Finals Round Scheduled for Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Remarks at 7:20 p.m.
Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
The AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, Texas
General Admission Seating $5 / Lexus Red Parking $5
DALLAS, TX, APRIL 26, 2016 – The Dallas Opera wishes to remind music lovers that the expanded and revised 2016 Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition will take place on Friday, April 29, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. (Semi-Final Round) and Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. (Finals Round).
Competitors in the critically acclaimed 2015 Competition took home prize monies totaling $18,500. 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 (including residents with a valid Green Card or H-1, H-2, H-3, I-20, K-1, O-1, P-2 and P-3 visas).
- The Finals Round, taking place on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. 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.
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 have been 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.
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.”
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.”
Admission for the Semi-Final Round is free, general admission tickets for the Finals Round are $5 – Lexus Red Parking for either round of the competition is just $5, as well.
Purchase now at dallasopera.org.
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TDO Family Performances are a part of the
Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs