Tenor Rolando Sanz is quickly gaining recognition for
his “sensitive” and “luminous” portrayals of the romantic lyric tenor
repertoire. While he specializes in such standard roles as Rodolfo, Tamino,
Nemorino, Alfredo, Pinkerton and the Duca di Mantua, Rolando has also debuted
many opera premieres including: Peter Doyle in Miss Lonelyhearts, for which the Los Angeles Times reported: “Rolando
Sanz, as Doyle, gave the best hint of the score's expressive possibilities.”
and covering Stiva in Anna Karenina. Most recently, he made his Carnegie
Hall debut singing the role of Kostik in the world premiere of Prokofiev’s lost
opera To The Distant Seas. In the 2008-2009 season, Rolando debuted with Palm Beach
Opera as Rodolfo in La boheme and Flavio in Norma, as well as
covering Duca di Mantua in Rigoletto. Upcoming
engagements include a debut with Baltimore Concert Opera in A Flight of
Verdi, as well as debuts with Opera Costa Rica and Syracuse Opera. Mr. Sanz
will also debut a world premiere song cycle by renowned composer Ezra Laderman
and former US poet-laureate Robert Pinsky. The 2007-2008 season included a debut with Opera Idaho as
Nemorino in L’elisir d’Amore, and a return to Opera Theatre of Saint
Louis to sing Nathaniel in The Tales of Hoffmann under Stephen Lord as
well as to cover Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly. He was also a finalist
for the Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Other recent engagements include Alfredo in La traviata, conducted by
Julius Rudel and L’Aumônier in Dialogues des Carmélites under the baton
of James Conlon with the Aspen Music Festival. In
2005, Rolando was a resident artist at the Music Academy of the West under the
tutelage of Marilyn Horne and Warren Jones. He also made his hometown of
Washington, DC debut as Le Prince Charmant in Summer Opera Theatre Company’s
production of Massenet’s Cendrillon.
Ms. Hanna’s previous engagements include her return to Opera
North for both Suzuki in Madama Butterfly and Third
Lady in Die Zauberflöte following previous performances Ines in
Il
Trovatore, for which she received the company’s Brunson Young Artist
Award. She has also sung Maddalena in Rigoletto with Commonwealth
Opera and Flora in La traviata with the Carolina
Master Chorale and Long Bay Symphony. As a member of San Francisco Opera’s
prestigious Merola Opera Program for the summer of 2007, she sang scenes of
Amneris in Aida and Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel on the
Schwabacher Summer Concert as well asexcerpts from Giovanna Seymour from Anna
Bolena and Marquise Melibea in Il viaggio a Reims.
Her recent performances on the concert stage also include both the Mozart Requiem
and Handel’s Messiah with the South Carolina Philharmonic. She has
joined the New York City Ballet to cover the demanding solo role in Leonid
Desyatnikov’s Russian Seasons and Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer.
Adam Fry. Third Prize Winner. Pennsylvania native Adam Fry is making a name
for himself as one of the most promising young basses of his generation. This
past summer, Mr Fry was a member of Glimmerglass Opera’s esteemed Young
American Artist Program, where as a cover he went on stage to perform Don
Magnifico in La Cenerentola, and both Marchese d’Obigny and Dottore
Grenvil in Jonathan Miller’s La Traviata. While pursuing both his
Artist Diploma and Masters of Music at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, he
performed such roles as Colline in La Boheme, Don Basilio in Il
Barbiere di Siviglia, Man with a Cornet Case in Argento’s Postcard from
Morocco, and Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore. Since making his
Dayton Opera debut as the Imperial Commissioner in Madame Butterfly, Mr.
Fry has continued his strong relationship with the company also appearing as
the Mandarin in Turandot, and as the Doctor/Servant in Macbeth.
Mr. Fry has also been a member of the Chautauqua Young Artist Program and the
Lake George Opera Studio Program. Recent accolades include First Prize
and Audience Favorite in the Dayton Opera Guild College Competition, CCM’s
Andrew White and Norman Treigle Award, and winner of the Harold Haugh
Light Opera Vocal Competition. This summer, Mr. Fry will be returning to Glimmerglass
Opera to perform the role of Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro. Next
year, Mr. Fry will join the Resident Artist Program at Pittsburgh Opera.
Kevin Wetzel. Fourth Prize Winner.
Kevin Wetzel earned his master’s degree in 2006 and his graduate performance
diploma in 2008 at The Peabody Institute where he studied with Steven Rainbolt.
He received his bachelor of arts in music with an emphasis in piano performance
from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. After graduating from The
Peabody Institute, Kevin became a member of the Virginia Opera Association’s
Spectrum Resident Artist program. Known for having a “sturdy, warm-voiced
baritone” and his “admirably finished product” (Tim Smith, Baltimore Sun),
appearances include Germont in La traviata and Marcello in La bohème
with Chesapeake Concert Opera; Renato in Un ballo in maschera with Opera
in the Heights; the Customs Officer in La bohème, and Sciarrone
in Tosca, both with Virginia Opera; Assan in The Consul, and the
Commissionario in La traviata, with Glimmerglass Opera, the Imperial
Commissioner in Madama Butterfly with Baltimore Opera Company; Baron
Douphol in La traviata, and Tom/John in Henry Mollicone’s The Face on
the Barroom Floor with Central City Opera; Junius in The Rape of
Lucretia, and Count Almaviva (cover) in Le nozze di Figaro, all with
Peabody Opera. He was also given the privilege of creating the role of Sir
“Bertie” Bland in the world premier of The Alien Corn by Thomas Benjamin
with Peabody Opera in March of 2005. Future engagements include Zurga in Les
pêcheurs de perles and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte with Opera in the
Heights; and Sam in Pirates of Penzance, Don Cairo and Morales in Carmen,
the Mandarin in Turandot, and Montano in Otello, with Arizona
Opera. He has also appeared in concert and recital with the Russian Chamber
Arts Society of Alexandria, Virginia; the U.S. State Department; the U.S.
Consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia; the Russian Embassy; the Peabody Concert
Orchestra; and The Kennedy Center.
As concert soloist, Mr. Sauvageau sang Bach’s Magnificat
and Mozart’s C Minor Mass under Helmuth Rilling, Bach’s Johannes-Passion,
Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem.
An alumnus of Peabody Conservatory and University of Oregon, Mr. Sauvageau
has studied with William Sharp and Milagro Vargas and coached with John
Shirley-Quirk, Robert Muckenfuss and JoAnn Kulesza. He appears this
summer in Where the Wild Things Are, a role he will reprise with New
York City Opera’s Outreach.
Bryan DeSilva. Todd Duncan Study Award.
Countertenor
Bryan DeSilva is equally at home on both the
concert and operatic stage. His operatic roles include Oberon in Britten’s A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lidio in Cavalli’s L’Egisto and Orfeo in
Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. His recital repertoire ranges from the
cantatas of J.S. Bach to art songs by Brahms, Vaughan Williams and Poulenc.
In December 2005 Bryan debuted as the alto soloist in Bach’s Magnificat
with the Choral Arts Society and Period Orchestra of Philadelphia, earning
praise from the Philadelphia Inquirer. In April 2008 he made his debut
with the Reading Choral Society and orchestra as the alto soloist in Handel’s Utrecht
Jubilate Deo and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass for which the Reading
Eagle acclaimed Mr. DeSilva's "warm and honeyed tone."
Highlights for 2010 include the Princeton Festival Opera's upcoming
production of Handel's Ariodante in which he will cover the role of
Polinesso, as well as an April 25th performance of J.S. Bach's Mass in G Major
in Reading, also featuring renowned soprano Julianne Baird. The Reading
Eagle called his duet with Ms. Baird "particularly memorable",
praising his "otherworldly voice [which] complemented hers so well."
Currently residing in Philadelphia, Mr. DeSilva is pursuing his Master's
Degree in Vocal Performance at Temple University's Esther Boyer College of
Music where he studies with Dr. Christine Anderson.
Jarrett Ott.
Severn Town Club Award. Baritone
Jarrett Ott has already garnered much recognition as an up-and-coming baritone
in the Philadelphia Area and even nationally. He recently finished his B.M. in
Vocal Performance at West Chester University's College of the Visual and
Performing Arts under the tutelage of Randall Scarlata. He was a
participant in the 2008 Oberlin Conservatory's summer music program in Arezzo,
Italy, and spent the summer of 2009 at the Chautauqua Summer Music Festival,
where he studied with Marlena Malas. Opera roles include Dr. Gregg in Douglas
Moore’s Gallantry, The Chair in Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, Elder Ott
in Floyd’s Susannah, and Bob in Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief. In
operatic scenes, he has portrayed the Count in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro,
Figaro in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, Marcello in Puccini's La Bohème,
and Akhnaten in Phillip Glass’ Akhnaten. This summer, Jarrett
returns to the Chautauqua Festival, where he performs the role of Count
Almaviva from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. In oratorio, he has been
featured in Handel’s Messiah and Orff’s Carmina Burana. Jarrett has also had
the opportunity to participate in masterclasses with Martin Katz, Kenneth
Merrill and Benita Valente. He has been a soloist with the West Chester
Symphony Orchestra and for the Atlantic Symphony Chamber Players in Boston.
Jarrett was the winner of the Concerto Competition held at West Chester
University and also the winner of the The Kennett Symphony of Chester County’s
Young Artist Voice Competition. He was also a finalist and prizewinner in the
2010 Annapolis Opera Competition. In the fall of 2010, Jarrett will begin
his graduate studies at The Curtis Institute of Music. |
