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Wes Mason has treasured many triumphs as a singer, scoring kudos and commendations for his allegiance to endearing audiences to beloved works. Doing so minus an iota of bravado, the 28-year-old is humbly helping Opera Philadelphia as Mazetto, a perceptive peasant who proves a pest to the titular character in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.”
“What a perfect role to have for making my company debut!” the resident of the 1900 block of Latona Street said of the community-focused figure who thwarts the legendary lothario’s advances toward his fiancée, Zerlina. “I can let it all hang out because I’m so thrilled to be involved.”
Having sung the part as an Opera Naples hire and an Academy of Vocal Arts registrant, Mason has marked Mazetto as “pretty much a laid-back guy” who faces a major hurdle in protecting his sense of simplicity, which the lustful lead cares little to preserve. Delighted to appear at the Academy of Music through Sunday, he is loving not only the immediate opportunity to perform but also the no-less-appreciated chance to champion Philadelphia as a cultural icon.
“It has such a vibrant nature, but I still think it’s an overlooked one,” the Point Breeze denizen said of the turf that has enraptured him for five years, the last two being in South Philly. “I don’t think Philly needs to prove anything to anyone.”
Mason likewise feels no temptation to satisfy expectations, preferring to hope his career will continue to be a testament to the rewards of exploring one’s talents and encouraging integration into the larger context of communal evolution. Though that aspiration can sound daunting, he considers himself a committed conduit for its execution.
“There’s much to be said for opening up the box,” Mason said of his progression. “Philadelphia is a place that will smack the idea of entitlement right off your face, so I’m not up there to boast or gloat. I’m trying to give glory to the composers and pay my dues to audience members, which means always looking to improve my comprehension and delivery. I think Philadelphia really helps to get that message across clearly.”
As his inaugural Opera Philadelphia assignment stems from his success at the Academy of Vocal Arts, he can count the City of Brotherly Love as a source of soul-enriching sentiment. With Mozart’s immortal opus as his current guide, he aspires, like his character, to live a perspective-rich existence revolving around regard for following one’s philosophies with conviction.
“My schooling here gave me a new level of expertise and preparation,” Mason said. “I knew it would be all on me to progress, and I’ve done that with great support from the community. Onward and upward.”
The consummate individual fondly recalls seeking laughs and attention as a Virginia youth who relied on an outspoken, overenergetic nature to gravitate toward the stage. Music-infused genes bred interest in gaining viola and guitar proficiency, the latter sort helping him to join a rock band at 14. He eventually became the outfit’s lead singer, with his mother, another commendable vocalist, suggesting engrossing tutelage.
“I heard a live recording of Franco Corelli doing ‘Nessun Dorma,’ and it ripped open my soul,” Mason said. “I came to feel that if I made classical vocalism my foundation and highest discipline, it would inform everything else I’d want to do.”
Always believing in a career as a performer, he knew early on that Corelli and his peers, as well as the vocalists’ esteemed sources of material, would constantly call on him to ask more of himself, and he began to provide answers by enrolling at Old Dominion University. While the Virginia institution offered valuable lessons, Mason mightily matured through involvement with the Schroon Lake, N.Y.-based Seagle Music Colony.
“That was such a crucial period,” he said of the experience that solidified him as a bankable baritone. “It’s another opportunity that I see as unforgettable.”
That windfall led to a transfer to the University of Michigan, where more stellar colleagues intensified his enthusiasm for their craft. Having acquired real world experience through the Michigan Opera Theatre, he sought additional instruction, tapping Philadelphia to foster his ambition.
“I’m so grateful for its influence,” Mason said of the Academy of Vocal Arts, which also produced fellow Point Breeze inhabitant and “Don Giovanni” castmate Michelle Johnson. “I’d definitely say it and Philadelphia as a whole have influenced my artistic ambition.”
That abundance of gusto helped him to create the role of Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas for the 2010 Fort Worth-Texas-situated world premiere of “Before Night Falls” and has brought him such accolades as a ’12 Encouragement Award from the Loren L. Zachary Society Competition and last year’s Career Development Grant from the Sullivan Foundation.
“Being confident is one thing, and being hardheaded is another, so I just go about my business,” Mason said of never feeling prideful. “There are so many people who could be right there at an instant to take our place, so for me, it’s about staying sharp without being haughty.”
He enlists his own compositions as cogs in his journey, as he depends on his guitar to sate his blues, country, folk and rock affinities. Deeming acting and making music “a dream,” Mason looks forward to carrying out his childhood quest for stardom. As he does so, he aims to be the anti-Don Giovanni, whom he actually expects to portray within the next two seasons, meaning he will seek to serve others more than himself.
“I’ve had high-pressure vocal preparation,” the singer, who will play Curly in “Oklahoma” and The Bishop in “Les Miserables” during a July and August turn at the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, said. “I’m ready for even more challenges.”
For tickets, visit operaphila.org
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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