Opera Celebs to Judge Opera San José's Irene Dalis Vocal Competition

Opera San José has lined up a remarkable panel of celebrity judges for its upcoming Irene Dalis Vocal Competition. Named for acclaimed mezzo-soprano Irene Dalis who founded Opera San José, the competition showcases eleven singers chosen from hundreds of international applicants, giving the nation's next generation of opera stars a singular opportunity to perform for some of the most important leaders in their field.

Judging the Semi-finals on May 18 will be two-time Grammy Award-winning mezzo soprano J'Nai Bridges, Houston Grand Opera General Director Khori Dastoor, Opera San José Music Director Joseph Marcheso, and Lyric Opera of Chicago's newly appointed Chief Artistic Administration Officer Matthew Ozawa.

The semi-finals will be livestreamed FREE, enabling viewers from around the globe to hear the soaring arias presented and vote on an "Audience Favorite" who will automatically proceed to the finals. Three days later, the competition comes to a dramatic conclusion with the Finale, performed before a live audience at the California Theatre in downtown San Jose, where local opera lovers will witness an unforgettable evening of music with full orchestra as a stellar panel of judges selects the winners.

The Finale judges include world-renowned mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, San Francisco Opera's Head of Music and Metropolitan Opera Assistant Conductor John Churchwell, celebrated opera star Solomon Howard, and Opera San José General Director Shawna Lucey.

Tickets can be purchased to the finals of the Irene Dalis Vocal Competition, to be held 3:00pm, May 21, 2022 at the California Theatre, 345 South 1st Street, San Jose. For more information or to purchase tickets ($50-$200 subscribers; $75-$225 public), the public can visit operasj.org or call (408) 437-4450 (open Monday through Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm).

"In keeping with Irene Dalis's vision to incubate opera's stars of tomorrow, I am proud to share that Opera San José has eliminated financial barriers for our participating contestants," says Opera San José General Director Shawna Lucey. "We have removed the entry fee, supported the travel expenses for the competitors, and provided housing during the competition week. The future is bright for opera, and we are thrilled to support these emerging artists as they continue their journeys to leading roles on mainstages around the world." Lucey adds, "We are also mindful of the future of digital performance for opera, and are happy to provide these singers with an opportunity to adapt to working in this New Medium, in addition to the chance to display their talent to leaders from opera companies around the world."

For every ticket sold to the Irene Dalis Vocal Competition, one ticket will be made available at no cost to a local student, thanks to an anonymous gift in memory of Janice Toyoshima, longtime patron and member of Friends of Opera San José.

The public is invited to view, and vote on an audience favorite, at the competition's Semi-finals 5:00pm (PDT), May 18, which will be live-streamed FREE from Opera San José's Heiman Digital Media Studio. Two days later, the finalists will compete before a live audience at the California Theatre for nearly $10,000 in cash prizes. The remaining finalists will receive $300 as Encouragement awards. For the first time in the event's history, the dazzlingly talented line-up of singers will be joined by the Opera San José Orchestra as they compete in a heart-stopping contest of unbridled operatic passion and prowess.

The eleven semi-finalists who will compete in the Irene Dalis Vocal Competition include: mezzo-soprano Veena Akama-Makia (Little Rock, Arkansas); bass-baritone Ben Brady (Denver, Colorado); soprano Susanne Burgess (Atlanta, Georgia); baritone Andres Cascante (San José, Costa Rica); mezzo-soprano Shanley Horvitz (Voorhees, New Jersey); soprano Emily Michiko Jensen (San Diego, California); soprano Anastasia Malliaras (Los Angeles, California); baritone Samson McCrady (Tucson, Arizona); soprano Nina Mutalifu (Ürümqi, China); baritone Sejin Park (Seoul, Korea); and tenor Kyle van Schoonhoven (Lockport, New York).

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