Still Bigger Than Texas!
THE DALLAS OPERA GUILD VOCAL COMPETITION WILL BEGIN ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FROM ACCOMPLISHED EMERGING ARTISTS ON SEPT. 15TH
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“Powerhouse Jury” Chaired by Dr. Brian Zeger
TDO Orchestra and Finalists Conducted by Music Director Emmanuel Villaume
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Finals Round Scheduled for Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.
Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
The AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, Texas
DALLAS, TX, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015 – The Dallas Opera is pleased to announce that applications for the expanded and revised Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, scheduled to take place on Friday, April 29, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. (Semi-Final Round) and Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. (Finals Round) will be accepted beginning tomorrow – Tuesday, September 15, 2015 – through Saturday, November 21, 2015.
Applications MUST be submitted via YAP Tracker, along with a $35 entry fee: https://www.yaptracker.com/applications/dallas-opera-guild-2016.
Those chosen by preliminary round judges to advance to the Semifinals Round in the acoustically acclaimed Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center will be notified on February 2, 2016.
PHOTO ID: PHOTO BY KAREN ALMOND (L-R: 2015 Finalists: Anthony Clark Evans (Winner), J’nai Bridges, Jungwon Choi, Sarah Mesko, Elizabeth Sutphen, John Brancy)
Competitors in the critically acclaimed 2015 Competition took home prize monies totaling $18,500. Although this competition has as its primary focus, artists in the 18 to 34 age range, singers of any age may apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, historically, has been focused on young artists with Texas roots or Lone Star academic connections, and its many distinguished alumni include luminaries from throughout the opera world: Latonia Moore, Clifton Forbis, Marjorie Owens, Weston Hurt, Steven LaBrie, Amanda Woodbury, Jesus Garcia and most recently Anthony Clark Evans.
As the competition sought to gain even greater prominence and significance, The Dallas Opera and The Dallas Opera Guild made two significant changes last year, prompting Dallas Morning News Classical Music Critic Scott Cantrell to write that the competition had “considerably upped its ante”:
- In order to attract the most talented applicant pool with the greatest potential, the eligibility criteria for applicants changed. Today, it is open to residents of all 50 states and U.S. Territories.
- The Finals Round, taking place on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 6:30 pm in the Winspear Opera House, will be accompanied by The Dallas Opera Orchestra, conducted by TDO’s acclaimed Music Director, Emmanuel Villaume. Up to six finalists will participate, singing two arias each.
The impact of these changes was immediately perceived. Senior Classical Music Critic Gregory Sullivan Isaacs of theaterjones.com wrote: “The results surely exceeded expectations for this newly re-envisioned competition…It won’t take long to situate itself at the top of such events and become an important gold star on any young artist’s résumé.”
Judges for the expanded 28th Annual Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition will be drawn from distinguished performers and opera administrators and will also include General Director & CEO Keith Cerny, Music Director Emmanuel Villaume and TDO Artistic Administrator Ian Derrer.
The Dallas Opera is very pleased to announce the return of renowned arts administrator, educator and adjudicator Dr. Brian Zeger as Chair of the Judges Panel for the 2016 Vocal Competition. On the faculty of The Juilliard School since 1993 and Artistic Director of Vocal Arts at Juilliard since 2004, Dr. Zeger is also the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.
A polished broadcast professional and frequent guest on the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts, Dr. Zeger has also contributed critical essays for publications such as Opera News, Chamber Music Magazine and The Yale Review. He has participated in countless summer festivals: Ravinia, Santa Fe, Caramoor, Aldeburgh and Aspen, as well as the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival where he served as artistic director from 1993-2000. This native New Yorker has also adjudicated the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Concert Artists Guild Auditions and the Walter W. Naumberg Vocal Competition.
Commented General Director & CEO Keith Cerny: “The Guild Competition took a bold step forward last year and the result was electrifying! Emmanuel Villaume and The Dallas Opera Orchestra brought a tangible level of excitement to these performances and clearly inspired the finalists to do their absolute best.
“I’m quite certain that this year’s competition will bring a whole new set of challenges and give us new opportunities to build on our previous success. Working closely with Dr. Brian Zeger, our esteemed adjudicators, and the Guild, we are well on our way to creating an event that attracts the very finest young singers of this generation.”
The “powerhouse jury” — the judges for the upcoming 2016 competition — already includes:
Judges for the 2016 Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition:
Brian Zeger, Chair
Artistic Director of Juilliard’s Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts and Executive Director for the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program of the Metropolitan Opera
Keith Cerny
General Director and CEO, The Dallas Opera
Emmanuel Villaume
Music Director, The Dallas Opera
Ian Derrer
Artistic Administrator, The Dallas Opera
Aidan Lang
General Director, Seattle Opera
Leonore Rosenberg
Associate Artistic Administrator, The Metropolitan Opera
Joshua Winograde
Senior Director of Artistic Planning, Los Angeles Opera
Diane Zola
Director of Artistic Administration, Houston Grand Opera
Dallas Opera Guild Co-President Jana Irwin explained that “the life of The Dallas Opera Guild revolves around this annual competition, because all of us feel so strongly about the need to support the future of opera. Greater prominence within the music industry can only translate into greater benefits for those lucky enough to be selected to participate, making this a win-win situation for all concerned.”
Dallas Opera Guild 2016 Vocal Competition Chair Ketty Fitzgerald explains that “the ultimate goal – now and always – is to serve the artists and this art form by creating a showcase for their talents that will help to advance their careers. We are equally dedicated to providing financial assistance (with no strings attached) allowing the singer to determine exactly how that money should be spent. In short, we give them room to breathe.”
ABOUT THE 2016 DALLAS OPERA GUILD VOCAL COMPETITION
Potential applicants are encouraged to check TDO’s website for more information about the application process, as well as YAP Tracker. The entry fee is $35. Applications must be submitted exclusively through YAP Tracker — no later than 11:59 p.m. on November 21, 2015. Semifinalists will be notified on February 2, 2016. Additional details regarding the changes to the competition may be found at www.dallasopera.org/vocal.
The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House is conveniently located in the heart of the Arts District at 2403 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201.
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EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA
IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7. VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG
FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS
Contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and PR at suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org
Or Celeste Hart, Communications Manager at celeste.hart@dallasopera.org
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TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, 2015-2016 SEASON SPONSOR FOR THE DALLAS OPERA’S “SEEKING THE HUMAN ELEMENT” SEASON
The Dallas Opera Family Performances are generously supported by
Texas Instruments and the Betty and Steve Suellentrop Educational Outreach Fund.
TDO Family Performances are a part of the
Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs
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Ticket Information for the 2015-2016 Dallas Opera Season
All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise indicated. Single Tickets range from $19 to $275. Full Subscriptions start at $99, Flex Subscriptions (three-performances of your choice) begin at $75. Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.