Pittsburgh Festival Opera Announces Winners Of The 9th Annual Mildred Miller International Voice Competition

The Mildred Miller International Voice Competition was founded in 2011 to identify and nurture talented young singers. The competition is named for Pittsburgh Festival Opera founder Mildred Miller Posvar, who sang for 26 illustrious seasons at the Metropolitan Opera and other world capitals. Miller's acclaimed recordings include Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde with conductor Bruno Walter, Mozart's Le Nozze de Figaro with Erich Leinsdorf, and the commemorative concert and album celebrating the Boston Pops Orchestra 100th anniversary with Arthur Fiedler.

This year, 228 singers from 15 different countries applied and 9 finalists sang for a panel of internationally-acclaimed judges on Sunday, October 27 led by Pittsburgh Festival Opera founder Mildred Miller Posvar and including William Powers, Managing Director of Pittsburgh Opera; Maria Sensi Sellner, Artistic & General Director of Resonance Works Pittsburgh; Robert Croan, Post-Gazette Senior Editor (classical music) and retired chair of voice and opera, Duquesne University; Maria Spacagna, Soprano, Voice Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University; Robert Chafin, Tenor, Assistant Professor of Voice, West Virginia University. Pianists Mark Trawka and James Lesniak, members of the neighboring Pittsburgh Opera's music staff, accompanied the singers throughout the intense competition.

The nine finalists included: Helena Brown, Soprano; Teresa Castillo, Soprano; Abigail Dock, Mezzo-Soprano; Caitlin Gotimer, Soprano; Abigail Levis, Mezzo-Soprano; Hayley Lipke, Soprano; Amber Monroe, Soprano; Elisabeth Rosenberg, Soprano; and Polixeni Tziouvaras, Mezzo-Soprano;

The Semi-Final Round was held on Saturday, October 26 at the Kresge Theater at the Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts. From a field of 20 semi-finalists, 9 singers sang in the finals for cash prizes:

First Prize Winner and The Eugene N. and Barbara L. Myers Audience Favorite: Teresa Castillo, Soprano

Second Prize Winner: Elisabeth Rosenberg, Soprano

The Robert Chafin Third Prize Winner: Amber Monroe, Soprano

The winners can be heard in recital on April 18, 2020 as part of the kick off of events leading up to Pittsburgh Festival Opera's 43rd season running from July 10-26, 2020.

Pittsburgh Festival Opera's upcoming 2020 Season runs July 10 through 26, 2020 at several venues throughout the City of Pittsburgh. More information, season subscriptions, and single tickets will become available in the coming months and can soon be found at pittsburghfestivalopera.org, or by calling the Festival Box Office at 412-326-9687.

Photo Credit: Mark Abramowitz/Pittsburgh Festival Opera

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