Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

Is that guy on ‘The Voice’ really a good opera singer?

Nathan Gunn

Nathan Gunn, a voice professor and operatic baritone, discusses the popular television singing competition, “The Voice.”

On Tuesday night (May 8), “The Voice” (on NBC) will crown this season’s winner of the popular singing competition. Among the finalists is Chris Mann, the only contender among the four who has opera training. Nathan Gunn, a voice professor and operatic baritone who has starred in productions at the Metropolitan Opera, the Paris Opera, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, sings pop songs as well (his most recent CD covers Billy Joel, Sting and Tom Waits), and has the kind of physical appeal that could pave the way to crossover fame. (In 2008, People magazine named him “one of the sexiest men alive.”) Gunn discussed Mann’s prospects for success in opera, and differences between classical and popular fame, with News Bureau news editor Dusty Rhodes.

We tend to regard opera singers and pop singers as two completely different species. Aside from repertoire, what are the defining characteristics of these two species?

Pop singers sing very different technically than opera, or classical, singers. Much of what a classical singer does is learn to use his voice in a healthy way that maximizes resonance and beauty (hopefully). A well-trained singer doesn’t need lights, soundtracks, dancers or other distractions to do his job. A pop singer, today, is more about a show than about the music or the voice. There are some pop singers who could have been opera singers if their voices were large enough. Ella Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby are good examples. Ella had incredible facility and pitch definition, and Bing had incredible beauty of voice.

Rate Chris Mann’s potential as an opera singer. He sounds operatic, but maybe we just don’t know any better. Could you envision him on a legitimate opera stage?

Chris Mann couldn’t sing an opera. No one could hear him without a microphone, and he doesn’t know how to sing through his passagio (the break between his lower and upper registers). He is basically a tenor with no high notes. Listen, for example, to the late Luciano Pavarotti sing “Ave Maria” and then to Chris Mann. The difference is astounding.

There have been other opera singers who have crossed over into pop – Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban, for example. How does Mann compare to those two?

Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban are actually not opera singers. Bocelli tried once and no one could hear him. Because they have small voices, they record easily and well. This is probably a reason for their success.

You seem to enjoy performing a wide repertoire, including pop tunes. What do you look for in choosing the pop tunes you sing?

I look for a melody that can stand alone, without the words. This usually means I will sound good singing it. Leonard Cohen songs are usually something I don’t sound good singing because the songs rely primarily on words, rather than a combination of both.

Has the popularity of TV shows such as “The Voice” and “American Idol” affected either the quantity or quality of students who study vocal music?

No, there are still many people who wish to sing classical music – more so than ever really.

What’s your opinion of shows like “Idol,” “Voice” and “America’s Got Talent”?

I like the shows. I also like “Dancing With the Stars.” I think it’s excellent entertainment, although, sometimes the judges can be unnecessarily mean. It would be interesting to have a classical version of one of these shows and see if people found it interesting.

Do you ever wish that you had pursued pop arenas instead of the operatic stage?

No. The pop world isn’t challenging enough musically for me. I really love poetry and storytelling, so the world of opera and art song is a really good fit.

Do a white suit, hair gel and eyeliner make a guy sing better? Or worse?

Well, I get all that stuff in an opera so maybe it does help. Do tights count?

Read Next

Health and medicine Dr. Timothy Fan, left, sits in a consulting room with the pet owner. Between them stands the dog, who is looking off toward Fan.

How are veterinarians advancing cancer research in dogs, people?

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — People are beginning to realize that dogs share a lot more with humans than just their homes and habits. Some spontaneously occurring cancers in dogs are genetically very similar to those in people and respond to treatment in similar ways. This means inventive new treatments in dogs, when effective, may also be […]

Honors From left, individuals awarded the 2025 Campus Awards for Excellence in Public Engagement are Antoinette Burton, director of the Humanities Research Institute; Ariana Mizan, undergraduate student in strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship; Lee Ragsdale, the reentry resource program director for the Education Justice Project; and Ananya Yammanuru, a graduate student in computer science. Photos provided.

Awards recognize excellence in public engagement

The 2025 Campus Awards for Excellence in Public Engagement were recently awarded to faculty, staff and community members who address critical societal issues.

Uncategorized Portrait of the researchers standing outside in front of a grove of trees.

Study links influenza A viral infection to microbiome, brain gene expression changes

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a study of newborn piglets, infection with influenza A was associated with disruptions in the piglets’ nasal and gut microbiomes and with potentially detrimental changes in gene activity in the hippocampus, a brain structure that plays a central role in learning and memory. Maternal vaccination against the virus during pregnancy appeared […]

Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

507 E. Green St
MC-426
Champaign, IL 61820

Email: stratcom@illinois.edu

Phone (217) 333-5010