Annapolis Opera 2004 Vocal Comptetiton Finals ConcertSheri Jackson, a soprano from Upper Marlboro was awarded the Grand Prize (the Grace Clark Memorial Award), the Director/Conductor Award and the Audience Choice Award, receiving a total of $2,400 in prize money. In addition Ms. Jackson will be contracted to perform at an upcoming Annapolis Opera event. Ms. Jackson holds a B.A. in Vocal Performance from Oakwood College and an M.M. in Vocal Performance from Indiana University. Previously, Sheri Jackson received the First Place award at the Paul Robeson Vocal Competition in 2002 and appeared as Zerlina in Don Giovani and Sister Constance in Dialogues of the Carmelites for the Indiana University Opera Theatre. For the Annapolis Vocal Competition Ms. Jackson sang “Chi il bel sogno di Doretta” (La Rondine, Puccini) and “Mein Herr Marquis” (Die Fledermaus, Strauss). Baritone Yungbae Yang received the Second Prize, the $1,200 Lindley Incentive Award. Mr. Yang, currently residing in Elkins Park, PA received a Bachelor of Music from Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea and is now a Resident Artist at The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Mr. Yang performed “E sogno, o realta?” (Falstaff, Verdi) and “Avant de quitter ces lieux” (Faust, Puccini) at the competition. The Third Prize, the $700 Lagally Memorial Award, went to Tenor Jeong-Kwon Kim from Philadelphia, PA. Mr. Kim has studied at Seoul National University (BM, MM), Mannes College of Music (P.S.D.) and Temple University (MM). Fritz in L’Amico Fritz and Robert in Hin and Zuruck are among Mr. Kim’s most recent performances. In 2001 he placed 2nd at the National Arts Club Voice Competition and 3rd at the Queens Opera Competition. Both competitions were held in New York City. For this competition Mr. Kim sang “Ah, fuyez!” (Manon, Massenet) and “Un’aura amorosa” (Cosi fan tutte, Mozart). Three Study Awards, for $550 each, were presented at the competition. Tenor Jason Ferrante, of Nottingham, MD won the Richard Higgins Memorial Award. Mr. Ferrante persued his education at The Julliard School, receiving BM, MM, and JOC degrees. He recently appeared as Comaccio in the world premiere of Volpone (Musto) at Wolf Trap Opera and has appeared in Annapolis as Dr. Blind in Die Fledermaus. Mr. Ferrante sang “New York Lights” (A View from the Bridge, Bolcolm) and “Die Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon” (Die Zauberflote, Mozart). Soprano Keesun Kwon received The Clara Berenson and Links of Annapolis Award. Ms. Kwon, who has studied at The Peabody Conservatory of Music (BM) and The Catholic University of America (MM, DMA), recently sang the role of The Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflote at the Opera at Catholic University. She was a finalist in the 2003 Russell C. Wonderlic Memorial Competition and is a reciipient of scholarships from the Korean American Scholarship Foundation and Sejong Scholarship Foundation of America. Keesun Kwon sang “Regnava nel silenzio” (Lucia di Lammermoor, Donzetti) and “Ah! non credea mirarti” (La Sonnambula, Bellini) for the judges. The Todd Duncan and Samuel and Frieda Kahn Memorial Award went to Bass Jeffrey Tarr. Mr. Tarr, from Derwood, MD holds degrees from The Peabody Conservatory (MM) and Tennessee Temple University (BA). Mr. Tarr has appeared with the Concert Artists of Baltimore and with the Handel Choir of Baltimore. He has also appeared in several operas at the Peabody Conservatory. For this competition Mr. Tarr sang “Infelice! e tuo credevi” (Ernani, Verdi) and “I’m fixin’ to tell y’ ‘bout a feller I knowed” (Susannah, Floyd). Soprana Kearstin Piper Brown, Alexandria, VA, was awarded the $500 Charles West Carty and Tyler Duncan Hughes Study Award. Ms. Brown studied at Northwestern University (MM) and Spelman College (BA). Recent performances include the Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro at Northwestern University Opera and in the Women Composers Concert at Strathmore Hall Arts Center in Rockville, MD. Ms. Brown sang “Je veux vivre” (Romeo et Juliette, Gounod) and “Ach, ich fuhl’s” (Die Zauberflote, Mozart). Amy Allen, a Lyric Soprano from Herndon, VA was the recipient of the $500 Severn Town Club Award. Ms. Allen received her Bachelor of Music in Opera Performance from theHartt School of Music, University of Hartford and has studied at the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Chiari, Italy. In Italy, she performed as Magda in La Rondine and in several workshops at the Daniel Ferro Vocal Program in Greve in Chianti, Italy. Ms. Allen was the Winner of the 2000 Connecticut Amici Vocal Artist Competition. For the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition Ms. Allen sang “Chi il bel sogno di Doretta” (La Rondine, Puccini) and “Ah fors’e lui che l’anima” (La Traviata, Verdi). Judges and Accompanist Each of the eight finalists performed two arias from the list of five that they prepared for the competition. One of these arias was of their own choosing and one was chosen by the panel of distinguished judges. Pianist Eileen Cornett accompanied all of the singers at the 2004 Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition. Ms. Cornett performs as a collaborative artist, opera coach, solo and orchestral pianist, music director and conductor. Currently she is a member of the Ensemble Arts and Opera Theatre faculties at the Peabody Conservatory and often a coach/accompanist for the Baltimore and Annapolis Opera Companies. Ms. Cornett is a frequent pianist and keyboardist for the Kennedy Center’s Ballet, Opera, and Show Orchestras, the National Theatre, Wolf Trap, Baltimore’s Mechanic Theater, and the Lyric Opera House. Elieen Cornett holds a Master of Music degree in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan. Judges for The Vocal Competition Finals Concert were Ronald J. Gretz, Director and Conductor of the Annapolis Opera, Soprano Linda Mabbs, and Joseph McLellan, Music Critic Emeritus of the Washington Post. Mr. Gretz received both his Bachelor’s degree in voice and Master’s degree in conducting from the Peabody Conservatory. He has been on the faculty at Peabody as an opera coach (1995 - 1998) and returned the year before last as conductor of the Peabody Chamber Singers and Peabody Chorus. Mr. Gretz is Professor of Music at the Community College of Baltimore County, where he teaches music theory. For several years he was conductor of the Gettysburg Symphony Orchestra and he is organist/choir director at University Baptist Church in Baltimore. Linda Mabbs has been praised around the world for the luminous timber of her voice and the elegance of her singing. Recognized internationally for her performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, she has performed with many orchestras and in recitals around the world and in the United States. The Washington Post cited her 1997 world premier recording of Argento’s Miss Havisham’s Wedding Night on Koch International as the “most brilliant opera recording” of the year. Ms. Mabbs is a graduate of Northwestern University and is a Professor in the Vocal Music Department of the University of Maryland. Mr. McLellan is a contributor to Washington Opera Magazine, Chamber Muisic America, and Amazon.com. He serves as a program annotator for the Library of Congress and Brisco Recordings and as a lecturer at the Ravello Music Festival and for Smithsonian Associates. During his multi-faceted career Joseph McLellan has been a newspaper reporter, editor, foreign news editor, music critic at Station WETA-FM, Adjunct Professor of Literature at American University, and artistic advisor, lecturer, and program annotator for the Eastman School of Music. His undergraduate and graduate degrees are from Boston College with a major in French and minor in English. Mr. McLellan is fluent in ten languates. Annapolis Opera 2004 Vocal Competition Prelieminary Auditions Annapolis Opera’s Annual Vocal competition is open to young singers between the ages of 18 and 35. Contestants must be residents of or students in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, or Delaware. All contestants are asked to prepare five arias in the original languages in contrasting styles and varied as to tempo, range, and language. Each contestant must also submit a resume and a letter of recommendation from their vocal coach or teacher. On January 23rd and 24th, 2004 forty-seven contestants auditioned by appointment for a chance to compete in the finals. The eight finalists were chosen by a panel of highly qualified judges. The judges for the preliminary auditions were vocal coach, teacher and pianist Steven Gathman, singer Laura Mann and mezzo-soprano Patricia Miller. Dr. Steven Gathman is the Chorus Master and Head of the Music Staff at The Washington Opera. Dr. Gathman also enjoys an active career as an accompanist, conductor, lecturer and juror for various music competitions. Dr. Gathman’s Washington D.C. area engagements range from appearances at the Kennedy Center and the Canadian Embassy as an accompanist and chamber musician to conducting performances with the Washington Opera and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. He holds degrees from DePaul University (BM, voice and piano performance) and the University of Michigan (DMA, piano, accompanying, vocal coaching and chamber music). Laura Mann is a Professor of Voice and Opera at George Mason University. She began her musical training and first apeared professionally at age 9. She has performed over 40 opera and operetta roles in the United States and Europe, as well as hundreds of recitals with repertoire in eight languages. Dr. Mann is a touring artist for the Virginia Commission for the arts, presenting one-person, one-act operas and recitals. Dr. Mann has received degrees from the Eastman School of Music (BM, MM with Performer’s Certificate) and the University of Maryland (DMA). Mezzo-soprano Patricia Miller is Professor of Music and Artist-in-Residence at George Mason University, where she is Director of Visual and Performing Arts. Her performing career includes appearances in leading roles with opera companies across the United States (from San Francisco to the New York City Opera) and Europe. She has appeared in opera and concert in Paris, Geneva, Lyon, Basel, Lisbon, Melbourne, Bogota and Berlin, to name just a few of the cities she has visited. Ms. Miller is a graduate of Boston University, the New England Conservatory and, as a Fulbright Scholar, received her Artist’s Diploma in performance from the Accademia Di Santa Cecilia in Rome. |
