The freezing weather did not stop the show or keep Houston opera fans away from last night's annual Concert of Arias; in fact, there was record attendance at the successful event. Eight finalists competed and two baritones, a soprano and a bass were named winners in the final round of the twenty-third annual Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers at the Wortham Center in downtown Houston.
Guest judge
Frederica von Stade joined HGO General Director Anthony Freud and HGO Music Director Patrick Summers in selecting the winners of the competition following their performances in the Concert of Arias.
· First place: baritone Mark Diamond, who performed "Hai già vinta la causa" from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and "Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen" from Korngold's Die tote Stadt.
· Second place: baritone Thomas Florio, who performed "Within this frail crucible of light" from Britten's The Rape of Lucretia and "Papagena! Papagena!" from Mozart's The Magic Flute.
· Third place: soprano Lauren Snouffer, who performed "Da tempeste il legno infranto" from Handel's Julius Caesar and "Deh vieni, non tardar" from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.
The audience cast their ballots at intermission for the Audience Choice Award, selecting bass Adam Lau, who performed "When my cue comes, call me" from Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream and "La calunnia" from Rossini's The Barber of Seville.
The event was chaired by Marianne and David Duthu and honored Dr. and Mrs. C. Richard Stasney for their many contributions and years of support to
Houston Grand Opera.
This year, HGO's Eleanor McCollum Competition received more than 700 applications from young singers from around the world. After two rounds of auditions in four cities across the U.S., under the watch of
Houston Grand Opera head of Music Staff Francis Greep and Program Director Laura Canning, twenty semi-finalists were flown in for a weekend of further auditions. The group was then narrowed down to eight finalists including soprano
Jessica Stavros, tenor
Mark Van Arsdale, bass-baritone Noel Bouley and mezzo-soprano Nicole Rodin in addition to award-winners Lauren Snouffer, Mark Diamond, Thomas Florio, and Adam Lau. For the final round of the competition at the Concert of Arias, contestants were accompanied by Francis Greep.
All proceeds from the event benefit The Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers and
Houston Grand Opera Studio's ongoing outreach efforts to identify, attract and nurture the best vocal talent in the United States. Distinguished Studio alumni who now enjoy major careers include
Joyce DiDonato,
Albina Shagimuratova, Ana María Martínez,
Denyce Graves, Eric Halfvarson,
Richard Paul Fink, Bruce Ford, and Susanne Mentzer..
Concert of Arias is a beloved artistic and social tradition. A champagne reception underwritten by Pommery Champagne and The Tasting Room was held before the performance and a celebration dinner, prepared by Jackson and Company, followed in the Wortham Center's Grand Foyer for the artists, patrons, and underwriters.
Guests at the event included: HGO Board Chair Glen Rosembaum, HGO Board Chair-Elect Beth Madison and Ralph Burch,
John Turner and Jerry Fischer, Dian and Harlan Stai, Anne and John Mendelsohn, Cynthia and Anthony Petrello, Jana and Scotty Arnoldy, Lynn Wyatt, Momentum Jaguar's Jimmy Olguin, Jeff and Mindy Hildebrand, Mariquita Masterson, Jeff and Wendy Hines, Terrylin Neale and Dick Dalton, Concert of Arias Chairs: Marianne and David Duthu and Honorees: Susan and Dr. C. Richard Stasney.
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