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Brad Walker, Bass-Baritone Visit online: www.metoperaauditionsrockies.org January 2019 Karen Mohr, Editor Volunteer Spotlight: Karen Bruggenthies 2018-2019 During the suspenseful intermission while the ROCKY auditions judges deliberate, Marketing Director MOUNTAIN and Volunteer Coordinator Karen Bruggenthies (joined by Development Director Chris Mohr) REGIONAL interviews the singers. This month we turn the AUDITIONS tables to ask Karen about her passion for opera and her (and granddaughter Emma’s) Colorado-Wyoming involvement with the auditions. District KM: How and when did you first fall in Saturday, February 23 love with opera? 9:30am KB: I grew up in a house with music. My Robert and Judi father played the trombone and piano, so Newman Center for the we were surrounded by all types of Performing Arts music. We listened to big band, musical University of Denver theater, classical, and much more. One of my and my brothers’ favorite albums Rocky Mountain when we were little was called Fireworks Regional Finals Sunday, February 24 for Orchestra. Many of the pieces on it were from opera (although I didn’t know it 1:30pm at the time). There was the Grand March from Aida, Verdi’s Anvil Chorus, Robert and Judi Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, Rossini’s Largo al factotum and William Tell Overture, Newman Center for the and several selections from Carmen. I didn’t know at the time that most of these Performing Arts pieces actually had words, I just knew I loved the music. Sadly I had the strange University of Denver idea that I would not like opera (perhaps too much exposure to Bugs Bunny growing up) so I ignored it for many years. Then, like millions of others, I saw National Grand Finals the Three Tenors on PBS and realized just how beautiful operatic vocal music Sunday, March 31 could be. After that I went to my first opera and was a convert from that 3:00pm moment forward. I grew up with a love of classical music and musical Metropolitan Opera theater. I’ve always thought it a shame that I had such a misconception about House opera for so long. In retrospect, why would I not have loved opera from day New York, NY one? After all, what is opera but the two things I grew up loving – classical musical theater. KM: What inspires you to give time and money to support young singers? KB: The obvious reason is that I love opera, and without young singers to take over the art form, it will cease to exist. More than that, working with the Met Auditions and the Denver Lyric Opera Guild competition, I have come to have a deep appreciation of how much hard work and sacrifice it takes to pursue a career in opera. These are talented young people to be sure, but they are also smart, articulate, funny, hardworking, dedicated and generous. At the MONC auditions, there is so much at stake, and yet I am constantly amazed at how supportive these young people are of each other and at the camaraderie that exits among them. There is a tremendous financial burden involved in their quest for a career. Many very talented singers do not succeed, not through lack of desire, but through a lack of funds. I support the MONC both as a volunteer and a donor because these singers are wonderful young people who deserve our support and who are ultimately the future of opera. KM: You and Chris Mohr interview the finalists while we await the judges' decisions. Do you come up with questions in advance, or do you just wing it? Have you ever run out of ideas? (continued on p. 2) Winner Update: Brad Walker, bass-baritone Brad Walker was the 2017 Rocky Mountain Regional winner, wowing the audience and judges with selections from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Wagner’s Das Rheingold.. He has just completed his two-year residency as an Adler Fellow at San Francisco Opera. After making his debut as Zuniga in the American premiere of Calixto Bieto’s Carmen, he was seen as Dumas in Andrea Chénier, Strojnik in The Makropulos Affair, the Mandarin in Turandot, and Schaunard in La bohème. In December of 2017, he and 2015 Rocky Mountain Regional winner Sarah Cambidge, also an Adler Fellow, received raves for their concert performance of a duet from Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera. In addition to the Adler Fellowship, Mr. Walker has participated in many of the country’s top young artist programs including the Merola Opera Program, Chautuaqua Opera Company, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City. He received degrees from Michigan State University, the University of Kansas, and the Yale School of Music. (Karen Bruggenthies, continued from p. 1) KB: Chris and I do try to come up with questions in Please support your local advance as much as possible. Some questions are Met Auditions! ours and some come from the audience. Chris brings his experience as a radio interviewer, so is the anchor of this part of the program. My True or false? The Metropolitan Opera pays to questions generally come from things that would be put on the auditions in local communities. of interest to me. We have had an occasion or two Answer: false. It is only through the generosity when the judges’ deliberations have run long where of local patrons that we can meet our annual we ran out of questions and had to wing it for a budget of $33,000 and continue this exciting and bit. Hopefully it wasn’t too obvious to the inspiring event here in Colorado. Donations are audience! Between us we hope to give a glimpse of used to pay for renting the fabulous Gates Hall what we see behind the scenes – how terrific these at the Newman Center, judges’ travel expenses, young people are. and prize money for the singers. Please join us KM: Your granddaughter Emma is a regular at the today to help young singers’ dreams come true Met auditions. Is she already an opera fan, and if so, what are her favorite operas, favorite singers, etc? here in our community. KB: Emma’s first Met audition was in 2011 when I wish to be an MONC patron for $75/year/ she was not quite four years old. That year she just person. Number of people ____ fell in love with Ryan Speedo Green. I don’t think I would like to donate an additional amount of she’d ever heard anything like his big bass-baritone $_______ voice, and with his big smile and snappy red vest, Join by credit card at she was smitten. He was pretty much “bigger than www.metoperaauditionsrockies.org life.” It didn’t hurt that he was very sweet to her or call Steve Dilts at 720-530-0483. when she met him after the auditions. Since then You may also send this form with your check she has been a big help at both the Met auditions (payable to MONC-RMR) or credit card and the DLOG competition, and looks forward to information to Steve Dilts, 1500 Little Raven them each year. Right now she tends to prefer those arias that are in English, but her favorite opera so Street, Apt. 406, Denver, CO 80202. Please far has been Carmen. Can’t beat that music and the include your name(s), address, phone number handsome toreador!! and email address with your donation. Thank you! Karen Mohr 6226 West Jefferson Avenue Denver, CO 80235 Save the Date! Rocky Mountain Regional Finals Sunday, February 24, 2019 1:30pm Robert & Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts University of Denver Metropolitan Opera 2019 HD Calendar Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur Wagner: Die Walkure Saturday, January 12, 10:55am Saturday, March 30, 10:00am Bizet: Carmen Poulenc: Dialogues of the Carmelites Saturday, February 2, 10:55am Saturday, May 11, 10:00am Donizetti: La Fille du Regiment Saturday, March 2, 10:55am Encore screenings are shown Wednesdays at 1:00pm and 6:30pm the following week. www.metopera.org for cast information and to find local theaters. .
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