Versatility Is Singer’s Other Name

Baritone Martin Wright ought to be cited in the dictionary definition of versatility. Not many singers plan a season in which they move from soloing in J. S. Bach’s “B Minor Mass” to performing a program of show tunes at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas.

“I’m counting on my picture being put up between Julio Iglesias and Diana Ross at Ceasars Palace,” Wright quipped with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Wright returns to the San Diego SummerPops as a soloist in an all-Broadway offering conducted by frequent symphony guest conductor Murry Sidlin. With mezzo-soprano Kristen Hurst-Hyde and the San Diego Master Chorale, Wright will sing excerpts from “Man of La Mancha,” “Music Man” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” But Wright’s versatility goes beyond his varied singing gigs. Since 1984, Wright has been San Diego Opera’s resident chorus master, where his work has gained him frequent critical bouquets. And, for the last two years, he has conducted the chancel choir of the La Jolla Presbyterian Church.

Although Wright has arranged his career around conducting and singing, he intended to be a pianist.

“I started out as a piano major in college. I was earning my way though school (Brigham Young University) accompanying the school’s opera program. Then I decided that the singers could use another baritone in their ranks. I started conducting even earlier. When I was 12, I conducted the school band at football games.”

Wright has discovered that cobbling several musical careers together simultaneously requires ingenuity and a willingness to accept some compromises. Although Wright enjoys opera and has sung operatic roles, he has had to limit his performing to concerts and oratorios.

“When I sing in an oratorio, that may take three days out of my schedule. Singing in an opera, however, takes three or four weeks, and it’s usually too difficult to get that amount of time away from my duties at San Diego Opera. For example, I was offered to sing the role of Don Alfonso at (Norfolk’s) Virginia Opera last season, but it would have taken six weeks right in the middle of the San Diego Opera season.”

Ironically, it was Wright’s work as San Diego Opera chorus master that brought him back to singing. The year before he came to the local opera company, a serious illness caused him to give up singing entirely.

“I was ill for about a year, and it took a long time for me to build up my stamina to sing again. When I came here as chorus master, I began to sing again by helping to cover in rehearsal for singers who were ill at the opera. I was given a lot of encouragement to get back into singing.”

Looking back over the changes in San Diego’s music scene since he arrived at San Diego Opera, Wright praised the newfound stability of both the symphony and opera but lamented the lack of local chamber opera performance as well as opportunities for younger singers to perform on stage.

“In particular, I regret that we lost Pacific Chamber Opera, which was a good proving ground for local singers. It would be great to see some chamber opera nicely presented, something between the college opera workshop level and San Diego Opera’s full-scale Civic Theatre productions.”