.” And the audience seemed to agree. When Panuccio stepped out on stage and sang through Edgardo’s anxious recitative in a secret encounter with his fragile, but faithful Lucia, what became immediately apparent was the way he spun out those Italian vowels in warm, rounded tones that would have made Pavarotti proud.
