Around 9:30 am, Saturday morning, May 31st, singers began to arrive and warm up for their stage audition time…
Soprano, Courtney Ruckman & Mezzo, Farah Padamsee with good fan and colleague, Rameen Chaharbaghi!
Soprano, Nereida Garcia
Mezzo, Mary Beth Nelson & Baritone, Eric McKeever
(Well representing the lower voice ranges…)
Our judges listened to a total of 30 artists sing a collective sixty arias in one day!
From the left, Peter Randsman, Kelli Estes and Dr. Héctor Agüero
Countertenor, Travis Pratt accompanied by Dr. Janice Fehlauer
Soprano, Marcy McKee
Mezzo, Ashley Duplechien and Monica Dewey, Soprano
Mary Beth Nelson, Mezzo-soprano
Tenor, Galeano Salas
Soprano, Shelley Mihm
Baritone, Eric McKeever Accompanied by Dr. Stephen Dubberly
Augustine “Gus” Mercante, Countertenor accompanied by Dr. Stephen Dubberly
After the long day and long wait, our judges revealed the names of the nine finalists!
Many friends and colleagues came together to meet our singers and hear samples of their voices…
Our 1st Competition Winner, Dalma Boronkai Rodriguez, Soprano
Waiting to get started…
A “Puccini” tenor to watch for! Shekinah Anderson
Master of Ceremonies, Richard Kummins, ready to begin!
Annamarie Zmolek, Soprano
Soprano, Monica Dewey
Galeano Salas, Tenor
Soprano, Robyn Marie Lamp
Augustine Mercante, Countertenor
Soprano, Natalie Cummings
Mezzo-soprano, Mary Beth Nelson
Elena Galvan, Soprano
Amanda Kingston, Soprano
After all of our finalists sang two arias for our audience, after which everyone gathered in the lobby for a brief intermission and the judges moved to a private room where they compared notes and worked towards a unanimous conclusion.
Judges: Kelli Estes, Dr. Héctor Agüero and Peter Randsman
It is never an easy task for our judges to come together to determine the three best singers of the day but they rose to the occasion yet complimented all of our fine and dedicated singers for their lives filled with study, turns and twists and most especially their commitment to opera. Our four audience choices were announced first and then our three winners followed.
Mary Beth Nelson, Galeano Salas & Amanda Kingston
Richard Kummins, Annamarie Zmolek, Amanda Kingston & Mary Beth Nelson
Annamarie Zmolek, Amanda Kingston & Mary Beth Nelson
Friends and colleagues reconnected and catching up!
Alejandro Magallón, Dr. Héctor Agüero & Dr. Stephen Dubberly
Dr. Héctor Agüero, Kelli Estes & Peter Randsman
Dr. Janice Fehlauer and her lovely daughter, Camila!
Mrs. Marie Milner
Dr. Stephen Dubberly, Robert E. Cardwell & Josef Curtis
Countertenor, Augustine Mercante
Perry Davis & Monica McNeill
Tenor, Galeano Salas
Happy Anniversary! Elizabeth King & husband, Dr. Stephen Dubberly