Accent

Councilman to sing for Calif. philharmonic

By Cathalena E. Burch

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.09.2008

City Councilman Rodney Glassman is going home to Fresno, Calif., this weekend to make his solo vocal debut with the Fresno Philharmonic.

Before you scratch a bald spot figuring out how the Tucson lawmaker and philanthropist earned himself a spotlight with a modest central California orchestra, Glassman is quick to tick off his credentials.

"I grew up singing in Fresno in my synagogue," Glassman said. "When I came to Tucson, I received my music minor at the University of Arizona. I studied with Grayson Hirst, and he got me involved in the community."

Glassman can flip from baritone to countertenor, which helps when he soloed with the Catalina Chamber Orchestra (now the Tucson Chamber Orchestra) in the late 1990s and in his regular outings as a guest soloist with the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus. He is a regular "American Anthem" soloist at UA football and basketball games. He also produced a holiday CD with the Boys Chorus and Hirst's Sons of Orpheus Male Choir of Tucson, "Rodney Glassman's Arizona for the Holidays."

Glassman is the featured vocal soloist in the Fresno orchestra's season-finale "American Inspiration" concert. He will sing Leonard Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms" in Hebrew. It's part of a program that also includes Gould's "American Salute" and Copland's "Symphony No. 3."

"I really love it," said Glassman, a 30-year-old Democrat in the first year of his term as a Ward 2 councilman. "I enjoy doing community work. I enjoy helping people. I love Tucson and I also love music."

Glassman recently added wedding singer to his repertoire. He has performed at several weddings, including joining Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson in a 50th-anniversary celebration for 200 couples.

He performs in Fresno at 8 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. For details, visit www.fresnophil.org.