Award-winning opera singer to present concert at Grand Halle

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – An entertaining evening of music awaits at this homecoming performance.

Award-winning opera tenor and Johnstown native Shawn Roth will present “Right at Home” at 7 p.m. Aug. 9 at The Grand Halle on Broad Street, 306 Broad St. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

The concert will blend the beauty of German art songs with the rich tradition of English-language classical music.

“For this special homecoming recital, I wanted to treat Johnstown to pieces that are not only beautiful but also reflect the area’s heritage,” Roth said.

“With this concert, I want to show how beautiful our shared heritage can be. I’ve included some of the most celebrated works from the greatest German composers to have ever lived, including Robert Schumann, Franz Schubert, Richard Wagner and Gustav Mahler, and hope the audience can enjoy a special connection to the music.”

The program’s first half will feature German poetry set to music by Schumann, Schubert, Wagner and Mahler.

Following intermission, Roth will perform a number of English- language pieces by Aaron Copland, Benjamin Britten, John Kander and Ernest Charles, highlighting the rich tradition of American classical music.

“Beautiful as this music may be, I’ve always believed some of the most effective music is that which the audience can understand in their own language,” he said.

“This recital will be my tribute to the town I grew up in, marrying its heritage with my career path as a professional classical singer. In a genre of music that can often feel heightened or exotic, I hope to bring the people of Johnstown a sense of familiarity and nostalgia with my homecoming recital.”

Roth is a graduate of Richland High School and the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, the world’s only institution dedicated solely to training elite opera singers.

He is a two-time district winner in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, and most recently, first-prize winner in the Wagner Society of New York’s 2024 Singers Awards.

Roth performed with the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra in 2022.

In 2023, he received an honorable mention in the Meistersinger Competition at AIMS in Graz, Austria.

In the fall, he will join the Butler Studio at Houston Grand Opera performing the role of Heinrich der Schreiber in “Tannhauser” and covering Tony in “West Side Story.”

Angelique Stolar, program manager for The Grand Halle, said having Roth perform at The Grand Halle is an exciting way to close out the concert seasons.

“The performance is going to be out of this world,” she said.

“You’re going to get that purest sound, and that echo that’s just going to wrap you up. It’s as good as the Halle is going to sound.”

Admission is $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for students.

Tickets are available in advance by calling the box office at 814-254-4033 or online at www.GrandHalle.com.

They also will be available at the door.