Nathan Gunn brings 'unmistakable star power' to Christmas concerts

URBANA, Ill. — When Nathan Gunn steps on stage as a soloist during the Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square concerts, it will not be his first performance with the choir. In 1999 Gunn sang Brahms’ “German Requiem” with the choir. But that highly acclaimed live recording was made in the choir's home, the Tabernacle on Temple Square, not the 21,000-seat LDS Conference Center.

“During the previous concerts, all of the guest artists have commented on how big the hall is and how intimate it feels, so I’m determined not to,” he says with a chuckle. “Maybe I’m going to tell the audience, ‘I want to take a picture of all of you. Can you guys on the right please move to the left…’

“I’m looking forward to standing between the choir and the orchestra, and having their sound just surround me. I think that’s going to be awesome.”

“Awesome” is not a word you’d expect to hear from an opera singer, but Gunn is not a typical classical music soloist.

The Grammy-winning baritone is “a singer of unmistakable star power,” according to Opera News, with a reputation as an exciting and in-demand opera world artist. He is also a brilliant musical theater performer after a semi-staged performance of “Camelot” and a lead role in the first complete recording of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Allegro.”

His special concerts include the Sondheim Birthday Celebration recently released on DVD, on which he duets with Broadway’s Audra McDonald, a previous Christmas concert guest soloist with the choir. On his effortlessly enjoyable CD, “Just Before Sunrise,” Gunn sings contemporary songs by Sting, Billy Joel and John Bucchino.

When not on stage, he is an inspiring professor of voice at University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He and his wife Julie, also an accomplished musician, are proud parents of five children. And the 6-foot former college athlete is one of the few classical music performers to be named to People magazine’s list of sexiest men alive.

In an interview from his university office, Gunn is generous, easygoing and immensely likeable. He recalls what is now an early resume credit: singing only three solo verses at Utah Festival Opera, while still a vocal student.