Hard economic times hurt Temecula tenor, entertainment community

Emmanuel di Villarosa

Virtually every person in every corner of world has felt the impact of the global recession in some way. The news is filled with stories of their plights. Auto workers have lost their jobs. Police officers and firefighters face mandatory furloughs. Teachers are looking at lay-offs.

But, as so often happens, little is told of the artistic community and the hundreds of thousands of gifted performers who have watched their opportunities dry up and scatter with the current economic winds.

“We are not all George Clooney, with (his) kind of money and fame,” said Emmanuel di Villarosa, acclaimed singer and world renowned operatic talent. “Many of us are average people doing average things, like raising our families and paying our bills.”

Don’t be fooled. Di Villarosa is anything but average.

His bold, passionate tenor has landed him in opera houses around the world, including the famed Metropolitan Opera. At the height of his success just a year or so ago, di Villarosa was averaging up to a staggering 88 performances each season, with bookings secured at least two years in advance. The recent fiscal crisis has seen that number dwindle to 18.

The result is that di Villarosa is struggling to keep his Temecula home that he shares with his wife, Jill, and their two young sons.

“We came here (from abroad) because California schools are a superior school system. Plus, I wanted my wife to have the support of family and friends (in Southern California while I travel),” he said.

While di Villarosa sells his CD’s to supplement his income and save his home from foreclosure, he said that he also wants people to consider the bigger picture. That by purchasing one of di Villarosa’s CD’s, you are doing much more than just helping a family in need; you are carrying the cultural arts through a difficult time.

“I can’t say for sure how many (performers) can survive this (crisis),” di Villarosa said by phone. “Tours are down. Concerts are being canceled. I have friends with no work on their calendars for the next two years.” The worry is that opera houses will replace their talent with younger, less experienced singers. “The world is filled with capable tenors, but not exceptional ones. The audience will feel that (loss).”

Bruce Beers, theater manager at Old Town Community Theater, who works hard to keep the arts alive by bringing quality performers to the Temecula stage, agreed.

“There is no culture on the planet devoid of the arts,” he said. “In good times and bad, the arts celebrate humanity by nourishing our creativity and moving our spirit. So, when you have a chance to sustain the arts and help an artist, seizing that opportunity adds to the worth of mankind.”

For now, di Villarosa prepares for an upcoming performance in October.

“The sad part is, before this all happened, my friend and I were trying to bring our music to special needs children with a venture called Classical Concerts 4 Charity. We had had a lot of momentum. Now, it’s all about survival.”

To learn more about Emmanuel di Villarosa or to purchase one of his CD’s, log onto www.musicforahome.com or www.divillarosa.com.

Kerri S. Mabee can be contacted at ksmabee.swrnn@gmail.com with comments or questions

Tags: emmanuel di Villarosa, SWRNN, Temecula

This entry was posted on Monday, September 21st, 2009 at 9:50 am and is filed under Arts & Entertainment, Lifestyle, Local News, News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.