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In a Contest of Young Voices, a Battle Over What May Be
By BERNARD HOLLAND
Published: March 22, 2005

Having gone through more than 1,500 entries, 22 regional winners, 9 finalists ending with 4 grand prizes, another year of Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions are done. The final nine sang at the Metropolitan Opera House on Sunday afternoon, and to show how well auditions and apprentice programs work (and to give judges time to make up their minds), four singing alumni of the Met programs rounded out the afternoon.

Contestants were in their 20′s. With luck, they will reach their vocal peaks in 15 to 20 years. So do we judge these young people on what they are now or on what we expect them to become? Michèle Losier, a Canadian mezzo-soprano, sounded career-ready, with a poised technique and good control of herself onstage. Another reasonably finished product was the tenor Rodell Aure Rosel, who should keep doing well in the character parts he aims for. Jordan Bisch will be sought after as a true bass with already sophisticated abilities.

Elsewhere was the sound of youth: in the soprano voices a brightness approaching glare and powerful sound with little depth to go with it. Mari Moriya’s “Queen of the Night” aria showed scrupulous athleticism. Ellie Dehn’s soprano was big, agile and a little brittle. Susanna Phillips’s soprano should also warm and deepen; if it does, her direct musicality has promising qualities. Lisette Oropesa, 21, also a soprano, will be a subtle and charming asset for smaller opera houses.

Joseph Kaiser, a tenor with notably careful diction, sings well despite lingering stress in his technique. Elona Ceno, who is from Albania, has the right soprano sound but seemed ill at ease. “Come scoglio” from “Così Fan Tutte,” a Mozartean minefield, was not a good choice for her. For that matter, every contestant but one sang Mozart. This is not easy music for young voices.

The combat done, Sondra Radvanovsky, Morris Robinson, Garrett Sorenson and Charles Taylor showed what a few years of age and experience can produce. I hope all nine contestants were in the wings for Ms. Radvanovsky’s “D’amor sull’ali rosee” from Verdi’s “Trovatore.” This was singing of stunning breadth and beauty. Patrick Summers was the excellent conductor, Susan Graham the M.C.

For the record, the final four were Ms. Phillips, Mr. Rosel, Ms. Oropesa and Mr. Bisch. More power to them, but the real winners will announce themselves 20 years from now.

Here are some links to other people’s comments about the competition:
An Unamplified Voice
Geoffrey Riggs
trrill

ALABAMA
Mobile, WHIL – 91.3, July 2 at 12:30pm

CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles, KUSC – 91.5, May 28 at 10:30am
Palm Springs, KPSC – 88.5, May 28 at 10:30am
San Francisco, KDIA – 1640AM, TBA (check back later)
San Francisco, KUSF – 90.3, May 21 at 10:3am
Santa Barbara, KQSC – 88.7, May 28 at 10:30am
Thousand Oaks, KDSC – 91.1, May 28 at 10:30am
www.kusc.org

FLORIDA
West Palm Beach, WXEL – 90.7 , May 14 at 1:00pm

ILLINOIS
Urbana, WILL – 90.9, TBA at 12:30pm (check back later)

INDIANA
Bloomington, WFIU – 103.7, March 27 at 7:00pm
– Columbus, 100.7, March 27 at 7:00pm
Indianapolis, WICR – 88.7, May 28 at 1:00pm
wicr.uindy.edu
wfiu.indiana.edu

NEW YORK
New York, WNYC – 93.9, March 20 at 7:00pm
www.wnyc.org

PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh, WQED – 89.3, April 3 at 7:00pm
– Johnstown, WQEJ – 89.7, April 3 at 7:00pm
wqed.org/fm

TEXAS
College Station, KAMU – 90.9, TBA (check back later)
kamu-fm.tamu.edu

UTAH
Provo, KBYU – 89.1/89.5, June 11 at 11:30am
www.kbyu.org

VIRGINIA
Norfolk, WHRO – 90.3, May 14 at 1:30pm
www.whro.org

WISCONSIN - all the following stations will broadcast on May 14 at 12:30PM
Madison, Wisconsin Public Radio – 88.7
– Ashland/Bayfield, W284AN – 104.7
– Brule, WHSA – 89.9
– Eau Claire, WUEC – 89.7
– Green Bay, WPNE – 89.3
– Kenosha, WGTD – 91.1
– La Crosse, WLSU – 88.8
– Menomonie, WVSS – 90.7
– Sister Bay, WHND – 89.7
– Wausau, WHRM – 90.9
www.wpr.org

Jordan Bisch, Bass, 23 (Tri-State)
Susanna Philipps, Soprano, 23 (Mid-South)
Rodell Aure Rosel, Tenor, 29 (Western)
Lisette Oropesa, Soprano, 21 (Gulf Coast)

FYI
For a complete information about the program, including list of guest artists and judges, please scroll to the previous journal entry.

2005 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
March 20, 2005 – Sunday at 3pm
Lincoln Center, New York
(conducted by Patrick Summers, hosted by Susan Graham)

Mari Moriya, Soprano, 27 (Eastern)
- O luce di quest’anima, Donizetti’s Linda di Chamounix
- Der Holle Rache, Mozart’s Die Zauberflote

Joseph Kaiser, Tenor, 27 (Central)
- Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon, Mozart’s Die Zauberflote
- Kuda, kuda, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin

Elona Ceno, Soprano, 27 (Eastern)
- Com’e bello! Quale incanto, Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia
- Come scoglio, Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte

Michele Losier, Mezzo-Soprano, 26 (Great Lakes)
- Parto, parto, Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito
- Va! laisse couler mes larmes, Massenet’s Werther

Susanna Phillips, Soprano, 23 (Mid-South)
- Je veux vivre, Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette
- Ach ich fuhl’s, Mozart’s Die Zauberflote

Rodell Aure Rosel, Tenor, 29 (Western)
- Jour et nuit, Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffman
- Aria of the Worm, Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles

INTERMISSION

Ellie Dehn, Soprano, 25 (Middle Atlantic)
- Ach, ich liebte, Mozart’s Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail
- No word from Tom, Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress

Lisette Oropesa, Soprano, 21 (Gulf Coast)
- Ruhe sanft, Mozart’s Zaide
- Una voce poco fa, Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Jordan Bisch, Bass, 23 (Tri-State)
- O wie will ich triumphieren, Mozart’s Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail
- Ves’ tabor spit, Rachmaninoff’s Aleko

GUEST ARTISTS
Sondra Radvanofsky (D’amour sull’ali rosee from Verdi’s Il Trovatore)
Morris Robinson (Come dal ciel precipita from Verdi’s Macbeth)
Garrett Sorenson & Charles Taylor (Au fond du temple saint from Bizet’s Les Pecheurs de Perles)

Judges for the 2005 Grand Finals Concert:
Sarah Billinghurst (Metropolitan Opera Assistant Manager, Artistic)
Jonathan Friend (Metropolitan Opera Artistic Administrator)
Christopher Hahn (Pittsburgh Opera Artistic Director)
Speight Jenkins (Seattle Opera General Director)
Gayletha Nichols (Executive Director of Metropolitan opera National Council Auditions)
Lenore Rosenberg (Director of Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program/Associate Artistic Administrator)
Stephen Steiner (Boston Lyric Opera Director of Productions)

I am chosen as one of nine finalists for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Grand Finals Concert, to be held on March 20, 2005, Sunday at 3pm with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in Lincoln Center in New York.
(for tickets, call 212-362-600 or log on to http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/single/reserve.aspx?perf=8221

The semi finals was held last Sunday, March 13, at the Metropolitan Opera Stage. There were 22 semi-finalists and they picked 9 finalists: 2 tenors, 1 bass, 1 mezzo and 5 sopranos.

I will post info about what everyone will be singing at the finals concert. As for me, I’ll be opening with “Jour et nuit (Frantz’ aria)” from Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffman, and then the “Aria of the Worm” from Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles.

Check again in two days… Thanks again for everyone prayers and support!

Love, Ro-Ro

p.s. Steven, Elisabeth (Rosenberg), David (Babinet) and my highschool friend, Craig, were there watching during the semi-finals. At the reception, I also had a great complement from Ms. Catherine Malfitano.

Please mark your calendars….

February 24, 25, 26 & 27 (Thu-Sat at 8pm, Sun at 3pm)
UCLA Schoenberg Hall

LAKME: REDUX
original music by Ryan Scott Oliver and B.T. Ryback
additional music and based on the opera by Leo Delibes

Directed by John Hall
Conducted by Daniel Cummings
Choreographed by Carlos Jones

If you need more information, just email me.

There’s so many people to thank, so I won’t start naming them. Your support, contribution, donation and generosity are very much appreciated, and I will do my best to make everyone of you proud.

Till the next journal entry… ciao!

Proceeds of the recital will go towards my trip to New York, mainly to coach and work with opera professionals like Nico Castel, Marilyn Horne, etc.

In addition, I may travel to other states to coach with various vocal and opera coaches, as well as work with language coaches.

I really hope you can take the time to support my recital, and if you have any questions, just e-mail me.

I’ll post another reminder in August. Ciao for now!

Click here for driving directions to Rodell’s concert.