Studio Buddies Newsletter
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Studio Buddies Newsletter Published bi-annually b y t h e Houston Grand Opera Guild June 2010 Contents W e l c o m e Winter/Spring 2010 1 This issue of the HGO Studio Buddies Newsletter could be called the “Awards” edition as several of the talented young artists with the HGO Studio have earned some truly prestigious awards Studio Alumni News 2 including winning the 2010 Met National Council Grand Finals. Read on! Profile: Kathy Kelly 3 W e l c o m e 4 W i n t e r /Spring 2010 in Review Winter 2010 naya. After the competition the Awards! audience was treated to per- Rachel Willis-Sørensen and Na- The Winter rep for HGO opened formances by current Studio thaniel Peake were honored as with a critically acclaimed new members. Rachel Willis-Sørensen, BUDDIES SPRING 2010 Metropolitan Opera Na- production of Puccini's T o s c a . Michael Sumuel, and Catherine tional Council Grand Finals win- Starring alongside sublime sopra- Martin sang a beautiful rendition OUTING ▼ no Patricia Racette were Studio of the Cosi t ri o , Soave sia il vento. ners. Nathaniel Peake and Ra- members Michael Sumuel as one This was followed by A d a m C i o f- chel Willis-Sørensen triumphed of Scarpia's evil henchmen Sciar- fari and Brendan Tuohy re p ri si n g again, both were awarded Sara Tucker Study Grants by the Ri- rone and Adam Cioffari a s t h e their roles in an excerpt from chard Tucker Foundation, follow- Jailer. David Hanlon and Stepha- Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men , ing auditions in New York. A d d i- nie Rhodes helped to coach for with the composer himself ti onally, Nathaniel Peake won T o s c a and David Hanlon played watching from the wings. The the George London Award of in the orchestra during perfor- evening ended with all the cur- $10,000 at the eponymous com- m a n c e s . rent Studio artists doing a de- lightful performance of R e i t ' , p e t i t ion in New York where fellow This was followed by a superb Cowboy, die Welt ist so weit, Studio artist Kiri Dyan Deonarine production of Britten’s T h e T u r n of Cowboy from Arizona Lady by won the $1000 encouragement the Screw in which Studio alum- Hungarian composer Emmerich ▲ Michael Sumuel, Jessica Red- award. Following this, Kiri Dyan na Tamara Wilson (HGOS ’05-’07) Kálmán. man, and Adam Cioffari Deonarine won first place at the returned to play Miss Jessel and Dallas Opera Vocal Competition. pianist Bethany Self (HGOS ’04- The Recitals at Rienzi series con- Nathaniel Peake reached the ’06) played in the orchestra. This tinued in late February with a finals of Placido Domingo’s pres- production was coached by concert entitled “To the distant ti gi ou s Operalia and sang with Bethany Self and Stephen beloved” featuring three song the orchestra at La Scala and he Hopkins. cycles in German. Accompanied won the Zarzuela prize. Ryan by Kathy Kelly on piano, the McKinney (HGOS ’05-’08) also On February 4th Houston Grand evening started with Adam Ciof- reached the finals of Operalia Opera held the 22nd Annual fari performing Vier ernste and won the Birgit Nilsson prize. Eleanor McCollum Competition Gesänge (Four Serious Songs) by The 2010 Shoshana Foundation for Young Singers, the Concert of Brahms, followed by Catherine Richard F Gold Career Grant w a s Arias, one of the highlights of Martin singing Lieder eines fa- awarded to Michael Sumuel. The each season at HGO. Judged by hrenden Gesellen (Songs of a ▲ Michael Sumuel, Susan Simp- 2010 HGO Guild Scholarships Anthony Freud, Patrick Summers, wayfarer) by Mahler, and con- son, Heide Loos, and Marsha went to Stephanie Rhodes and and Carlisle Floyd, the evening cluded with Octavio Moreno and Bourque Octavio Moreno. Stephanie will showcased some of the most An die ferne Geliebte ( T o t h e spend four weeks in Moscow in promising young voices in opera distant beloved) by Beethoven. November/December 2010 un- today. The first place and Au- dertaking language training and dience Choice awards went to coaching. Having specialized in countertenor Anthony Roth Cos- Spring 2010 Russian repertoire since grad tanzo. Soprano Devon Guithrie The Spring began with the Studio school, this is a wonderful oppor- took second place followed by Buddies outing to the Houston tunity for her to hone her skills. b a ri t o n e Boris Dyakov i n third Museum of Natural Science, pre- Octavio will be undertaking a place. HGO Studio co-fou nde rs ceded by brunch hosted at Lynn European audition tour in Sep- David Gockley and Carlisle Floyd Guggolz’s building close to the tember/October and will also were both in attendance, which museum. The tour was led by spend some time coaching and was an honor for HGO and for Marsha Bourque, Guild member observing with the Royal Opera, the audience. This fall the HGO and docent at the museum. Covent Garden. Studio will welcome three new HGO’s Spring rep began with ▲ Peter Weston and Catherine members, Boris Dyakov, third Congratulations to all these ta- Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades M a r t i n place winner at the Concert of lented young artists on their tre- A r i a s , Brittany Wheeler, a n o t h e r (known as Pikovaya Dama to mendous achievements! finalist at the Concert of Arias, purists) which featured several and pianist/coach Elena Port- Studio artists including C a t h e r i n e P A G E 2 2 TYPE TITLE HERE Martin as the Governes s, Brendan Gershwin's “Tchaikovsky and oth- Night’s Dream. Tuohy as Tchaplitsky/Major Do- er Russians” by Rachel Willis- BUDDIES SPRING OUTING Stephen Hopkins will move to mo, Michael Sumuel as Narumoff, Sørensen in which she had to sing Europe this summer to join the ▼ Rachel Willis-Sørensen as Ma- the names of fo rty-nine different music staff of Vienna State Op- scha, Octavio Moreno as S o u ri n Russian composers very rapidly era. and Studio alumna Maria “Ma- and seemingly in one breath! sha” Markina (HGOS ’06-’09) a s HGO’s season wrapped up with David Hanlon will be in San Fran- Pauline/Daphnis. Stephanie performances of T o s c a at the cisco participating in San Fran- Rhodes served as a coach for this Miller Outdoor Theater featuring cisco Opera’s Merola Program. production as well as playing Adam Cioffari as both Angelotti onstage piano for the produc- Adam Cioffari will sing Leporello and the Jailer, Michael Sumuel a s ti on. in Mozart’s Don Giovanni w i t h Sciarrone, and conducted by Music Academy of the West. This powerful work was followed Studio alumnus Eric Melear by another breathtaking produc- (HGOS ’02-’04). Brendan Tuohy will appear on the tion in Handel’s Xerxes which main stage of Cincinnati Opera The Studio Buddies said goodbye featured Adam Cioffari in the in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von to our wonderful young artists at hilarious role of Elviro and Studio Nürnberg and at concerts in a the Buddies Farewell Party at the alumna Heidi Stober (HGOS ’04- festival in Chicago. ▲ J e s sica Redman, Brian Char- home of Paul and Linda Lynn. ’06) a s A t alanta. David Hanlon Rachel Willis-Sørensen and K i ri boneau, and Brendan Tuohy and Stephen Hopkins were The artists all have busy summers Dyan Deonarine will join the coaches for this work. ahead of them. Catherine Martin, Young American Artist program Nathaniel Peake and Michael The last of the Recitals at Rienzi at the Santa Fe Opera. R a c h e l Sumuel will all be Filene Young series was held in early May fea- will be singing the role of First Artists, alongside Coaching Fel- turing a mostly Russian theme Lady and Kiri will be covering l o w Stephanie Rhodes a t W o l f and entitled “You Can’t Go Pamina, both in Mozart’s T h e Trap Opera in Vienna, VA. Mi- Home Again”. Accompanied by Magic Flute. chael and Catherine will both David Hanlon, Stephanie Rhodes, perform in Wolf Trap’s production Octavio Moreno is spending the and Kathy Kelly, Kiri Dyan Deona- of Rossini’s Il turco in Italia, con- summer in Mexico before return- rine, Rachel Willis-Sørensen, Na- ducted by Eric Melear. All three ing here for the HGO Mariachi thaniel Peake, and Michael Su- singers will take part in the other commission in the fall. muel performed works by Tchai- two shows, Zaide by Mozart and kovsky, Rachmaninov, Irving Ber- Benjamin Britten’s M i d s u m m e r lin and a hilarious rendition of Studio Alumni News ▲ Adam Cioffari a nd B re n d a Harvey-Traylor Jamie Barton (HGOS ’07-’09) who made his Metropolitan Op- m a n c e o f Ana María Martínez performed the role of Emilia in era debut as Ping in the fall ’ s Tu- (HGOS ’94-’95) as Marguerite in Otello with the Canadian Opera randot production, was invited Faust at the Chicacho Lyric as Company before returning to back to perform again in the “beautifully sung” and “the Carnegie Hall taking part in the spring! In February he sang his first lynchpin of the performance.” “Great Singers III: Evenings of Strauss opera, Capriccio, perform- Song” series, accompanied by ing Olivier in Victoria, Canada, Ryan McKinny (HGOS ’05-’08) Kathy Kelly.