13th Annual Mario Lanza and Elaine Malbin Vocal Competitions Set for Today

Legendary opera star, Elaine Malbin, will be among a panel of experts judging the 13th Annual Mario Lanza and Elaine Malbin Vocal Competitions which will be held on the main stage at Broadway and 86th Street from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. Other judges will include Bill Ronayne, President of the Mario Lanza Society; Lewis Ehlers, noted opera agent and an associate with Robert Lombardo and Associates; and Cristina Necula, an opera singer and author of My Life in Opera. A total of 29 singers -- nine tenors and 20 sopranos - have registered as of this date and will compete for prizes. The competitions are the largest outdoor competitions in the country.

Among the registered singers are: Tenors: Curtis Bannister, Andrew Hiers, Edgar Jaramillo, Victor Khodadad, Young Kim, LaMarcus Miller, Ernest Revell, Dustin L. Scott and Halim Shon. Sopranos entered as of this date include: Jacqueline Ballarin, Lauren Barchi, Elise Brancheau, Christine Browning, Meagan Brus, Alanna Chait, Danielle Dean, Justyna Giermola, Sarah Gilbert, Samantha Guevrekian, Christina Hager, Stefanie Izzo, Kristen Jayne, Anna Kolkhida, Cynthia Ramos, Alexis Rodda, Asuka Uchida, Zoe Vandermeer, Brittany Walker and Laura Whittenberger.

The Vocal Competitions are part of the 26th Annual Memorial Day Weekend Music Festival on Sunday, May 26th on Broadway from 72nd to 86th Streets from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The festival will begin at 1:00 PM on the main stage with noted jazz singer Marion Cowings who, during an illustrious career, has performed at both the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center and has been a soloist with the New York Philharmonic.

Following Mr. Cowings will be the presentation of the 1st Annual Madeleine Polayes Memorial Award for Community Service. Ms. Polayes was a long time Upper West Side community leader and activist.

There will also be an Authors Corner at 80th Street and Broadway where several noted authors will talk about their books and sign them, including: Malachy and Alphie McCourt who wrote Tis and A Long Stone's Throw, respectively.

Over 300 artists and craftspersons, antiques and collectibles dealers and purveyors of general merchandise will be exhibiting at the Festival. They will display their one-of-a-kind creations including pottery, ceramics, silver and gold jewelry, dolls, macrame and woodworking. There will be showings of 19th and 20th century artifacts including advertising memorabilia, ephemera, vintage clothing, postcards, china, glass and antique jewelry. In addition, there will be an ethnic food festival featuring the delicacies of over 20 countries.

The Coalition for a Livable West Side, a broad based community organization comprising over 2,000 individuals, block and tenant associations, cooperatives, community and environmental organizations, was organized in 1982 as a response to the threat of massive overdevelopment on the West Side.

The Safe Haven West Side Basketball League, which has provided recreational activity for the past 16 years to children from private, public and parochial schools who might not otherwise have access to it, is a co-sponsor of the Festival.

The Festival and concerts are free and will be held rain or shine.

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