Opera Idols

Where are they now: Felicia Moore

2013-05-23T09:07:00.001-04:00

Felicia Moore

Felicia in The Rape of Lucretia at Mannes College

Opera Idols: What have you been up to since the National Council Auditions ended?
Felicia Moore: I’ve been really busy since the auditions; I’ve had the opportunity to perform really gorgeous and rewarding music this year! I performed in a scenes concert in March with Mannes Opera; with scenes from Der Rosenkavalier, Guillaume Tell, Dialogues of the Carmelites, and Iphigénie en Aulide. Then, in April, I made my solo debut at Carnegie Hall with Maestro Mark Shapiro and The Cecilia Chorus of NY. We performed scenes from Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orleans and the New York Premiere of Ethel Smyth’s Mass in D. Performing at Carnegie Hall was so amazing; it was even better than I dreamed it would be! Then, in May, I sang the role of Female Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia with Mannes Opera. We were fortunate enough to be reviewed in the New York Times!

OI: What plans do you have for the summer?
FM: This summer I’ll be participating in the Crested Butte Music Festival in Colorado as a Marcello Giordani Young Artist. I’ll be covering the role of Der Trommler in Der Kaiser von Atlantis, and performing scenes from Lohengrin, Don Giovanni and Idomeneo. It should be a wonderful summer, and I’m so excited!

OI: How has participating in the National Council Auditions changed your career?
FM: Deciding to audition for the Met Council was one of the best decisions I’ve made! The whole process felt like a dream. The connections I’ve made and the guidance I’ve received have been endlessly helpful. I was also able to use the prize money to get new headshots and recordings, which are necessary to help advance a career. I’m so grateful for the Met Council and all their members for all the work they do!

OI: What was your experience like at the MET?
FM: My experience at the Semi-Finals was absolutely perfect. The people at the Met are incredibly encouraging and I really felt they were all “rooting for me”! This also goes for the other singers at the Semi-Finals. They were all very positive and supportive of each other. And singing on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera was extraordinary. It is so much more enormous than I thought it was. It was, to be perfectly honest, overwhelming!! On that stage, I felt like I was taking part in a beautiful and rich tradition. I will never forget it.

Where are they now: Matthew Anchel

2013-05-14T08:25:00.000-04:00

Now that the Grand Finals have passed for about two months and the 2012-2013 season of the Metropolitan Opera came to a close, I thought it would be great to see what our winners are up to this summer and beyond. First up is our Grand Finalist:

Matthew Anchel

http://www.matthewanchel.com

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Matthew as Alidoro in La Cenerentola at the Knoxville Opera

Opera Idols: What have you been up to since the Grand Finals?
Matthew Anchel: A few weeks after the auditions I went down South to perform with Knoxville Opera. I sang the role of Alidoro in La Cenerentola. It was such a nice experience and Knoxville is a really cute town.

OI: What plans do you have for the summer?
MA: This summer I'm going out to Santa Barbara to do Music Academy of the West. I'm singing the role of Sarastro in The Magic Flute and singing in the scenes concert. I'm really excited to get to work with Warren Jones and Marilyn Horne. I am also looking forward to being out West; I LOVE it out there and I've never been to Santa Barbara before so I'm excited about that.

OI: How has participating in the National Council Auditions changed your career?
MA: After the auditions I was initially very bummed not to be a grand prize winner. Some opportunities I thought I'd have fell through and I was sort of worried about my future. Luckily, I got an offer from the Met to cover two roles next season. When I didn't win, everyone told me that "just making the Finals means you're a winner." At first I was too disappointed to realize that, but it's really true. I've met so many amazing people, I have a job at the Met next year and the money I received just from making the finals has allowed me to thoroughly coach my upcoming roles and not worry about getting a survival job. After working at the Met next season, I'll be going back to Opera San Jose in the Winter and Opera Theatre of St. Louis in the Spring.

OI: What was your experience like at the Met?
MA: Everything was amazing. Going to the Met and working with the incredible people they have there was daunting, but everyone was so welcoming and understanding of how overwhelmed we all were. The conductor and the coaches were all so wonderful and then there are the amazing people in the offices, "behind the scenes," who make everything happen for the competition. The week of the finals, I realized my tuxedo no longer fit me, so I told someone and I was sent on a shopping trip with an amazing patron to get a new tux. I sort of felt like Cinderella or something, and the best part is that I will use the tuxedo for a very long time and remember how happy I was when I got it. When I finally got to the stage with the orchestra I was very, very nervous. I've sung in lots of different theaters, but nothing can prepare you for how enormous the Met is.

The International Opera Awards

2013-05-07T08:34:00.001-04:00

Joyce DiDonato accepting the Accessibility Award
on behalf of the Met - facebook.com

On April 22nd, the first ever International Opera Awards were held in London. Awards were handed out in 23 categories, and you can find the full list of winners below. The original list of nominees was 1500 long, from 41 different countries, while a panel of 10 judges made the final selections. Among others, the judges included Dame Anne Evans, David Gockley and Kathryn Harries.

One of the Foundation's goals is to make opera more accessible. As the New York Times describes (Opera Aims for an Oscar Night of its Own):

"The goal of the awards is to bolster the fortunes of an art form that has historically been reluctant to promote itself vigorously. Raising awareness about excellence in the field can excite existing audiences and help build new ones, while simultaneously giving promising careers a boost. Although the awards are not the first to recognize achievements in opera — Opera News, a publication of the Metropolitan Opera Guild, confers awards to several individuals annually — they are the first to have such broad scope."

And now for the winners:

Accessibility

Metropolitan Opera

CD (Complete Opera)

Alessandro (Handel), c. George Petrou (Decca)

CD (Operatic Recital)

Christian Gerhaher: Romantic Arias (Sony)

Chorus

Cape Town Opera

Conductor

Antonio Pappano

Costume Designer

Buki Shiff

Director

Dmitri Tcherniakov

DVD

Il trittico, Royal Opera, p. Richard Jones, c. Antonio Pappano (Opus Arte)

Female Singer

Nina Stemme

Festival Opera

Salzburg

Lifetime Achievement

Sir George Christie

Lighting Designer

Paule Constable

Male Singer

Jonas Kaufmann

Newcomer (conductor or director)

Daniele Rustioni

New Production

The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, Netherlands Opera, p. and d. Dmitri Tcherniakov

Opera Company

Oper Frankfurt

Opera Orchestra

Metropolitan Opera

Philanthropist/Sponsor

Sir Peter Moores

Readers’ Award

Jonas Kaufmann

Rediscovered Work

David et Jonathas (M.-A. Charpentier), Les Arts Florissants

Set Designer

Antony McDonald

World Premiere

Written on Skin (Benjamin), Aix-en-Provence

Young Singer

Sophie Bevan

Welcome to the 2013-2014 Season

2013-04-25T15:41:00.000-04:00

As this season comes to an end, the Met is already busy preparing for a new one. As a matter of fact, they have probably been planning the 2013-2014 season for the last five years. Yesterday evening, Peter Gelb gave a sneak peek at the upcoming season, highlighting 6 new productions which will premiere starting September.

Eugene Onegin by Peter Tchaikovsky

The tragic love story of Tatiana and Onegin will be returning to the Met stage on opening night. If you are wondering why there is a new Onegin so soon after the last one (1997, which is fast in opera terms), Mr. Gelb gave some insight per request of an audience member. Not only is a new production a more exciting way to start the new season with a fresh theatrical perspective (as has been the case ever since Peter Gelb took the reigns), but it was also the perfect way to entice Anna Netrebko to tackle the role of Tatiana. It will be the first time Ms. Netrebko will be singing the role at the Met, so a new production will allow her to put her mark on the role. A few weeks ago Ms. Netrebko sang her very first Tatiana, at the Vienna State Opera, and the reviews were raving. As the New York Times wrote: "a Tatiana waiting to happen", "New Yorkers have much to look forward to" and "she was wonderful." It is said to be the greatest interpretation ever heard.

Two Boys by Nico Muhly

Two Boys is a commissioned co-production between the Met and the English National Opera. This means the initial cost of production were shared between the two opera houses. It premiered two years ago in London under critical acclaim. The libretto, inspired by a true story, was written by US playwright Craig Lucas and Bartlett Sher returns to the director's chair for another Met production. The story involves a detective, Anne Strawson (Alice Coote), investigating the murder of a young boy by a teenager. As the investigation unravels, it turns out not everything is as it seems. The dark side of the Internet and chat rooms come to light in this opera. It is a modern take on an age-old story.

Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi

Talk about a stellar cast: Lisette Oropesa, Angela Meade, Stephanie Blythe, Jennifer Johnson Cano...and the long-awaited return of Maestro James Levine. It is only fitting that Maestro Levine returns to the conductor's podium with Falstaff, an opera he has always been closely associated with. This is another co-production, this time with the Royal Opera House and La Scala. The production has already premiered there, which is always a good way to see how a production will perform once it makes its way to the Met stage. This is the first new Falstaff in almost fifty years, and director Robert Carsen has set the action in the English countryside.

Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss

Fittingly, Die Fledermaus will ring in the new year as it gets its premiere on December 31st. Director Jeremy Sams has set this new production in Bel Epoque Vienna, New Year's Eve 1899. This will be an English version Fledermaus, with a revised libretto by playwright Douglas Carter Beane. It is not a new idea to perform this opera in English. The Met's most popular English Fledermaus was commissioned in 1950 by then new General Manager Rudolf Bing. The role of Prince Orlofsky, while usually a trouser role for mezzo-sopranos, will be sung by counter-tenor Anthony Roth Costanzo.

Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin
This opera is the artictic highlight of the season; an opera of epic proportions. Prince Igor has not been performed at the Met since 1917. Epics are hard to put on, even for a big house like the Met, and an enormous cast is needed. The chorus plays a very important role in this opera, especially as they accompany the ballet dancers during the Polovtsian dances. The music for that piece is instantly recognizable. Borodin died before he was able to finish his masterpiece, so earlier productions were pieced together from what he left at the time of his death. Research was performed in St. Petersburg to make this production as musically cohesive as possible. Oksana Dyka will make her Met debut as Yaroslavna, and Mr. Gelb made it known she is expected to become a star at the Met.

Werther by Jules Massenet

You won't get a better cast for this new production of Werther; Jonas Kaufmann and Elīna Garanča. This visually stunning production is brought to life by director Richard Eyre. The Met's goal is to bring the best casts to the stage and they certainly accomplish that in this opera.

Some more tidbits which were discussed by Peter Gelb after questions from the audience:

As to whether the Lepage Ring Cycle will be back: Yes, it will be back for future seasons.

As to the use of mikes in opera (based on what instruments are used in Two Boys): Music that was not meant to be miked should not be miked. If it was a composers true intention to mike his singers (as John Adams does) than it can be done.

As to what future directors will be brought to the Met: The goal is to bring all top directors to the Met at some point, and this new season is no exception. This season's new directors include Deborah Warner (Eugene Onegin) and Dmitri Tcherniakov (Prince Igor). Some directors who change the story or the underlying beliefs of an opera will probably not be brought to the Met. The opera has to stay true to itself and not make it confusing for audiences. Before the new Rigoletto received the green light, they went over every detail of the story to make sure it made sense to set it in Vegas of the sixties.

Videos are courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera website, where you can now 'Create your own Series' so you get your tickets early.

Internship Opportunity at the Ash Lawn Opera in Charlottesville, Virginia

2013-04-23T18:55:00.000-04:00

From our corespondent Sylvanna down in Charlottesville we found out about two exciting internship opportunities this summer at the Ash Lawn Opera (ALO).

For their 2013 summer season, they are seeking the following types of interns: education, arts administration, press/marketing, and production. As touted by the ALO, these internships are perfect for students with interests in administration, theatre, or those who would like to explore opera beyond just performance.

Interested? Know someone who might be interested? Check here for details.

Giulio Cesare and the British Empire

2013-04-13T10:18:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of the MetOpera

Three weeks ago I went to listen to Peter Gelb as he chatted with the cast of the new Giulio Cesare on the stage of the Met. Little did I know Tuesday night as I took my seat he would walk on stage again; this time to announce that Natalie Dessay would not be performing due to illness. The crowd's disappointment soon turned to elation as he announced her replacement: Danielle De Niese.

As Peter Gelb explained, Danielle De Niese was supposed to be an audience member that night, but he had called her around noon to ask her to replace Natalie Dessay. One of the reasons this was possible was that Ms. De Niese was the original Cleopatra in David McVicar's production of Giulio Cesare. It would have been this production/performance that Peter Gelb would have seen in the UK back in 2005 as he started his career as the Met's General Manager. In the same year, he also decided to bring Willy Decker's La Traviata to the Met.

McVicar is no stranger to the Met stage, previously having directed Il Trovatore and Maria Stuarda, but this new production was completely brought over as it was originally made, meaning it was not specifically made for the Met. Hence, there was no prompter's box for example (see my previous post 'Inside the prompter Box'). The singers were polled whether they would mind very much not having one (although they all sounded like this was not the most democratic voting process). David Daniels, for example, is used to doing performances without one. He actually enjoys not having a prompter's box because it means the stage is brought forward. This offers him great contact with the musicians in the pit, especially on a big stage like the Met.

McVicar started of the discussion with some background information on the opera:

Giulio Cesare is one of Handel's greatest masterpieces. It is based on the famous love match between Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, which means when watching the opera one is freed from trying to unravel the story. Unlike other operas where you really need to know what is going on before the opera begins, you do not need to know a whole lot about Caesar to understand this one.
The story takes place when Cleopatra and Caesar meet for the first time in Alexandria. Civil war has broken out in Egypt and Cleopatra becomes victorious with the help of the Romans. In McVicar's production, Cleopatra and Caesar are not in Egypt in 48 BC, but they are in a time and place somewhere at the end of the British Empire.
The sets are very simple, in a nod to Handel. Handel was living in England when he worked on Giulio Cesare, and the most important aspect of this work was to be commercial. He was pretty much creating a show for the Broadway of his time. There had to be a special relationship between the singers and the audience, and one way McVicar brings this across is in the physical challenges demanded of the singers. It was great to hear the audience oooh and aaah as they saw them jump on tables, make summersaults and dance.
Another aspect of being commercial is money, and to save some Handel often had his singers perform double duty. If he could not afford a chorus, he would have the singers fill in from the wings. This was not really necessary in this production because most of the singing consisted of arias and recitatives.

This brings us to the way baroque music is set up. Conductor Harry Bicket, a baroque specialist, explained:

The context of the story is so universal and not constricted to the eighteen hundreds. Handel wrote this opera for an audience in London who did not speak Italian. He needed to be able to convey to the public what was happening on stage without them understanding a word. Therefore, it is clear in the music from the beginning what each aria will be about. A lot of meaning can be gathered from just listening to the music.
In order for the audience to understand what was going on, Handel wrote many repeats in his music. This is called a da capo aria, which looks a little like A-B-A. A is sung, then there is a shorter B part in between which often counteracts the A part and then A is repeated. However, the second time around the meaning is different because of B which came in between. Confusing? Yes, but it works.
The story is moved forward and explained mostly through the recitative, which is then followed by an aria. If all of a sudden you find yourself without subtitles in front of you, you can be assured it means you are listening to a da capo aria, and part A is being repeated.

And the singers are not the only ones doing double duty. Harry Bicket is not only the conductor, but he also plays the harpsichord in this production. A second conductor takes over as he joins the musicians in the pit. In this case, the pit is actually raised, which is nice for the orchestra (about 25 big) because they often do not hear what is going on onstage. Mr. Bicket enjoys playing the harpsichord because it brings him closer to the singers and it creates a type of chamber music atmosphere. He listens to certain cues in the singers' voices, often consonants, to know when he needs to start playing. The audience certainly enjoyed it.

In the end, Natalie Dessay emphasized this is a physically demanding role, with lots of dancing (Bollywood style), and also very demanding on the voice. The expectations for a da capo aria is that once A is repeated, it needs to be a vocal variation with lots of ornaments. It needs to wow the audience, otherwise a baroque opera has a tendency to become dull. She does not think too far ahead about the next arias and takes it moment by moment, but the rehearsal process itself has been very hard. Every detail is rehearsed, from the tiniest hand movement to where a singer stands for his next aria.

You still have time to go see Giulio Cesare at the Met, and if you don't have tickets yet I would run to the box office. Even if you think baroque music is not for you, you will be pleasantly surprised. I have never seen this opera before, so McVicar's Cesare is the first production I saw, and I loved it. It felt light, young and refreshing. To me, this is as close to a marriage between Broadway and opera as you will get. I am sure Natalie Dessay would feel the same way. As she explained at the end of the Met Talk, she is widening her horizon and has set her sights on Broadway. Giulio Cesare might just be the bridge that brings both worlds closer together. I am sure Handel would have appreciated this.

Inside the Prompter's Box

2013-03-28T17:32:00.002-04:00

Carrie-Ann Matheson with Mariusz Kwiecien
in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale (Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera)

Last Saturday I made an early morning trek to the Met for a Young Associates event. We were having brunch backstage on the fifth floor in one of the rehearsal rooms, followed by a talk with Met prompter Carrie-Ann Matheson. We have all seen the little box on the front of the stage when attending a performance, even though more and more productions do not have a prompter's box anymore. If a production is in collaboration with another opera house, chances are there will not be one.

Sometimes it just doesn't fit the director's vision, like in the recent productions of Rigoletto and the upcoming Giulio Cesare. Sometimes a prompter's box was not planned. Not all opera houses require a prompter, but at the Met it is almost a necessity due to the sheer size of the stage. It can be difficult for the singers to see what the conductor is doing, or even hear what the orchestra is playing, so it is the prompter's job to be a lifeline. The way to get into the prompter's box is by climbing a few stairs, then taking a seat into the hydraulic chair which rises to the height of the stage. Inside are two video monitors (one showing the conductor) and an audio feed. How much work the prompter has to do depends on the conductor and the singers. The orchestra tends to play a beat behind the conductor, so it is up to the prompter to attach the singers either to the orchestra or to the conductor. The orchestra of the Met is amazing though, and they will follow the singers no matter what, even if the conductor is being unclear.

From a conductor's standpoint, most of them are focused on the orchestra and leave it up to the prompter to pay close attention to the singers and signal the beat. Maestro Levine, for example, wants the prompter to provide the singers with cues. From a singer's standpoint, it al depends on who the singer is. Some rely completely on the prompter, others merely glance. It depends on their personality, but other factors play a role as well, such as whether this is a new production or whether the singer has performed this role before. The prompter sits in on the rehearsals and gets to know the singers' personality and how they react. By the time the show goes on stage, they can read their faces like a book. Carrie-Ann communicates with the singers with her hands, a sign language for prompters and opera singers and visits their dressing rooms before the show begins to see how they are feeling that day.

One extreme example of prompting was during a performance of Tristan und Isolde a few years back. While many opera houses employ ear pieces these days, the Met is not one of them. However, during this performance they had to make an exception. The tenor in this production could not remember his lines at all, so it made for a very interesting experience for everyone involved as one prompter gave him cues from the box and another fed him the words through the earpiece from backstage. You just always have to be one step ahead.

Carrie-Ann started her job as a prompter on Opening Night 2007, with the premiere of Lucia di Lammermoor with Natalie Dessay in the lead. She is one of five prompters at the Met, and she divides her time between prompting and playing the piano. She started her career at the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program as a pianist, and when she decided to stop playing a few years ago, Maestro Levine asked her to consider prompting. Since starting to prompt, she has played herself in the production of La Sonnambula and she has also appeared (in her role as a pianist) in The Auditions documentary. She works with all the big names in opera who appear on the Met stage, and she has developed a trust with them. There was no gossip about what singer forgets his lines and who can't perform without a prompter.

There are certain characteristics which make for a good prompter, confidentiality and good linguistics being one of them. Other characteristics include a strong sense of rhythm and being a musician. A prompter also needs good memory; they need to know a whole opera by heart. Carrie-Ann, for example, will be prompting seven operas next season, ranging from Tosca to Falstaff. Being a good multi-tasker is also useful, because a prompter's role is not just limited to providing the first few words to a line if necessary. Sometimes things can go wrong on stage and the prompter is the only one who notices it. For example, in a performance of Turandot (in this case pronounced with a t), a prop had rolled onto the middle of the stage, right where one of the lead singers had to stand in a few minutes. Carrie-Ann made sure to point this out to someone on stage at that moment.

Opera is a live event, so things go wrong all the time. Most of the time, however, the audience is not even aware something went wrong. The audience is not even aware that there is a person in the prompter's box, because even if they sometimes yell out certain words, this does not carry towards the audience. The only time when talking too loud can become a problem is during the Sirius or Live in HD Broadcasts. Even though the singers are not miked, there are microphones attached to the stage to be able to transmit the sound across the globe. If a prompter talks too loud, it will be audible.

Next time you are at the Met, look for the prompter's box and remember how one of the most important people in the opera is offstage, cueing the singers and giving them directions. As Met prompter Jane Klaviter once said, being a prompter is like being an air-traffic controller.

Sources:
The Prompter Can Be An Opera Singer's Best Friend - Orlando Sentinel

Spotlight

2013-03-23T16:22:00.000-04:00

I must begin by reminding everyone about tonight's recital. Don't forget to go to Takaoki Onishi's Juilliard Graduation Recital, which will start at 8.30pm and which will be held at the Paul Recital Hall in Juilliard. Unfortunately I can't attend because I am across the street at the Met for a performance of Otello, but if you go drop us a line on how it was.

Friday March 15th was the second presentation of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. These recitals are a great way to listen to the new upcoming talent at the Met in an intimate setting. All events are free to the public and are followed by a reception with delicious wine by Wollfer Estate. Last week the audience had a chance to watch Ryan Speedo Green and Anthony Kalil in concert. They are both in the Lindemann Program, second year and first year respectively, and they were accompanied by Lindemann pianists Bryan Wagorn and Nimrod David Pfeffer. What I always find interesting about these recitals is the choices of music. Do not expect to hear mainstream arias, but prepare to be dazzled by beautiful music which the artists usually would not have much chance of performing. For example, Ryan performed pieces such as Urlicht and Die Vätergruft, while Anthony performed Copland's Old American Songs. The recitals are going on for several more weeks, with different artists every time. You can check the schedule on the Met's website.

Tuesday night saw one of the last Met Talks of the season; the topic for the evening: Handel's Giulio Cesare and the Met's new production by David McVicar. When I go see the performance in April it will be my first time seeing this opera, so any background information is always welcome. If this is your first time as well and you would like to find out more about the production and the opera, check back next week for a post on this topic.

Risë Stevens, beloved mezzo-soprano who had a 23-year career with the Met, died last Wednesday at the age of 99. Although I never had the chance of seeing her perform (she stopped performing on the Met stage in 1961), there are some wonderful videos available on YouTube, including of her most famous role, Carmen. Mrs. Stevens entered the first Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air in 1935-1936, the pre-cursor to our modern day Grand Finals (check here to read the full history), but lost. However, by 1938 she made her debut at the Met and played a major role there ever since. For many years she was the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Auditions. To find out more about her amazing career, you can read the New York Times obituary. My favorite quote about her from the article is below:

"In Ms. Stevens’s 351 regular appearances at the Met, her professionalism was perhaps never more apparent than it was in one of her many productions of “Samson et Dalila.” Playing the temptress Delilah, Ms. Stevens reclined on a chaise longue to sing the aria “Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix,” among the most famous seductions in opera. One night, overcome with theatrical passion, Samson flung himself onto her mid-aria. Samson did not know his own strength. Under his considerable force, the chaise longue, on casters, began to move. Ms. Stevens sailed offstage and into the wings, still singing."

As part of the Young Associate membership at the Met we get to do many fun things. As a matter of fact, it is how I got involved with the auditions. This morning there was a brunch with one of the Met's prompters, Carrie-Ann Matheson, who was featured in the wonderful documentary "The Auditions." The event was aptly called "Tales from the prompter's box" and was preceded by a wonderful brunch backstage at the Met. If you have always wondered what a prompter's role really involves, check back this coming week as well for a write-up on the event.

Don't forget to check out the NY Times tomorrow for a great interview with Met General Manager Peter Gelb. If you can't contain yourself you can read the article online already, and it includes an amazing look at the backstage workings of the Met. I take a backstage tour of the Met every year as part of the Young Associates Program, and it is always an unforgettable experience; each year is different. This year I was actually lucky enough to see the lifts (discussed in the article) in action; and I got a sneak peek at next year's productions in October because the scenic shop was already working on the new production of Die Fledermaus. In the tour they don't let you walk out on the stage because they are always busy setting up for the evening's performance, but about five years ago I had a chance to walk out on the Met stage as part of an Open Rehearsal Day. All I have left to show of the day are some grainy pictures (this was before the iPhone era), but looking at them still makes me breathless. If you wish to take a backstage tour of the Met, you can find more info here, but if you can take a tour during the week. That is when the opera house is bustling with action and you can see the true workings of an opera house.

Last but not least, don't forget to like our Facebook page and Twitter page. Also, don't forget to sign up for our newsletter to stay in the know and singers, sign up to be notified when next season's application becomes available. And of course if you love this blog don't forget to follow us so you automatically know about new postings.

Opera Tales from Charlottesville, Virginia

2013-03-15T09:43:00.004-04:00

As another MONC season comes to an end, the sixtieth to be precise (only the second one for me), we are approaching what we in Belgium would call 'Cucumber Time'. For us at MONC that means no applications for the moment, no emails to answer, soon no opera performances to attend... All in all, what sounds like a depressing time for someone who enjoys opera.

Luckily, there are several summer events for opera lovers, including in Charlottesville (Virginia) where former committee member and blog editor Sylvanna VanderPark relocated in November 2012 for work and to be a farmer. The following is an update from her new life in the Old Dominion.

Opera Tales from Charlottesville, Virginia

"Ironically, this is not my car"

Not many people know of Charlottesville, but it is a pretty town in the Southwest of Virginia. It is home to Thomas Jefferson's home - Monticello - and university - The University of Virginia; it is known as the Napa Valley of the East with about 35 miles of wineries and I don't know how many breweries; it is located a stone's throw away from the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley; it has more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the USA; and it is home to some of the most beautiful horse farms.

Charlottesville also has a very vibrant cultural and remarkable music scene. Yes, it is home to the Dave Mathews Band, but don’t expect for this place to be a one-note scene. There are a lot of local bands (just check out this blog to get a feel for the live music scene) who are working hard to become the next big thing. Then there are established names who come around for big performances at the JPJ, or more intimate shows at the Paramount Theater and smaller venues even. A good resource is C-ville Weekly for staying on top of cultural ongoings.

So all of this sounds great, but of course I went through culture shock when I moved here almost four months ago from the megatropolis that is New York City. One of the first things I researched ahead of time was whether I would be able to continue my growing appreciation for the Opera. And I found my new home: The Ash Lawn Opera (ALO), run for the past two years by Michelle Krisel, formerly of the Washington National Opera, and for 24 years, an annual panelist on the beloved Met Opera Quiz.

I am thrilled to be welcomed so well and so quickly by the ALO community. I have just loved how accessible live performance is in this town, and with the ALO’s Housing Host program, you can even bring the production home with you so to speak, by donating a spare room to a performer or staff member traveling in for the season. The timing of my move and initial involvement with ALO coincided with a telemarketing call from a Met volunteer who asked me if he could sign me up for another year of my Young Associate membership. Once I explained that I would not be renewing due to my relocation, he exclaimed “ah! We’ve lost you to the Washington National Opera!!!” to which I exclaimed back to him “no! To the Ash Lawn Opera!!!”

While we do not have a Metropolitan Opera National Council District in Charlottesville, the closest venue is the Mid-Atlantic Region in Washington DC, we certainly have another display of fierce competition of our own. The ALO provides the opportunity to cultivate local talent with its various programs, and the quality of its programs is very telling based just on the interest received: over 300 artists sent in audition tapes to fill a handful of Young Artist and Apprentice Singer positions for this year. I have yet to do my homework on our local singers and all the programs in detail but I am excited about learning and profiling ALO talent.

Step by step my exposure to the Ash Lawn has been gratifying. I started by catching a family production back in December of Amahl and the Night Visitors, a more grass roots performance. The Paramount Theater was sold out! Certainly there is a larger appreciation of the opera than not in this town, with lots of spirit from and for their performers. As I have since learned, this is not representative of their summer seasons (which will once again bring 5 singers from the Met to perform this year), but a charming production for a domestic time of year.

Then I joined the Ash Lawn Opera Guild and met the ladies (all the guild member are ladies) at a Valentine luncheon in February. These guild members are fabulous women; strong and independent with sincere adoration for the music and performances. I so much enjoyed sitting around with local Southerners, Yankees, Internationals... discussing their backgrounds and world travels, and I was welcomed so warmly that hours flew by before I knew it. These wonderful guild members are on average in their 60s and above, but so young at heart and full of life, I left feeling very inspired. At this same luncheon, I briefly had a chance to meet and speak with Michelle for the first time, with a promise to follow up with a personal meeting to discuss how I can become involved. Within a couple of weeks I found myself at the Downtown ALO office, where sitting and chatting with Michelle was just so much fun; learning about the various programs she is running, talking about life and music, what it’s like to work with Placido Domingo, living the life of an artist in Paris, and learning how to run an opera company. Once again, I found myself completely inspired and feeling quite privileged to have the opportunity to help out as she develops the Ash Lawn into a more notable institution.

There is a lot going on at ALO and I foresee some follow up articles to keep you in touch with first hand experiences of my time here. I have barely had time to find out about our local singers, but to give you an idea of some wonderful opportunities there are for opera enthusiasts in Charlottesville, I can tell you that not only am I a guild member surrounded by colorful, sharp women, but I am also signed on with the Arts Education Committee, lead by Jean Wilhelm. I will be helping to implement Michelle’s outreach program to children, including those in under-serviced areas, with the help of our Artist in Residence (Teaching Artist) Mary Gresock who is from the D.C. area and who works with the Washington National Opera, Wolftrap, etc... Additionally I have agreed to become a Housing Host for performers and production staff coming to Charlottesville from all over (what an honor!) to put on this year’s shows of La Boheme and Carousel (tickets are now on sale!). And last but not least, I am helping with floral arrangements for our (sold out!) Spring Gala fundraising event on March 17. And I am not ruling out auditioning for the ALO as a community performer; 2014 may be my debut year as a stand-in!

Welcome to opera in C-ville!

2013 Semi-Finals and Grand Finals Concert in Pictures

2013-03-11T15:13:00.000-04:00

Below is a pictorial account of the 2013 Semi-Finals and Grand Finals Concert.

All pictures were taken by the wonderful Rebecca Fay (Photography). Please do not use this pictures without providing due credit.

I am not sure who everyone is (and some names are not repeated under each picture for now), but if you recognize yourself just leave a comment and I will make adjustments.

Semi-Finals - Sunday March 3rd 2013

Crowd Control

The Semi-Finalists arriving on the Grand Tier

Felicia Moore from the Eastern Region awaiting the results

Rebecca Pedersen from the Rocky Mountain Region

Karen Vuong from the Eastern Region

The Eastern Region Committee: Lara Marcon, Stefanie Van Steelandt and Michelle Everett

Tracy Cox from the Western Region with Melissa Wegner (Associate Director of Auditions)

Eastern Region Grand-Finalist Matthew Anchel and mother

Middle Atlantic Region Grand-Finalist Musa Ngqungwana

Visiting District and Regional Directors in town to support their singers

Efraín Solís from the Western Region

Matthew Anchel

Anthony Roth Costanzo, Eastern Region grand-Finals winner from 2009

Victoria Livengood, Grand-Finals winner from 1984

Lara Marcon with Eastern Region supporters Dominique and Eric Laffont

Camille LaBarre introducing the judges

Matthew Anchel accepting his envelope as Grand-Finalist

Gayletha Nichols (Director of Auditions) announcing the Grand-Finalists

Brandon Cedel from the Middle Atlantic Region

Tracy Cox from the Western Region

Sydney Mancasola from the New England Region

Musa Ngqungwana from the Middle Atlantic Region

Richard Ollarsaba from the Upper Midwest Region

Rebecca Pedersen from the Rocky Mountain Region

Thomas Richards from the Central Region

Michael Brandenburg from the Central Region

Efraín Solís from the Western Region

The Grand-Finalists 2013

Grand-Finals Concert Sunday March 10th 2013

Mercedes Bass, Ann Ziff and Camille LaBarre (Chairperson of the Metropolitan Opera National Council)

Mitchell Lathrop (President of the Metropolitan Opera National Council)

The Eastern Region Team: Lara Marcon, Michelle Everett, Danielle Strauss, Stefanie Van Steelandt and guest

Host and guest performer Sondra Radvanovsky

Eric Owens charming the crowd

The moment of truth

2013 Grand-Finals Winners

The Grand-Finalists receiving their awards

Gayletha Nichols thanking the volunteers

Camille Labarre introducing Dominique Laffont who will give her award to Matthew Anchel

Ann Ziff, Melissa Wegner, Gayletha Nichols and Camille LaBarre

Melissa Wegner, Gayletha Nichols, Mitchell Lathrop

2013 Grand Finals Concert

2013-03-10T22:10:00.001-04:00

"Talent must first be discovered, then nurtured," Eric Owens said as he entertained the crowd during the judges' deliberation.
For 60 years the National Council Auditions has been discovering the talent, and now that the Grand Finals are over, all the talent that was on stage today will be nurtured. It does not matter who won or who didn't because every singer on stage today was already a winner.
To be one of ten singers chosen from amongst thousands to perform on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera is a big accomplishment, and the start of a promising career for all the singers involved.

The judges taking their seats.

Each singer performed one aria under the guidance of Maestro Marco Armiliato and a second aria followed after the intermission. Matthew Anchel first performed “Arise, ye subterranean winds” from The Tempest, then he wowed the crowds with “Il lacerato spirito” from Simon Boccanegra.

The judges (Sarah Billinghurst, Metropolitan Opera Assistant Manager, Artistic /Jonathan Friend, Metropolitan Opera Artistic Administrator /Christopher Hahn, Pittsburgh Opera General Director /Gayletha Nichols, Metropolitan Opera Director, National Council Auditions/ Craig Rutenberg, Metropolitan Opera Director, Music Administration) were inconspiciously seated among the audience in the Orchestra level. I tried to look for a specific reaction after each performance, but they kept their poker face on pretty well. Once they retreated to deliberate, Sondra Radvanovsky (a 1995 National Council Winner) took the stage for a performance of “Pace, pace, mio Dio” from La Forza del Destino.

As is often the case with a long deliberation; this was the perfect aria choice to keep the audience entertained. After she finished Eric Owens joined her on stage as they recalled their own experiences with the National Council Auditions: how a singer is advised to not look up when walking on the Met stage for the first time, how nervous they were, how much the National Council has done for them...
And then they were interrupted. It was like the Oscars of the opera as Eric Owens and Sondra Radvanovsky opened the enveloppe and read the names of the winners:

Michael Brandenburg – Tenor

Central Region

Brandon Cedel – Bass-Baritone

Middle Atlantic Region

Sydney Mancasola – Soprano

New England Region

Musa Ngqungwana – Bass-Baritone

Middle Atlantic Region

Rebecca Pedersen – Soprano

Rocky Mountain Region

Thomas Richards – Bass-Baritone

Central Region

However, we would like to congratulate all of today's singers, especially our very own Matthew Anchel who did a great job and whose official bio from the Met's program is included below.

As the audience gradually wandered out onto sunny Lincoln Center Plaza, patrons, young associates and National Council volunteers gathered on the Mercedes Bass Grand Tier to watch the singers receive their awards from several supporters. Matthew Anchel received his prize from our wonderful Eastern Region donor Dominique Laffont.

We finished the 2012-2013 National Council Auditions Season with some champaign and bites as we got a chance to say goodbye to all the singers, volunteers and organizers at the MET.

There is, however, one more event left this season. Tune in tomorrow evening at 7pm EST to WQXR (or go to www.thegreenespace.org) for a feature with today's winners.

See you all next season, and (singers) don't forget to sign up to be notified about the 2013-2014 application and (supporters) stay in the know about our new 2013-2014 season. And check back often for many more articles to keep you going through the long summer months without opera.

Last season Matthew Anchel appeared with Germany’s Leipzig Opera as Alaska Wolf Joe in Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny and Harasta in The Cunning Little Vixen. He has also appeared with the Los Angeles Opera as a Domingo-Thornton Young Artist as Count Ceprano in Rigoletto and a Noble in Lohengrin. Other roles include Horaste in Walton’s Troilus and Cressida and the First Soldier in Salome with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Ferrando in Il Trovatore with Opera San José, and Henry VIII in Anna Bolena with dell’Arte Opera Ensemble. He has won prizes from the Palm Beach Opera Competition, Opera Index, Loren L. Zachary Competition, and George London Competition. (Eastern Region)

Master Class with Ramón Vargas

2013-03-09T10:16:00.002-05:00

I have always heard about Master classes, from Maria Callas to Renée Fleming, and today it was Ramón Vargas's turn as he infused three Lindemann Young Artist Program tenors with his wisdom and talent. I was very excited to attend my first Master class and I was not disappointed.

This event took place at List Hall at the Metropolitan Opera. Mr. Vargas has been a regular at the Met this past month as he is singing the title role in Verdi's Don Carlo. I saw him set the stage on fire last week not only with his amazing voice, but also with the camp fire he lit in Act I. It did not occur to me that this fire was raging out of control, but a Met Stage Hand did run on stage to extinguish the blaze with a fire extinguisher.

Mr. Vargas took it all in good stride, and his good humor came through in today's Master Class as well as he made all the singers feel comfortable and welcome. He started by briefly discussing the three characteristics of good singing (which is subjective, as he explained, because singing is all about subjectivity...and parameters):

Flexible Singing
Spontaneity
Deep voice

As throughout the whole class, Mr. Vargas used several metaphors to get his point across. They were not only very helpful, but also very entertaining as the crowd erupted in laughter. One of the metaphors he used was that of a baseball player; the power is not the only important aspect of a good baseball player, but he needs much more than that.

Three singers took the stage as Mr. Vargas took notes and then advised the singers on how to improve. It was remarkable to watch the transformation right in front of our eyes as he told them about pronounciation, acting and the context of the arias. A Master class is not only great for the singers, but it seems a very good way for someone who knows nothing about music (I mean myself) to learn a whole lot more about it. I listened to the singing in a different way and I could tell the difference after each piece of explanation.

Mario Chang, Anthony Kalil and Andrew Stenson each performed one aria. Mr. Vargas emphasized the importance of knowing the role. As an example, when critiquing "De miei bollenti spiriti" from La Traviata, he told the story of how happy Alfredo is that he has found the most beautiful woman in Paris. This has to show through in the way a singer presents himself on stage. It is also important to keep in mind what the composer wanted to happen.

He also said a singer should not push himself too hard when singing. A voice is like a beautiful woman, if she puts on too much make-up it might have an adverse effect and beauty disappears as more and more effort is put in. It is important to relax the voice and relax the vowels.

Mr. Vargas concluded the class by reminding everyone that the most important element is passion. You have to sing because you enjoy doing what you are doing. And this, as I have found out, applies to anyone whether they are a singer or not.

A box-eyed view on the Semi-Finals 2013

2013-03-03T22:19:00.001-05:00

Wagnerian gods always seem to shine down on the Semi-Finals. Not only was it a gorgeous day here in NYC as twenty Semi-Finalists gathered for the 60th year of the National Council Auditions, but there was also a lot of good Wagner featured on stage.

While the singers have been rehearsing in New York since Thursday, it was the first time friends and family got to see the emerging talent perform on the Met stage. Felicia took the stage at 1.40pm and performed a wonderful "Do not utter a word" from Britten's Vanessa. The judges then asked her to perform "Einsam in trüben tagen" from Wagner's Lohengrin.

The judges for the day were Marco Armiliato (MetOpera Conductor), Sarah Billinghurst (MetOpera Artistic Assistant Manager), Jonathan Friend (MetOpera Artistic Administrator), John McMurray (Head of Casting at English National Opera), Andreas Melinat (Director of Artistic Administration at Lyric Opera of Chicago), Gayletha Nichols (MetOpera Director of National Council Auditions) and Lenore Rosenberg (MetOpera Associate Artistic Administrator). The audience was also filled with familiar faces, from Eastern Region judges Marilyn Horne and Ken Benson and previous Grand Finals winner Anthony Roth Costanzo to our Gala photographer Rebecca Fay who was recording the event for posterity.

Finishing of the first round of ten singers was Karen Vuong, who gave a very engaging performance of "Einst träumte meiner sel'gen base" from Weber's Die Freischütz. She followed it up by Puccini's "Quando m'en vo" at the judges' request.

After a thirty minute intermission it was time for the next ten singers. Matthew Anchel was the fifth to go on stage, picking a great "O Isis und Osiris" from Die Zauberflöte, after which he was asked to sing "Arise, ye subterranean winds" from The Tempest.

It was a great chance to see all the wonderful talent from across the US come together on the Met stage. It was difficult to decide who would be moving on, and my list grew way too big as everyone sounded fabulous. It seemed the judges also had a hard time deciding, making the audience and twenty nervous singers wait for half an hour as they made their choice.

It is with shame in our hearts we had to say goodbye to Felicia and Karen, but Matthew was one of ten singers moving on to the Grand Finals.

The complete list of winners is below. If you want to find out in person who will be a Grand Finals winner, please join us at the Met next Sunday at 3pm. If you want a chance of performing on the stage of the Met yourself, sign up on our website to be notified when the 2013-2014 application becomes available.

MATTHEW ANCHEL – Bass

Eastern Region

MICHAEL BRANDENBURG – Tenor

Central Region

BRANDON CEDEL – Bass-Baritone

Middle Atlantic Region

TRACY COX – Soprano

Western Region

SYDNEY MANCASOLA – Soprano

New England Region

MUSA NGQUNGWANA – Bass-Baritone

Middle Atlantic Region

RICHARD OLLARSABA – Bass-Baritone

Upper Midwest Region

REBECCA PEDERSEN – Soprano

Rocky Mountain Region

THOMAS RICHARDS – Bass-Baritone

Central Region

EFRAÍN SOLÍS – Bariton

Western Region

George London Awards

2013-03-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Felicia and toi toi toi for the Semi Finals tomorrow to all our Semi-Finalists.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow and find out if Karen Vuong, Matthew Anchel and Felicia Moore are moving on to the Grand Finals.

ANNOUNCING THE 2013 GEORGE LONDON COMPETITION AWARDS

GEORGE LONDON AWARDS ($10,000 each):

Dominic Armstrong, Tenor – George London Award (In memory of Lloyd Rigler)

Noah Baetge, Tenor – George London-Kirsten Flagstad Award (For a singer preparing for a Wagnerian career)

Jamez McCorkle, Baritone – George London Award

Felicia Moore, Soprano – George London Award

Jessica Muirhead, Soprano – George London Award (For a Canadian singer)

Nicholas Pallesen, Baritone – George London Award (Sponsored by The Lissner Charitable Fund)

Marcy Stonikas, Soprano – George London-Leonie Rysanek Award

"The goal of the London Foundation, the support and nurturing of young singers, was an abiding interest of the great American bass-baritone George London, who devoted a great part of the time and energy of his later years to this purpose. “Remembering his difficult road to success, George wanted to devise a way to make the road a little easier for future generations of singers,” said George London Foundation President Nora London."

Divertissement: Opera goes to Hollywood

2013-02-22T21:36:00.000-05:00

"Ballet Scene from Meyerbeer's Opera Robert Le Diable"
by Edgard Degas - Courtesy V&A Museum

Have you ever had that feeling of déjà vu, or should I say déjà entendu, when attending an opera performance? The tune sounds familiar, but you know you have never seen this opera...or even heard it before.

It can happen to anyone, from the seasoned opera goer to the layman attending his first performance. The fact of the matter is, everyone is familiar with opera; most people just don't know it. We are exposed to it on a daily basis. Turn on your television and you will see a Kohler commercial set to "Firi...me Lassa" from Bellini's I Puritani; watch a Bond movie and get thrown into the middle of a Tosca performance; read Tolstoy's War and Peace and you will be transported to an opera house in Russia; go to any museum and imagine yourself at the opera.

Many people have been watching opera since they were little...and most of them remember. Ask the average person if they have ever heard opera before and they will all give you the same answer: "I watched The Rabbit of Seville when I was young." One would hope that everyone who ever saw this cartoon would be a major opera lover by now, but sometimes the exposure to opera in (recent) pop culture does more harm than good.

Movies have shaped audiences' views for generations, but unfortunately movies have often created the wrong image when it comes to opera. Two movies are especially to blame for this 'damaged' view of opera, namely Moonstruck and Pretty Woman. While these actually put opera in a positive light, they are also to blame for the current static vision of the art form. The old war horses at the Met, such as La Bohème, are still the most popular operas in the repertoire; even bringing in young suitors and their dates, hoping to get the same reaction as Richard Gere or Nicholas Cage. When many people think of opera, they have a certain image in their mind: what they saw in the movies (usually a very traditional performance), older people, fancy clothes and expensive dinners. Movies often reinforce the opera stereotype; it symbolizes high class. It is represented as boring, loud, elitist and stuffy. Two recent movies come to mind that do exactly this: The Intouchables and The Adventures of TinTin (one hour and fifteen minutes into the movie).

My own introduction to opera came through a movie, and luckily I took my exposure to opera further than most people. As so often goes in college, I waited until the last minute to take care of my assignment for my English class: compare an independent movie and a mainstream movie. I am glad I went to see "The Sea Inside" because it changed my life. One of the most poignant scenes in the movie takes place as Ramón, the movie's protagonist who is a quadriplegic, imagines flying over the Spanish mountains towards the sea as he listens to Puccini's Nessum Dorma. At that moment I did not know where the aria was from, but as soon as I got home I looked it up and bought my first ticket to the Met in 2005 to go see Turandot.

Opera really grabs my attention when it is featured in a movie, no matter how it is used. There are several ways this can happen:

As part of the story line, as is the case in Lucine Visconti's Senso
As part of the soundtrack to set the mood, as in Apocalypse Now
As an actual movie, such as Kenneth Branagh's The Magic Flute

With the Oscars coming up on Sunday, it is interesting to look at the marriage between opera and movies. Even Lincoln, one of Sunday's Oscar contenders, features an unexpected opera scene. Many viewers of the movie will be surprised to find out that Lincoln was a life-long opera lover. It is rumored he had an aria from Frederick von Flotow's opera "Martha" performed at his second inaugural and he attended a performance of The Magic Flute a week before he was assassinated. Since Spielberg was obsessed with making his latest movie as historically accurate as possible, even going as far as recording the sound of Lincoln's actual watch, this opera scene had to be as accurate as possible as well. The Metropolitan Opera helped him with this, providing Spielberg with pictures from their earliest Faust productions. The day is after all March 18, 1865 and Lincoln is attending a performance of Faust by the German Opera Company at the Grover's Theater in DC with his wife. They are watching the Garden Scene in Act III. Often opera scenes are lip-synched in movies, but this Faust and Marguerite (found through Facebook), sang the actual scene in front of the actors. The only piece added later was the orchestra.

This is just one example of how opera plays an important part in movies. Check back in the next few days for more on this topic. Meanwhile, leave a comment telling us all about your favorite opera moments in movies, television shows...

Sources:
The Washington Post - Opera in film: Suspenseful, glamorous and overpowering
OperaVore - 'Lincoln' Reveals 16th President's Passion for Opera
NYTimes - How Hollywood Films are Killing Opera

Where are they now: Sofia Antonakos

2013-02-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Sofia Antonakos
http://sofiadianaantonakos.com/

Since winning the Encouragement Award at the District Auditions, Sofia has competed in the Liederkranz Competitions while continuing to study with her singing teacher Mark Oswald. She has put her prize money towards more voice lessons with him.

Competing in auditions is a big part of a singer's life, like Sofia says: "I am getting ready to submit my application to Placido Domingo's Operalia Competition coming up in March. I will continue to compete throughout the year and sing as much as I can."

Sofia's favorite opera is Puccini's Tosca, which is in line with the performance she did last year about the life of Maria Callas. "She is my favorite opera singer. We talked about her life and loves; and I performed her beloved arias."

And how did Sofia feel about auditioning with the Monc Eastern Region?

"I was very excited to compete in this competition. It was a great experience for me. I learned a lot from talking to the judges; they gave me insight on my voice and what I should work on next. I also learned that competing is an art and you have to really work hard and prepare yourself. There are a lot of great singers out there and we can all learn from each other as well. I really enjoyed being a part of the Monc auditions; it helped me grow as a singer and it made me a big fan of other singers. I can't wait to do it again next year."

Where are they now: Sheherazade Holman

2013-02-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

Sheherazade Holman

Mezzo-Soprano from Brooklyn, New York
Age 22

OI: What have you been up to since the District Auditions?
SH: Since the Monc Auditions, I have been back in school full time continuing my education. I'm currently a senior attending Nyack College School of Music right here in the city and I will be graduating this May 2013! I am very excited. I am in the process of preparing myself for my senior recital along with my school's concert at Lincoln Center in April to celebrate the School of Music's 75th anniversary.

OI: What upcoming performances do you have planned?
SH: I am always singing in church when I am not in school or rehearsing for an engagement with the Gospel group I am in, called "David Metayer and One Accord". We have a scheduled engagement this Saturday February 16th at Boston College singing with other gospel artists. However, the most important date in my book for which I am now preparing is my senior recital which will be April 20th at 6pm at Nyack College. I am very excited about it as it will be bittersweet. It marks the end of one chapter in my life; getting my Bachelor's Degree. However, it marks a new beginning because I will be moving on to new challenges and obtaining my goals that I plan to reach. One goal being singing at the MET one day!

OI: Do you have a favorite opera?
SH: I don't really have a favorite, but if I had to choose an opera, I would say I enjoy the story of Carmen. I hope to become a great Carmen one day. I am actually going to see it March 1st at the MET. This will be my first opera that I will be seeing live and not on a television screen so I am excited.

OI: How important was winning the Encouragement Award to you?
SH: The prize money actually came at a time when I had no income. I was in the process of finding a job and being a full time college student. I had some priorities to attend to, so that money helped me to afford neccessities that I deemed helpful not only in my personal affairs but also towards school essentials as well.

OI: What did the experience of participating in the Monc Auditions teach you?
My experience of participating in the auditions taught me that my dream was actually in my grasp and it wasn't impossible. With hard work, dedication and perseverance I could actually have the opportunity to reach my dream. Since I was a little girl attending this performing arts school in Harlem, my love for music, especially classical music, was nurtured. I was afforded great opportunities to participate in performances, to travel and tour, and to be introduced to new languages and different repertoires. As I grew up, my love for great divas like Jessy Norman, Leontyne Price and my mentor Ms. Nakemia Riely, showed me that if I work hard, I could realize my dream of being a great and famous opera singer.
Having this opportunity to have my first opera competition be for the MET was so unreal to me, and till this day it's still amazing! The fact that I was able to stand before greatness was extraordinary and it showed me my dream of being an opera singer at the MET was obtainable! I'm so grateful for the opportunity I had to experience the audition process. It has taught me not only what I am capable of doing but it showed me what I need to do to be better and be more prepared. I see what it takes to be successful and I plan to come back to audition in the near future. I believe that the Monc Audition was only the beginning of many great auditions to come and I welcome every opportunity!

Where are they now: LaMarcus Miller

2013-02-13T09:19:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe that it has already been three months since the District Auditions, but it seemed the perfect time to get back in touch with our Encouragement Award winners (LaMarcus Miller, Sofia Antonakos and Sheherazade Holman) and see what they have been up to since the District Auditions.

LaMarcus Miller

www.lamarcusmiller.com

2012 Winner of Nico Castel International Master Singer
Competition at Weil Hall

LaMarcus, a 25-year old Bass - Baritone originally from Texas, made his Carnegie Hall debut in January as a Baritone Soloist in Karl Jenkins' "The Armed Man".

In addition to this, he has signed with Embra Artists and he sang a recital at the Dallas Baptist University in Texas. This summer, he will be singing and covering roles with the Utah Festival Opera, including Verdi's Otello.

In December, he sang the role of Palémon in Massenet's "Thais" at the Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater. Thais is LaMarcus' favorite opera.

As part of the Encouragement Award, each singer received a $200 cash prize. When asked what the prize money did for him, LaMarcus told me he used his to compete in more auditions. As to his experience auditioning with Monc, he had the following to say:

"It was my first time to participate and everyone was very warm and welcoming!"

Gala 2013 as Photographed by Rebecca Fay: The Performance

2013-02-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Once again, all photographs "Courtesy of Rebecca Fay".

The Performances

Finding the perfect seat upstairs before the performance begins.

MONC ER Chair Lara Marcon welcoming the crowd

Moments before the performance...listening to Eric Owens introducing each aria. Unfortunately Felicia Moore could not join us for the evening due to illness.

Region Finals Winner Karen Vuong singing "Quando m'en Vo" from Puccini's La Bohème

Takaoki Onishi singing "Ah! per sempre" from Bellini's I Puritani

Water Break

Eric Owens introducing the arias

The crowd laughing out loud when listening to Eric's explanation of "Tanzlied" from Die Tote Stadt by Korngold

Dan Franklin Smith doing a marvelous job accompanying the singers.

The surprise of the night: Eric Owens performing "Some Enchanted Evening" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific

Curtain Call.

A Standing Ovation

The stars of the evening: Takaoki Onishi, Karen Vuong, Eric Owens and Dan Franklin Smith

John Re and Charles Palmer

Moving downstairs for dessert and prosecco.

Auditions Director Stefanie Van Steelandt and Daniel Ferris

The Dessert

Neuhaus Chocolates

The Kosciuszko Foundation. See you next year!

Gala 2013 as Photographed by Rebecca Fay: The Reception

2013-02-09T15:14:00.000-05:00

I would like to start by thanking our amazing photographer Rebecca Fay, who generously donated her time to photograph our gala and make sure we have amazing pictures for posterity.

So, without any exceptions, all photographs are "Courtesy of Rebecca Fay".

The Preparations

Committee Member Tom Cannon Jr. awaiting the guests

Polish Art at the Kosciuszko Foundation

Everyone likes surprises...and we had many planned for the evening

Gift bags generously provided by Neuhaus

Beautiful flower creations generously provided by MJD Flower and Event Design

The beaded tuxedo shoes of our treasurer Andrew Urbanski

ER Chair Lara Marcon helping committee member Danielle Strauss with her ribbon

How to identify a MONC ER committee member?

Committee member Michelle Everett adjusting her ribbon.

Committee member Kelly Davis showing off her gorgeous dress

The Reception

Mrs. Leslie Brereton (right) and friend

Joseph Harding talking to committee member Michelle Everett

Just water for Karen Vuong and Takaoki Onishi as they await to perform

Our guest-of-honor Eric Owens has arrived.

Eric Owens preparing his surprise with pianist Dan Franklin Smith.

Harold Palmer Award and Rohatyn Great Promise Award Winner

Bob and Mary Hobart

Committee member Danielle Strauss talking to Treasurer Andrew Urbanski

So many choices...

Francis Carling talking to Chair Lara Marcon

Annie Vanloo

A gathering of committee members.

MONC ER Chair Lara Marcon

Eric Owens charming the crowds

Coconut Shrimp

Seared Tuna

Chef de Cuisine

Melissa Wegner, Associate Director of the National Council Auditions

Daniel Ferris and Sue Hochberg

Nancy Hayward

Barbara Orzakiewicz arriving

Melissa Wegner

Charles Palmer and John Re

Treasurer Andrew Urbanski with Eric Laffont and Barbara Orzakiewicz

Tara Mancini

Auditions Director Stefanie Van Steelandt

Treasurer Andrew Urbanski

Chair Lara Marcon

Dorothy Heyl and Joseph Harding

Barbara Orzakiewicz and Dominique Laffont

Sue Hochberg and Daniel Ferris

Eric Laffont, Danielle Strauss, Eric Owens and Melissa Wegner

Neal Goren and committee member Michelle Everett

Committee members Stefanie Van Steelandt, Lara Marcon and Kelly Davis

Bob Doorenbos

Bob Doorenbos and Devora Spadone

(Almost) the whole committee: Kelly Davis, Stefanie Van Steelandt, Andrew Urbanski, Lara Marcon, Danielle Strauss, Tom Cannon Jr. and Michelle Everett

Gala 2013: The Program

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Gala 2013: Sponsors

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We would like to thank the following sponsors of our 2013 Gala:

Neuhaus Chocolatier

POLOGEORGIS FURS

Martin Jobes Design

Rebecca Fay Photography

Where are they now - Ricardo Rivera

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This season, Ricardo Rivera's operatic performances include a return to the Opera Orchestra of NY as Matthieu in Andrea Chenier opposite the Chenier of Roberto Alagna, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with the Opera Company of Middlebury, Ashby in La fanciulla del west with Knoxville Opera, and Corifeo in Jorge Lidermann's 1991 opera Antigona Furiosa with the GRAMMY award winning chamber music ensembles eighth blackbird and Pacifica Quartet. Additionally, he sang in two Eve Queler and Friends concerts, one of which was held at Alice Tully Hall.

This summer, he will make his debut with the Santa Fe Opera where he will sing the two roles of Thomas Martin and The Hotel Manager in the world premiere of Oscar as well as covering the role of Germont in La Traviata as an Apprentice Artist.

What has winning the Region Finals meant to Ricardo?

Ricardo practicing riding a horse for his
performance as Ashby in Knoxville Opera's production of La fanciulla del west.

"I used the money I got from the National Council Auditions, in part, to purchase two new suits; one in black and one in navy, a tuxedo shirt, cuff links, and a few new dress shirts and ties. These have proven to be important in subsequent performances and auditions. I also used the money to live on. One doesn't make enough money to live on at the beginning of a career. I am happy to say that since I graduated from school in the Spring of 2012, I have been living off of my singing in performances and competitions.
I really do appreciate the help the National Council Auditions has given me in the early stages of my career. I thank the powers that be!"

Gala 2013: Bios

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Karen Vuong - Soprano - Age 28 - Region Finals Winner

Quando m'en vo- La Bohème - Puccini

Adieu notre petite table - Manon - Massenet

Come scoglio immoto resta - Così fan tutte - Mozart

American Soprano Karen Vuong is currently in her second year as a member of the Juilliard ADOS program. There she has performed the role of Zhou in the world premiere of Peter Maxwell Davie’s Opera Kommilitonen!, and the role of Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Later this year she will perform the role of the Fox in The Cunning Little Vixen at Juilliard. Karen was also an inaugural member and two-year participant in Los Angeles Opera’s prestigious Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program. Next season she will join the Frankfurt Opera as a fest singer.

Her debut season at LA Opera included performances in Wagner’s Tannhäuser, and Massenet’s Manon (as cover for Pousette). Karen also starred as Mimi in LA Opera’s student production of Puccini’s La Bohème, which was conducted by Plácido Domingo. In 2008, she debuted at the Kentucky Opera as Sophie in Massenet's Werther. She has also appeared in the role of Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen performed at the Hollywood Bowl, with Denyce Graves in the title role. In 2009, Karen performed internationally in Hong Kong in a concert performance of Symphony No. 8 by Mahler. In 2010 she made her Seattle Opera debut as Trang and the Nurse in the world premiere of Amelia, directed by Stephen Wadsworth. In 2012 she made her Santa Barbara Opera debut as Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro.  Karen has received several notable honors. In 2011 she was the Grand Prize Winner of the Marilyn Horne Song Competition. In 2006, she won the Prize CulturArte at the distinguished Operalia International Competition in Valencia, Spain. Other honors include 4th Place at the 2009 Loren L. Zachary Competition, and 3rd Place at the 2003 and 2010 Palm Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competitions.  

Takaoki Onishi - Baritone - Age 27 - Rohatyn Great Promise Award and Harold Bruder Award

Per me giunto - Don Carlo - Verdi

Ah! per sempre - I puritani - Bellini

Tanzlied - Die tote Stadt - Korngold

A native of Tokyo, Japan, baritone Takaoki Onishi is a second-year graduate diploma student at The Juilliard School, studying with Dr. Robert C. White, Jr. In the span of a season, he won the First Prize winner in the Opera Index Inc. Vocal Competition, the Third Prize in the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, was a grant winner in the Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition and was the recipient of an Encouragement Award in the Licia Albanese – Puccini International Vocal Competition. Mr. Onishi is also an inaugural First Prize winner of IFAC-Juilliard Prize Singing Competition in Japan, whose reward was a full scholarship to attend The Juilliard School.

At the Musashino Academy of Music in Tokyo, Mr. Onishi performed the title role in Don Giovanni and Adam and Raphael in Haydn’s Die Schöpfung. He has also performed the role of Guglielmo in Così fan tutte. At Juilliard, he performed the role of Second Clerk in the American premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Kommilitonen!, Blansac in La scala di seta, and Masetto in Don Giovanni. Mr. Onishi made his Lincoln Center debut in the Juilliard Vocal Arts Honors Recital at Alice Tully Hall. He has been awarded a fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival & School and the Makiko Narumi Prize for outstanding singer by The Juilliard School. Mr. Onishi earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Musashino Academy of Music in Tokyo.

Felicia Moore - Soprano - Age 24 - Region Finals Winner

Einsam in trüben Tagen - Lohengrin - Wagner

Come in quest'ora bruna - Simon Boccanegra - Verdi

Il est doux, il est bon - Hérodiade - Massenet

American soprano Felicia Moore is quickly establishing herself as an exciting up-and-coming young dramatic voice. She is currently finishing her graduate studies at Mannes College of Music and is studying with Ruth Falcon and Lucy Arner. Future engagements include singing Female Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia with Mannes Opera under the tutelage of Joseph Colaneri, and performing scenes from Guillaume Tell, Iphigénie en Aulide, Dialogues of the Carmelites and Der Rosenkavalier in March as a Mannes Young Artist. She will also be making her solo debut at Carnegie Hall this April with The Cecilia Chorus of NY with Mark Shapiro. For the summer, Ms. Moore will be participating in the Crested Butte Music Festival as a Marcello Giordani Young Artist.

Her past engagements include performing The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Nevada Opera and performing as a Fate in the American premiere of Wolfgang Rihm’s Proserpina at Spoleto Festival USA. She has also been heard in scenes from Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, Così fan tutte, Ariodante and Beatrice et Benedict. Ms. Moore has also attended numerous admired summer programs such as International Vocal Arts Institute with Joan Dornemann, Institute for Young Dramatic Voices with Dolora Zajick and OperaWorks with Ann Baltz. Ms. Moore holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Westminster Choir College.

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Dan Franklin Smith

Dan Franklin Smith is a resident of New York City but performs in colleges,universities, museums and concert halls throughout the US and Europe. He has beendescribed as “an incredibly sensitive player” and “a master pianist.” Accolades such as“breathtakingly beautiful,” “technical wizardry,” “brilliant technique andemotional fervor” appear in every review. An Aliso Viejo, California, headlineproclaimed, “Classical Pianist Moves Audience to Tears.”

He graduated as a piano major from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and madehis European recital debut in 1997 just outside of Stockholm, Sweden, where hereceived a standing ovation and rave reviews. The following year he made his Europeanorchestral debut in Stockholm at Sofia Kyrkan and was later featured on Swedish TV. Adebut recording with the Gävle Symfoniorkester soon followed, and not long afterward,a recording with the Stuttgart Philharmonic. These premier recordings received outstanding reviews and are broadcast on dozens of classical stations throughout the US.
As Music Director and recital soloist with the international festival, Elysium:Between Two Continents, he is showcased in performances here and in Europe. MajorGerman newspapers praise his work for “stirring emotionalism, precision with keenintensity, the subtle hesitations and shifts that constitute great expression.” He hasreceived high praise time and again from Munich’s Süddeutsche Zeitung as well as theMünchener Merkur, Coburger Tageblatt and Neue Presse.

Recent and future highlights include performances in Maryland, Georgia, Minnesota,Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee, New York, Virginia, Florida, Washington, D.C.,Wisconsin, Arizona, New Mexico, Canada, and California, where he played performances of Brahms’ First Piano Concerto and toured again in 2010. His European engagements have included Bernried, Dessau, Coswig, Wittenberg, and Leipzig in Ger-many, Oslo, Paris, London, including recitals at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and appearancesin Sweden. In past summer seasons he performed in Berlin, Munich, Bernried, Coburg,Offenbach, Neuwied, Brussels, London, Zagreb, Warsaw, Lodz, and Kiev. In fall 2010 heappeared at the Bruckner Festival in Linz and the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

As chamber musician and vocal accompanist, he has performed at venues such as TheNational Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.—where he recently presented a solorecital--the Cleveland Museum's Distinguished Artist Series, and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City, as well as tours in Bermuda, Taiwan, and Puerto Rico. He is the recipient of a Performing Artist Grant from the American-ScandinavianFoundation of New York City, which provided funds for him as piano soloist in anorchestral performance in Stockholm. He is a member of the Recording Society as well asthe American Matthay Association, and frequently performs at their yearly conferences.

Eric Owens - Bass Baritone - MC

Acclaimed for his commanding stage presence and inventive artistry, American bass-baritone Eric Owens has carved a unique place in the contemporary opera world as both an esteemed interpreter of classic works and a champion of new music. Equally at home in concert, recital and opera performances, Owens continues to bring his powerful poise, expansive voice and instinctive acting faculties to stages around the world.

Eric Owens opens the 2010-2011 season of the Metropolitan Opera as Alberich in Das Rheingold in a new production by Robert Lepage, conducted by James Levine. He essays the title role in Peter Sellars’s new production of Handel’s Hercules, conducted by Harry Bicket at Lyric Opera of Chicago; returns to San Francisco Opera as Ramfis in Aïda, conducted by Giuseppe Finzi; and joins Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony as Lodovico in concert performances of Verdi’s Otello both in Chicago and at Carnegie Hall. His concert calendar includes Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with Donald Runnicles and the Atlanta Symphony; Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with Jaap van Zweden and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic; Mozart’s Requiem with the Handel & Haydn Society under Harry Christophers; Brahms’s Ein Deutshces Requiem at Carnegie Hall with James Bagwell and the Collegiate Chorale; and Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliettewith the Utah Symphony, conducted by Thierry Fischer.

During the 2009-10 season, Owens returned to Washington National Opera, as Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and as the determined protagonist Porgy in Francesca Zambello’s wildly successful production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, a role he debuted to great critical acclaim at San Francisco Opera. Owens’s concert calendar included John Adams’s Walt Whitman-inspired The Wound Dresser, conducted by the composer, and holiday performances of Handel’sMessiah, both with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. Owens also joined Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic for concert performances of György Ligeti’s apocalyptic opera Le Grand Macabre, as well as Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. Additionally, Owens performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Bernard Haitink, as well as Mozart’s Requiem both with James Levine and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and with Hans Graf and the Detroit Symphony.

The previous season marked Owens’s Metropolitan Opera debut in John Adams’s Doctor Atomic, broadcast live in high definition on movie screens nationwide. Owens also made his Carnegie Hall solo recital debut at Weill Recital Hall, one of four Carnegie Hall engagements throughout the season. Owens sang the title role of Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and reprised his role as the Storyteller in John Adams and Peter Sellars’s A Flowering Treewith the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Additionally, Owens returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Sarastro in The Magic Flute, and appeared opposite Anna Netrebko and Elina Garanca in Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Owens' career operatic highlights include his San Francisco Opera debut as Lodovico in Otello conducted by Runnicles; his Royal Opera, Covent Garden debut as Oroveso in Norma; Ramfis in Aida at Houston Grand Opera; Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Ferrando in Il Trovatore and Colline in La Bohème at Los Angeles Opera; the Speaker in Die Zauberflöte for his Paris Opera (Bastille) debut; Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra and Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte with the Washington Opera; Rodolfo in La Sonnambula at the Bordeaux Opera; the King of Scotland in Ariodante and Seneca in L'Incoronazione di Poppea at the English National Opera; Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor and Alidoro at Pittsburgh Opera; Leporello in Don Giovanni at Florida Grand Opera; Sparafucile in a new production at the Oper der Stadt Köln and at Minnesota Opera; Banquo with Opera Pacific and Sarastro and Banquo with the Opera Company of Philadelphia. He sang Collatinus in a highly acclaimed Christopher Alden production of Britten's The Rape of Lucretia at Glimmerglass Opera. A former member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Owens has sung Sarastro, Mephistopheles in Faust, Frère Laurent, Angelotti in Tosca, and Aristotle Onassis in the world premiere of Jackie O (available on the Argo label) with that company.

Owens is a regular guest of the major American and European orchestras. His appearances have included performances with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Seattle Symphony, National Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony and Detroit Symphony among others. He has worked with today's leading conductors including Wolfgang Sawallisch, Lorin Maazel, Michael Tilson Thomas, Yuri Temirkanov, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Franz Welser-Möst, John Nelson and Robert Spano. Owens is featured on a Telarc recording of Mozart's Requiem with Donald Runnicles and the Atlanta Symphony.

Eric Owens has created an uncommon niche for himself in the ever-growing body of contemporary opera works through his determined tackling of new and challenging roles. He received great critical acclaim for portraying the title role in the world premiere of Elliot Goldenthal's Grendel with the Los Angeles Opera and again at the Lincoln Center Festival, in a production directed and designed by Julie Taymor. Of Owens' performance, The New Yorker's Alex Ross raved, "His hefty, tonally focused, richly colored voice cut through the tumult of Goldenthal's score, and his vital, naturalistic acting gave heart to a high-tech spectacle." Eric Owens also enjoys a close association with John Adams, for whom he created the role of General Leslie Groves in the world premiere of Doctor Atomic at the San Francisco Opera, and of the Storyteller in the world premiere of A Flowering Tree at Peter Sellars' New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna. Adams has also conducted the American bass-baritone in his setting of Whitman's The Wound Dresser in a live broadcast with the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall, and with the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Owens made his Boston Symphony Orchestra debut under the baton of David Robertson in Adams' Nativity oratorio El Niño.

In addition to great popular and critical acclaim, Eric Owens has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2003 Marian Anderson Award, a 1999 ARIA award, and first prize in the Plácido Domingo Operalia Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition. Other awards include first prize in the MacAllister Awards Voice Competition, first prize in New York's Opera Index Career Grant Auditions, first prize in the Palm Beach Opera National Voice Competition, and first prize in the Mario Lanza Voice Competition. Owens was also an ARTS Award recipient in The National Foundation for Advancement in Arts' 1988 Arts Recognition and Talent Search.

A native of Philadelphia, Owens began his music training as a pianist at the age of six, followed by formal oboe study at age eleven under Lloyd Shorter of the Delaware Symphony and Louis Rosenblatt of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He later studied voice while an undergraduate at Temple University and then as a graduate student at the Curtis Institute of Music, and currently studies with Armen Boyajian. He serves on the Board of Trustees of both The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and Astral Artistic Services.

Gala Reminder

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Only a few days left to buy tickets to our Benefit Gala Concert, to be held on February 7th at the Kosciuszko Foundation, located at 15 East 65th Street.

Don't miss this wonderful event and help support the singers of the future.

The gala will commence at 6.30pm with drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

At 7.30pm we will all move upstairs to the second floor to listen to three of our Region Finals winners; Karen Vuong, Takaoki Onishi and Felicia Moore. Our honored guest for the evening will be Eric Owens.

After the performance, we will all go back downstairs to toast our winners with a glass of champagne and dessert, including some wonderful Belgian chocolates provided by Neuhaus.