Thank You! To the young singers, who are thrilling us with their courageous spirit and talent. Benson Great Hall, Bethel University To our splendid collaborative pianists, who are ready to play hundreds of arias, whether old, new, popular or obscure, and who work while we listen. MINNESOTA To the judges, who donate their time, talent, DISTRICT experience and judgment to selecting the winners AUDITIONS – and counseling the singers after the auditions. To the volunteers backstage and at the front of the house, whose assistance is critical to helping the singers and assuring that the program runs smoothly. To our donors, without whom these auditions would not be possible. To you, the audience, who make this a realistic theatrical experience for tomorrow’s operatic stars. Saturday, January 18, 2020 10:00 am www.metauditionsmn.org Metropolitan Opera Upper Midwest Region and Minnesota District Auditions Supporters NATIONAL COUNCIL AUDITIONS The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions are made possible through generous donations to the Minnesota District and the Upper Midwest MISSION STATEMENT: To discover exceptional young talent Region Auditions.The gifts provide Winners and Encouragement Awards, and and provide a venue for young opera singers across North cover expenses of the collaborative pianist, venue rental, and judges. We en- courage you to donate today, and to consider a planned gift to support opera America at all levels of development, to be heard by in the future. representatives of the Metropolitan Opera and to assist those with the greatest potential for operatic careers. We thank the following organizations and individuals for contributions made by January 10, 2020: NATIONAL COUNCIL STAFF ORGANIZATIONS Carol E. Domina, President Judson and Barbara Bemis Upper Midwest Metropolitan Opera National Council Camille LaBarre, Chair Auditions Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Melissa Wegner, Executive Director Thomson Reuters Employee Matching Gift Brady Walsh, Administrator Twin Cities Opera Guild Arleen Carlson Memorial Awards Twin Cities Opera Guild Jean Lemberg Memorial Award Eric Owens, National Advisor INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS MINNESOTA COMMITTEE Arlene Alm Tom Mann Connie Fullmer, Mrs. Dorothy Alshouse Sylvia McCallister Jerold O. Bahls Patricia McGowan Region Co-Chair and Minnesota District Director Michelle Blaeser James R. Nash Jimmy Longoria, Dan Buivid Suzanne & Bill Payne Region Co-Chair and Finance Director Deborah Carlson Sydney M. Phillips in memory of Jon Schasker Ken and Nina Rothchild James R. Nash, Media Director Tim and Lynn Dennis Georgiana Ruzich Mimi Stewart, Program and Registration Cheryl Dickson and James Smith Ron and Carol Rydell Christine Carvell ~ Christina Christensen ~ Jon Christensen ~ Maurice and Signe Dysken Jay Severance Margo Garrett ~ Tom Kaysen ~ Georgiana Ruzich ~ Karen and Peter Erickson Wendy and Steven Shaler William and Bonnie Frels Biruta and Andris Spruds Terry Stewart ~ Gail Weber ~ Terese Weitzel Connie Fullmer and Mimi and Terry Stewart Jimmy Longoria Harry M. Walsh Margo Garrett Robert Warde UPPER MIDWEST REGION DISTRICT DIRECTORS Shirley Hetherington Iowa: Sara Compton ~ Donald Simonson David Ingbar and Mary Meighan Lucy R. Jones Nebraska: Laura Burton Franz~Adrienne Dickson Art Kaemmer, M.D. ND-Manitoba: Louise Pinkerton~Royce Blackburn Geoffrey Kolb Wisconsin: Lisa Kay Hanson Elliot Long The judges will select as many singers as they deem qualifed to advance to the The Audition Road to the Met Stage January 19, 2020 Upper Midwest Region Auditions. Monetary awards are also determined by the judges. Annually, the Metropolitan Opera National Council holds Au- ditions in 40 Districts and 12 Regions throughout the continen- THE JUDGES tal United States, in addition to one District in Canada, one in American pianist HOWARD WATKINS is a frequent associate of Mexico and one in Puerto Rico. Singers compete frst in District some of the world’s leading musicians on the concert stage and as Auditions; winners advance to Region Auditions. Minnesota is an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera. His appearances throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, Russia, and Israel have in- holding both the District and Region competitions this week- cluded collaborations with Joyce DiDonato, Diana Damrau, Kathleen end. Battle, Grace Bumbry, Mariusz Kwiecien, Anna Netrebko, Matthew Polenzani, and violinists Xiang Gao and Sarah Chang at such venues Saturday’s Audition winners will join those from Iowa, Nebras- as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Spivey Hall, Kennedy Center, the Pierpont Morgan Library, the United States Supreme Court, Alice Tully Hall with the ka, North Dakota-Manitoba and Wisconsin Districts to compete Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the three stages of Carnegie Hall, and the Sunday in the Upper Midwest Region Auditions. Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. He has accompanied the classes of legendary artists Re- nata Scotto, Frederica von Stade, Regine Crespin, Birgit Nilsson, Sherrill Milnes, and George Shirley. Mr. Watkins has served on the faculties of The Juilliard School, the Winners of the 12 Region Auditions will be brought to New York Tanglewood Music Center, the Aspen Music Festival, the Mannes School of Music, the for musical preparation with the Metropolitan Opera’s music North Carolina School of the Arts, the International Vocal Arts Institute (Israel, Japan, staff. On Monday, February 24, 2020, these singers will audition and China), IIVA in Italy, the Brancaleoni Music Festival in Italy, the Tokyo Internation- al Vocal Arts Academy (TIVAA), and VOICExperience in Orlando, Tampa, and Savan- with piano in the National Semi-Finals on the stage of the Met- nah. He has also worked on the music staffs of Palm Beach Opera, the Washington ropolitan Opera. National Opera, and the Los Angeles Opera. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Mr. Watkins completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Accompanying and Chamber Music at the University of Michigan. In 2004, he was honored as the recipient of both the Paul Approximately 8-11 of the Semi-Finalists will be selected as Na- C. Boylan award from the University of Michigan for his outstanding contributions to tional Finalists. These singers will compete on Sunday, March 1, the feld of music, and a Special Achievement Award from the National Alumni Asso- 2020, in the Grand Finals Concert, accompanied by the Metro- ciation of the University of Dayton. politan Opera Orchestra. A national winner of MONC Auditions in 1993, EMILY PULLEY made her Metropolitan Opera debut the following season and has gone on Semi-Finalists each receive $2,500; Finalists receive $7,500 each; to appear as a principal artist in nearly 200 performances there, in- and winners receive $15,000. cluding lead roles in Faust, Dialogues des Carmélites, The Rake’s Progress, La bohème, and the Met premiere of The Merry Widow. She continues to appear with opera companies and symphonies throughout the U.S. and around the world and is frequently sought out by contemporary composers to develop and premiere new works. In addition to her engagements as a soprano, Emily has begun to enjoy success in mezzo soprano and musical theatre repertoire such as the title role in Carmen, Desiree in A Little Night Music, Mrs. De Rocher in Dead Man Walking, and Madeline Mitchell in Three Decembers, having previously sung the role of Maddy’s daughter Bea in multiple productions. A summa cum laude graduate of West Texas A&M University, Emily received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014 and spent the following year on faculty there as an Artist-in-Res- idence, teaching private voice and directing Opera Workshop. She made her profession- Last year, one of the singers the Upper Midwest Region sent to al directorial debut last fall with a production of La bohème for Opera Ithaca that went New York advanced to the fnals -- And MILES MYKKANEN on to be performed with the Symphony of the Mountains. She fnished out the year as part of a national tour of The Light in the Piazza as the stand-by for Renée Fleming at was a top winner! Los Angeles Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. ROBIN GUARINO has directed opera, musical theatre, flm and new works in the following companies and the- ater/performance venues: The Metropolitan Opera, The Avery Fischer and Alice Tully Hall, The Brooklyn Acad- emy of Music, Next Wave Festival, The San Francisco OFFICIAL COLLABORATIVE Opera, Seattle Opera,Houston Grand Opera, Canadian PIANIST Opera Company, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Virginia Op- era, Gotham Chamber Opera, The Skylight Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, The Florentine Opera, The Bard Festival, Eos Orchestra as well as Juilliard Opera Theatre, The Yale Institute for Music Theatre, The Merola Program,The Jacobs School of Music, The Manhattan School of Music, and the Mannes School of Music. LARA BOLTON is a pianist, vocal coach, conductor, and arranger. Her work She holds the J. Ralph Corbett Distinguished Chair of Opera at the Cincinnati spans many different genres, including classical, rock, jazz, and musical the- College-Conservatory of Music since 2008. She has a strong commitment to ater. In addition to maintaining an active concert and recording career, she developing new works and supporting the work of living composers and li- serves on the faculty at the University of Minnesota as a vocal coach. She is brettists and continues that passion as Artistic Director of Opera Fusion: New a regular music director for Arbeit Opera Theater, and will conduct their up- Works a collaboration with Cincinnati