Okay, one of the Dallas Opera’s favorite sopranos is a little young to be called “Grammy,” but in this case, we’ll make an exception. It seems that Ava Pine, who has delighted local audiences for years on both the opera and concert stage, has now been nominated for a Grammy Award for “Best Opera Recording of the Year.”
The nomination is for an Ars Lyrica Houston recording of MARC’ ANTONIO E CLEOPATRA released last summer on the Dorian Sono Luminus label. The vocal soloists are Miss Pine (in a part she tells us was originally written for the legendary castrato singer, Farinelli) and Jamie Barton. The release is one of five nominees in that category, going up against such major powerhouses as the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the Orchestra and Chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre. So, if you’re known by the company you keep, Ava Pine and her collaborators are already big winners!
In an email to Artistic Director Jonathan Pell, Miss Pine admitted she was “pinching” herself. The truth is, we’re not nearly as surprised by the honor as Ava appears to be. She’s simply a treasure. Grammy winners will be announced in mid-February.
* An added note: Word came that Roxana Constantinescu, who will sing the role of Stephano in our next production, “Romeo & Juliet,” is also a Grammy nominee for “Best Orchestral Performance” with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a recording of Stravinsky’s PULCINELLA; SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS; FOUR ETUDES. The good news just keeps coming…
Suzanne Calvin, Manager/Director Media & PR