sm_dloglogo (5K)   Denver Lyric Opera Guild
   Competition for Colorado Singers

   First Place Winners 1985 - 2007


1985 .... Rebecca Lively Keck, soprano
Rebecca Lively
Rebecca has a Master of Arts degree from Adams State College. As the first-place winner of the first DLOG competition, Rebecca was awarded a scholarship to attend the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. While there she was one of the semifinalists of the Mobil Oil Austria competition, performed in several operatic scenes with the AIMS orchestra and presented musical theatre selections at several locations around Graz. She accepted a teaching assistantship at The Ohio State University and relocated to Columbus, Ohio in 1987. The move to Ohio opened up many new performing opportunities, including leading roles in The Consul, Cosi fan tutte, Carmen and Cenerentola, with the opera department of Ohio State, and roles with Opera Columbus and Columbus Light Opera as well as many orchestral engagements with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, The West Chester Choral Society in works such as Verdi's Requiem and Mozart's Requiem. In 1989, Rebecca was offered a teaching position at Otterbein College, a private liberal arts college, located in Westerville, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. She is currently finishing her thirteenth year at Otterbein where she teaches private voice, class voice and works with the opera program. She is also the music director at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Westerville, and maintains a private voice studio as well. Rebecca writes, "I would like to thank every past and present member of the Denver Lyric Opera Guild. During my years in Denver, the guild not only helped me financially, but they were always there to provide a kind word and support. What a gift to have such a fine organization still thriving. I pray that the Denver Lyric Opera Guild will continue to live on to encourage young singers for another twenty years".

1986 .... Elizabeth Hagedorn, dramatic soprano
Hagedorn  
Elizabeth was a student at the University of Colorado. She has enjoyed a highly successful career in Germany, beginning in 1990 when she was engaged as an apprentice in the Städtebundtheater in Hof, performing principal roles in Rusalka (Dvorák), Mimi (La Bohème), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Marie (Die verkaufte Braut), and Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail).  She has been a guest performer in Vienna (Musikverein), Staatsoper Prag (Les Contes d'Hoffmann, in the production by John Dew, performing Olympia, Antonia and Giulietta), and Staatstheater Oldenburg (Marie Antoinette). Her 2000/2001 engagements at the Mainfranken Theater Würzburg were the title roles in Salome (also in Mainz, Ulm, and the Opera Company of Philadelphia), Suor Angelica (Puccini), and Jolanthe (Tschaikowsky).  Engagements at the Staatstheater Mainz in 2001/2002 included principal roles in Tosca, Elsa in Lohengrin, and she also starred in Strauss' Salome.  In 2003 she will perform in Lohengrin, Ariadne auf Naxos and Tosca at the Staatstheater in Mainz, Salome at the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe, Salome at the Deutschen Opera am Rhein in Düsseldorf, and sing the soprano part in Beethoven's 9th Symphony at the Staatstheater in Munich. Her newer roles include Elizabeth in Tannhäuser, and Senta and Chrysothemis in Richard Strauss‘ Elektra.  Elizabeth currently is a principal of the Oper Ensemble at the Staats Theater Mainz. She is married to an Austrian conductor and they have a home in Mainz. Website


1987 .... Kathryn Garber, mezzo-soprano
Garber
Katy Garber, a native of Sydney, NB, graduated from the University of Wyoming, B.M. 1984, M.M. 1988, Music. She returns to Laramie from time to time for lessons and coaching in upcoming operatic roles and still looks to Frederick and Joan Gersten of the Department of Music for suggestions and guidance.  Katy began at UW as a pre-med student, but in several elective music classes, teachers recognized her considerable talent.  With their encouragement, she decided to change her major, and completed both a bachelor's and a master's degree in music. Katy Garber is attracting attention with the expansion of her repertoire into the leading ladies of Verdi, Strauss, and Wagnerian Opera. She debuted as Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos in August performances at Opera North in New Hampshire.  Her celebrated coaches including Anthony Legge (English National Opera and Bayreuth) and Christopher Myddleton (Covent Garden and Royal Opera House), are encouraging and preparing Ms. Garber in roles including Senta, Sieglinde, Elsa, Gutrune, Freia. Her Wagnerian opera performances have been with the companies of Seattle, Dallas, Arizona, Florentine, and the Wagner Societies of Dallas and San Francisco, with Brangaene and Venus scenes for the latter and a return to Seattle for their 1995 Ring Cycle Festival. She performed major Wagner arias in recital in San Francisco last year. In March 2000 Ms. Garber was featured in a concert of arias for the New York Wagner Society. Noted for her singing in Russian, she has performed Marina in Boris Godunov with Des Moines Metro Opera and has sung scenes from Boris Godunov in the staged "Russian Opera Gala" for Cleveland Opera, featuring the renowned bass Jerome Hines.  Ms. Garber sang Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky with a simultaneous presentation of the Eisenstein film for the Fort Worth Symphony and reprised the work with the Corpus Christi Symphony. Among her five productions with Seattle Opera are Mercedes in Carmen and Annina in Der Rosenkavalier. Ms. Garber made her third appearance with Florentine Opera recently in Rigoletto, following earlier roles in Die Walküre and Elektra. In 1996 Ms. Garber appeared in San Francisco with the Ebenezer Opera to sing staged presentations of the major scenes for Charlotte (Werther), Adalgisa (Norma), and Venus (Tannhäuser). Other companies with whom she has performed include Opera San Jose, Central City Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera North (VT), and Marin Opera. Her repertoire also includes Charlotte, Santuzza, Desdemona, and Chrysothemis. Kathryn is a recipient of prestigious awards including Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation, the Stewart Awards Auditions, the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, and the MacAllister Awards for Opera Singers. She has appeared on the symphony platforms of Denver, Shreveport, Colorado Springs, Fort Worth, Wyoming, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The 2002-03 season for Ms. Garber includes the Vivaldi Gloria with Omaha Symphony, a Wagner concert for Ebenezer Opera in San Francisco, followed by a work with the Opera Project in Dallas. She continues to present concerts and artist-in-residence programs in Nebraska, Wyoming, and Texas. Website

1988 .... Geena L. Jeffries, soprano
Jeffries  
Geena won First Place in the San Francisco Opera Competition in 1990, took First Place in the Bel Canto Competition in Italy in 1991, and was the Rocky Mountain regional winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1992. In 1994 she was in a production of Phantom of the Opera in Costa Mesa, CA.  In the fall of 1995 she made her Carnegie Hall Debut under the Baton of John Rutter as the soprano soloist in the Mozart Regina Coeli, the Schubert Mass in G Major and Rutter's Magnificat.  She was soloist in Dubois' Seven Last Words with the Colorado Symphony. Ms. Jeffries has performed leading operatic roles regionally with such companies as Tulsa Opera, Opera Colorado and Chicago's Light Opera Works. One of the high points in her career was performing Gilbert & Sullivan's Princess Ida in Boulder, Colorado, under the direction of John Reed.  In 1996 she toured the U.S. with The Phantom of the Opera 3rd National Company in the role of Carlotta Giudicelli in San Francisco and was in the New York production at the Majestic Theater with Hal Prince as the director in 1998. Other credits include starring in operettas, appearing in cabarets as the featured soloist, performing in a jazz ensemble, touring as the opening act for a country western band, and numerous engagements alongside her father as a country duet. She has also worked commercially in the field of voiceovers. When Geena lived in New York, she sang in a Black Gospel Choir that reached out to the homeless. She recently has been general manager of productions and director of marketing and development for major entertainment companies, and she has been a music recording producer. Geena and her husband, Michael Mattox, have a daughter, Emily, born in 2001. They formerly lived in Las Vegas, NV, but moved in the spring of 2003 to Gaithersburg, MD. Geena is a member of the Association of Theatrical Press Agents & Managers. She has a B.A. in Music/Business from Rockmont College and a M.F.A. in Performance from the University of Colorado.

1989 .... Cynthia Lawrence, lyric soprano
Lawrence  
Cynthia has won a number of prestigious competitions, including the 1991 Birgit Nilsson Prize, the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition and in 1984 won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.  A NIMT/Sullivan Grant recipient, she was also a National Society of Arts and Letters winner in 1987 and was an international winner in the Mobil Oil Austria Vocal Competition in Graz in 1984. Cynthia came to international acclaim during the summer of 1990 when she won the International Mozart Competition.  In the 1998-99 season she portrayed Lavinia in Mourning Becomes Electra with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, debuted as Lady Macbeth with Opera Colorado's production of Macbeth, and debuted with the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin in Shoenberg's Von Heute auf Morgen, sang her first Cio-Cio San's at the Met, debuted with the Minnesota Opera as the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, and sang Rossini's Stabat Mater with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.  While engaged at her home company, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, she sang Elettra in Idomeneo with Placido Domingo, and Countess Olga in Giordano's Fedora with Ms. Freni and Mr. Domingo, The Italian Singer in Strauss's Capriccio, Musetta in La Bohème, Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito, Micaela in Carmen, The First Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus and Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte.  Her debut at Covent Garden with London's Royal Opera was as Musetta and her second debut at the Opera National de Paris as Vitellia was in La Clemenza di Tito. Other highlights of Cynthia's career include her Metropolitan Opera debut as Rosalinde. She has also sung that role with The New York City Opera, De Vlaamse Oper in Antwerp and Ghent, Dayton Opera and Indiana Opera Theater. Other roles at New York City Opera include her debut as Madame Butterfly and Musetta. She has appeared with Opera Omaha, Central City Opera, the Colorado Opera Festival, Opera Enschede Holland, The Santander Festival in Spain, Memphis Opera, Indiana Opera, and the Castleward Opera in Belfast, Ireland.  Cynthia's concert appearances include a staged version of Alban Berg's rarely performed Der Wein. She has sung in concert with numerous orchestras throughout the world. Ms. Lawrence was featured in the  televised concert "Pavarotti Plus!" in 1989 and in the 1995 PBS special, "Pavarotti: My World". While working on her Master degree in Voice Performance/Pedagogy she met her husband Mark Calkins. They sang the lovers Mimi and Rodolfo in the University's production of La Bohème on Thursday and were married the following Sunday in 1985. Cynthia and Mark now reside in Minnesota where they live with their two children.  Website

1990 .... Yalun Zhang, dramatic baritone
Y. Zhang
Yalun, who was born in China, completed his academic training at the Central Conservatory of Music in Peking. An Opera Colorado featured artist, Mr. Zhang was trained under the guidance of Nathaniel Merrill, Louise Sherman and Barbara Doscher in the early 90s. As a young artist, he was the recipient of many awards, including the Rocky Mountain regional winner in 1991 of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, winner of Luciano Pavarotti Voice Competition, recipient of George London/William Matheus Sullivan Grant, silver medallist in the 9th international Competition for Young Singers in Sofia, Bulgaria, first Place in the Loren L. Zachary Voice Competition and first Place in the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition. The initial success in his performance as Rodrigo in Don Carlo, Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, Count di Luna in Il Trovatore, and especially of his title role in Rigoletto established him as a career artist. Recognizing his talent, numerous opera companies in the US and around the world have sought his services. Mr. Zhang has an enviable list of credentials, performing Amonasro in Verdi's Aïda with the Metropolitan Opera (New York), Minnesota Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Ontario (Canada), and Staatsoperhannover (Germany); Ezio in Verdi's Attila with L'Opera National du Rhin (Strasbourg) and as cover at Lyric Opera Chicago; Count di Luna in Verdi's Il Trovatore with New Orleans Opera, Opera Pacific, Fort Worth Opera, Nevada Opera, Saskatchewan Opera (Canada), Calgary Opera (Canada), Lyric Opera Ottawa (Canada), and as cover at the Metropolitan Opera (New York); Don Carlos in Verdi's Ernani with Staatsoperhannover (Germany); Gérard in Giordano's Andrea Chénier with L'Opera National du Rhin (France), New Orleans Opera, Florentine Opera, and as cover at the Metropolitan Opera (New York); Germont in Verdi's La Traviata with New York City Opera; Miller in Verdi's Luisa Miller as cover with the Metropolitan Opera (New York); Renato in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera with Washington Opera (DC), Opera Colorado, and Staatsoperhannover (Germany); Rigoletto in Verdi's Rigoletto with Florentine Opera (Milwaukee), Opera Colorado, and New York City Opera; Rodrigo in Verdi's Don Carlo with Portland Opera, Opera Colorado, and Baltimore Opera; Tonio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci with Portland Opera, Opera Colorado, and New Jersey State Opera; Valentin in Gounod's Faust with both Opera Pacific and Fort Worth Opera; High Priest in Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila with Opera Pacific, Michigan Opera Theater, and Pittsburgh Opera; Enrico in Donezetti's Lucia di Lammermoor with Opera Colorado; Soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Boulder (Colorado) Philharmonic and Central Philharmonic in Beijing; Soloist in Verdi's Requiem with Central Philharmonic in Beijing and at Savonlinna Festival (Finland). In the 2002-2003 season, Mr. Zhang made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Amonasro in Verdi's Aïda.  In addition, he will perform the title role in Verdi's Nabucco with Staatsoperhannover. In the coming season 2003-2004, Mr. Zhang will perform in the role of Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca. He has emerged as a world-class baritone, and specifically, as the leading Verdi baritone of a new generation, capable of interpreting the great roles of the Italian repertoire. Yalun currently is a principal of the Staatsoperhannover, Germany.

1991 .... James Bobick, baritone
James Bobick
James received training at the University of Colorado, debuted with Opera Colorado in 1989, and was a member of the Central City Opera Apprentice Program in 1993 and 1994.  Mr. Bobick has had a versatile career, with roles ranging from Elviro in Handel's Xerxes (New York City Opera) to Sharpless in Puccini's Madama Butterfly (Connecticut Opera). He has been seen on two New York City Opera telecasts-- as Schaunard in the Emmy-winning broadcast of Puccini's La bohème in 1977 and John Shears in Britten's Paul Bunyan in 1998.  Among the 20-plus roles he has sung for New York City Opera, he lists Masetto in Mozart's Don Giovanni, and St. Brioche in Lehar's The Merry Widow, along with the above-mentioned Schaunard and Elviro.  James sang Marcello in Puccini's La bohème for Connecticut Opera, Guglielmo in Mozart's Così fan tutte for Portland Opera, and Figaro in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia with Virginia Opera. He has also appeared with Opera Pacific, Opera Omaha, Opera Delaware, Baltimore Opera, Dayton Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and Central City Opera. Mr. Bobick also has had a busy concert career. In Carnegie Hall, he has been heard in Orff's Carmina Burana and Mendelssohn's Die Erste Walpurgisnacht with the Oratorio Society of New York.  Around the country, he has performed Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, Bach's Magnificat and B-Minor Mass, Handel's Israel in Egypt and the title role in Saul, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, and Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio.  He was heard in Handel's Messiah in Prague and in the Fauré Requiem in Paris, Reims, and Chartres, with the Orchestre Pasdeloup. Mr. Bobick has been the recipient of a Shoshana Foundation Award, and was a member of the Juilliard Opera Center. He lives in New York and studies with Bill Schuman.

1992 .... Curt Peterson, lyric tenor
Peerson
Curt received his undergraduate degree from Arizona State University in Music Theater Performance and a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Colorado where he studied with Dr. Robert Harrison. He furthered his training at the Juilliard Opera Center where he studied with the late Beverley Johnson. He has received numerous awards, including a Sullivan Foundation grant as well as Juilliard's Derosa Prize, and was the 1992 first place winner of the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition for Colorado Singers. Mr. Peterson has established himself as one of this country's finest interpreter's of bel canto repertoire as well as contemporary music. His list of credits include performances with New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Beijing Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Opera d'Nantes (France), Spoleto Festival, Opera Colorado, Calgary Opera, Portland Opera, and Central City Opera among others. He appeared as Matthew Gurney in the international television broadcast of Emmeline by Tobias Picker and can be heard on the Albany Records original cast recording of that production. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Curt maintains an active performance career. Upcoming engagements include Ernesto in Don Pasquale for Cleveland and Indianapolis Opera, Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia for Nashville Opera and a return to Nantes, France as David in Die Meistersinger. He is an Assistant Professor in the Vocal Music Faculty at the University of Colorado Boulder.  Website

1993 .... Helena Biktasheva (Helen Fousteris), lyric soprano
Biktasheva
Helen was a 1994 regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions. She sang Micaela in Carmen (Aspen Music Festival, 1993), the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro (Western Opera Theater at San Francisco Opera Center, 1995), Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte (Israeli Vocal Institute, Tel-Aviv, 1996), and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni (Jerome Hines Foundation, New Jersey). Mrs. Fousteris graduated from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, Russia, as a mezzo-soprano, and toured in Russia, Hungary, and Germany where she appeared as a soloist (alto) in major Bach's works with the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart.  She studied soprano repertoire at the University of Colorado and the Mannes College of Music. Mrs. Fousteris received fellowships from the Jerome Hines Foundation in New Jersey (1996) and the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Chiari, Italy (1998) where she was heard in opera recitals as Magda (La Rondine), Gilda (Rigoletto), and Violetta (La Traviata). In 1997 she joined the Young Artists Program at the Dicapo Opera where she sang Yvette in La Rondine, and The Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute. In 2001 she performed a classical music concert at the Royalty Theatre, in Clearwater Florida. On January 21, 2002, she performed a classical music concert, at the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron) Athens, Greece, with the Greek National Symphony Orchestra. This concert was dedicated to the September 11, 2002 tragedy. Helen and her husband, Maestro Dimitrios F. Fousteris, are directors of the Hellenic American Music Conservatory in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

1994 .... Julianne Best, soprano
Julianne Best
Julianne received her Master of Music from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1994, where she performed Violetta, Baby Doe, Constance (Dialogues of the Carmelites), Elvira (Italian Girl), Elsie (Yeomen of the Guard), and Anne (A Little Night Music).  Originally from Arizona, she studied at Northern Arizona University (BM; BME '87), the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Stuttgart, Germany ('88), and the Banff Academy of Singing ('93). As a two-year apprentice in the Opera Colorado Artist Center (‘94-‘96), she performed such roles as Lucia, Susanna, Adele, Miss Wordsworth, Despina, and Clorinda (La Cenerentola). In her years in the Denver area she performed as soloist with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Boulder Philharmonic, the Sinfonia of Colorado, the Colorado Music Festival, the Grand Junction Symphony, Larimer Chorale, Littleton Symphony, Boulder Chorale, Colorado State University, Cheyenne Symphony, Longmont Symphony, and others. Regionally she performed with the San Antonio Symphony, the Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Evansville Philharmonic.  With the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, she performed Despina, Lucia, and Violetta. In 1995, she was a World Finalist in the 5th Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition and was invited to coach with Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge in Aldeburgh, England in the same year. She has also been a winner in the San Francisco Opera Auditions, the Shreveport Opera Competition, and Rocky Mountain District Metropolitan Opera Competitions. In 1996, Julianne moved to Texas and served for five years on the voice faculty at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. In Texas, she has performed with the Irving Symphony, Austin Vocal Artists, and the Houston Choral Society, as well as several convention presentations. She now teaches privately in Waco, Texas, where her husband, baritone Robert Best, (also a winner of DLOG awards) is an Assistant Professor of Voice at Baylor University. They have two girls, ages three and one year.

1995 .... Emily A. Bullock, mezzo-soprano
Emily Bullock
Emily has appeared with Nashville Opera and the Colorado Symphony in performances of Bach's Magnificat and Handel's Messiah. She performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Boulder Philharmonic and with Belmont University, Bach's St. Matthew Passion with the Littleton Symphony; Mahler's Kindertotenlieder, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, and Schönberg's Brettl-Lieder with the Boulder MahlerFest; Bach's Magnificat with the Boulder Bach Festival; and Amy Beach's Mass in E-flat with the Boulder Chorale.  Additional performances include Schönberg's Der hängenden Garten, Pierrot Lunaire, and Das Lied der Waldtaube; and Berio's Folk Song arrangements. Opera, operetta, and musical theatre performances with Tulsa Opera, the Enid Symphony, the University of Colorado Lyric Theatre, the University of Tulsa, and the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Oklahoma include Isabella in L'Italiana in Algeri; Mrs. Maurrant in Street Scene, Augusta Tabor in The Ballad of Baby Doe; Ma Moss in The Tenderland; the Queen of the Fairies in Iolanthe; the Duchess of Plaza-Toros in Gondoliers; Katisha in The Mikado, Madame Armfelt in A Little Night Music; Baba in The Medium; the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors; Mad Margaret in Ruddigore; the Witch and the Mother in Hansel and Gretel; Mrs. McLean in Susannah; and Annina in La Traviata. Ms. Bullock has performed solo recitals in Tennessee, Colorado, Oklahoma, Illinois, and California including a recital for the Colorado Music Festival, and is a member of the Colorado Chamber Players. Additional  performances include Bach's Cantata #170, Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust, a program of French and German cabaret songs with the Colorado Chamber Players, appearances in a series of concerts at the University of Colorado featuring the songs of Schubert, and the Colorado MahlerFest. Recent engagements include performances of the Witch in Hansel and Gretel with Nashville Opera, Alto soloist for the Beethoven Ninth Symphony with the Nashville Symphony, and Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia again with Nashville Opera and a solo recital and masterclass at California State University, Stanislaus. Upcoming performances include the role of Ruth in Pirates of Penzance, and a lecture recital on Schönberg and Kandinsky for the College Music Society. Ms. Bullock was a 1998 finalist in The Concert Artists Guild Competition and has twice been a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Colorado, a Master of Music Degree from the University of Tulsa, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado. Ms. Bullock has served on the faculty at the University of Colorado, the University of Wyoming, and Metropolitan State College of Denver. She is, currently, a faculty member at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

1996 .... Emily Herrera, lyric soprano
Herrera
Emily, a University of Colorado graduate, debuted with Opera Colorado in 1991, when she sang the Angel in The Burning Fiery Furnace. In all, she sang 13 roles with Opera Colorado, including Tebaldo in Don Carlo, Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro, Musetta in La Bohème, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Frasquita in Carmen and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi.  Emily was a member of the Opera Colorado Artist Center from 1996 through 1998. She was a second place winner in the Rocky Mountain Region of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions in 1995, 1996 and 1997, and she was a 1998 finalist in the Metropolitan Opera auditions in the Western Region. In 2000, Emily won second place in the National Finals of the Classical Productions Vocal Competition, held in Carnegie Hall, New York, and she was a finalist in the Heinz Rehfuss Singing Actors Competition at Orlando Opera. She made a recording, Realm of the Shadow, A Music Drama In Three Acts by Christopher Mohr, National Symphony Choir and Orchestra of Ukraine, Theodore Kuchar, conductor, Naxos (2 CD's). From the liner notes: "The Soprano Emily Herrera is best known for her interpretive expression and musicality on the stages of Colorado, Nevada and Southern California. She has appeared as Musetta in a Nevada Opera Theatre performance of Puccini's La Bohème and was praised by critics as the highlight of the production... With the Boulder Philharmonic, she was a featured soloist in Rossini's Stabat Mater". In 1998 she was awarded the Tove Allen Opera Scholarship Fund by Nevada Opera Theatre. During her years in Las Vegas she became a local celebrity singing opera at the Venetian Hotel. There she met Scott Thrasher who was performing as a juggler in the "Commedia dell'arte" style show Emily was singing in at the time.  He taught her to juggle and she became very good at it!  Scott went on to be a magician at Caesars Palace. Emily and Scott later married. They now live in Las Vegas, NV, and have a daughter, Sarah, who was born in 2001. Emily has upcoming concert dates with baritone Gino Federici around Las Vegas. Their repertoire includes classical and contemporary Italian music. Future tour dates around the United States are pending.  Website

1997 .... Katherine Adam, lyric soprano
Katherine Adam
Katherine is from Colorado Springs, where she has been seen as Nedda in Pagliacci and Hannah in The Merry Widow with Opera Theater of the Rockies, as well as the First Lady in The Magic Flute with Colorado Opera Festival. Other operatic roles include, Pamina in The Magic Flute, Fiordilidgi in Cosi Fan Tutte, and Gertrude in Hansel and Gretel with the University of Northern Colorado, and Mimi in La Bohème, Bellezza in L'egisto and Mrs. Gleaton in Susannah. Katherine has appeared as a soloist singing Mendelssohn's Elijah, Brahm's Requiem, Haydn's Mass in Time of War, Respighi's Lauda per la Nativita del Signore, and Vaughan Williams' Mass in G Minor with such organizations as Greeley Philharmonic, Colorado Springs Symphony, Colorado Springs Chorale, Soli Deo Gloria, Colorado College, and the University of Northern Colorado Concert Choir.  Katherine has won first place awards with the Denver Lyric Opera Guild, Allied Arts of Denver, the Rocky Mountain Concerto Competition, and the regional NATS competition. She currently is completing a Master's in Music degree at the University of Northern Colorado.

1998 .... Amy Lauritzen, soprano
Lauritzen
Amy has been performing since she can remember. The young soprano won first place in the Baltimore Opera National Competition as well as "audience favorite", first place in the Paul Robeson vocal competition, and first place in the Denver Lyric Opera Guild competition. She was a prizewinner in the Marian Anderson International Vocal Competition and the Annapolis Opera Competition where she again won the "audience favorite" award.  Amy has been a featured soloist with the San Antonio Symphony, Colorado Opera Festival Company Singers, Baltimore Opera, and Opera Diaspora, among others. She performed in recital at the Moscow Conservatory and was invited by the Shanghai Opera Company to sing in a gala concert at the Shanghai Grand Theater in China.  She studied voice extensively with Metropolitan Opera soprano Martile Rowland and currently studies with David Chapman. She and Mr. Chapman recently collaborated on a recording of sacred music with composer Sally DeFord. The CD can be purchased from Amy's website, www.simplysoprano.com. Amy currently lives in Maryland with her husband, Tarquennis Payne, and two sons, Alexander and Joshua.  

1999 .... Lihui Zhang, soprano
Lihui Zhang    
Lihui Zhang, one of China's leading sopranos, is a graduate of the Beijing Conservatory where she studied voice and opera. In 1996, she gained national recognition in China by taking first place in a televised Competition for Young Singers-- the Chinese equivalent of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions. Following this, Ms. Zhang was invited to the United States to continue her studies with Opera Colorado's Center for Young Artists.  As an apprentice, she sang the role of Giorgetta in Il Tabarro and the title roles in Madama Butterfly and Euridice in Opera Colorado's Artist Center productions. She also performed the Countess in scenes from Le Nozze di Figaro with Denver's Lyric Artists of the West. In Fall 2001, she returned to her home in Chongqing. Here, she is leading soprano with the Chongqing Opera and also serves as the company's deputy director. Her busy schedule includes concerts in Beijing, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines. Next fall, Ms. Zhang will perform the leading role in the Chinese Opera, The Red Cliffs, and also will perform in several concerts to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Chongqing Opera.

2000 .... Robert Gardner, lyric baritone
Gardner
From the mountains of Colorado, Robert began his musical studies in a family of fifteen musicians. An apprenticeship with the Santa Fe Opera yielded further vocal training with Doris and Richard Cross and Sherrill Milnes at Yale University. He is a 2001 Pro Musicis International Award winner, the 2000 winner of the Denver Lyric Opera Competition, recipient of the 1999 William Matheus Sullivan Foundation Award, and the 2000 Gerda Lissner Award. Mr. Gardner enjoys regular concert appearances with symphonies in the U.S. and abroad, including the Munich Philharmonic, the Taejun Symphony in Korea, and Hartford, New Haven, San Diego, Santa Rosa, Denver, and with the National Chorale among other ensembles. He has sung operatic roles for the Bavarian National Opera in Munich, and the companies of Santa Fe, Washington D.C., Raleigh, Sanibel, Edmonton, Opera Colorado, and Spoleto Festival USA. Featured in title roles including Gianni Schicci, Der Kaiser von Atlantis, and an “outstanding” Eugene Onegin, he has been acclaimed as a "swaggering" Belcore in L'Elisir D'amore, a “charming” Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus, and a "menacing" King Thoas in Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride. He has often portrayed an “assured” Germont in La Traviata, as well as Sid in Albert Herring under the direction of Colin Graham. Gardner has sung under the batons of Levine, Mehta, Bolton, Abbado, Shaw, Märkl, Delacôte, Sloan, Kahane, and Fiore, among many others. With experience applying years of study to the dramatic intensity and safety of staged conflict scenes, Gardner is also a member of the Society of American Fight Directors. Last season, Mr. Gardner's repertoire in Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall included Orff's Carmina Burana, Haydn's Harmoniemesse, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Mozart's Thamos, King of Egypt and C-minor Mass, Handel's Messiah, Bach's B-minor Mass, and the CPE Bach Magnificat, among other U.S. regional concert engagements. Mr. Gardner's recent recital debuts with collaborator of eight years, Lydia Brown, have included Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York, Boston's Pickman Hall, Augustana Lutheran Church in Denver, and will include Paris in 2003 in cooperation with the Pro Musicis International Foundation. Having recently performed Brahms' Ein Deutches Requiem with the Dallas Symphony, Robert is currently engaged for the 2003 summer season at the Santa Fe Opera, and the 2002/2003 season at the Bavarian National Opera and resides in Munich.  Website

2001 .... Bradley Thompson, lyric baritone
Thompson
Bradley Thompson debuted as the Captain in Opera Colorado's 2002 production of Eugene Onegin. He also appeared as Peter in that company's student matinee production of Hänsel und Gretel as an apprentice in the Artist Center of Opera Colorado. Mr. Thompson has sung the title role in Verdi’s Falstaff as well as Mozart's Figaro.  His stage experience includes performing leading operatic roles in Mozart's Così fan tutte and The Magic Flute, The Consul and Amahl and the Night Visitors by Menotti, Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, Madama Butterfly, and La Bohème, The Merry Wives of Windsor by Nicolai, Bizet's Carmen, A Midsummer Night's Dream by Britten, and Rossini's La Cenerentola.  He was on the roster of Capitol City Opera Company (Atlanta) for three years. Mr. Thompson is equally at home on the concert or operatic stage. He was a featured guest artist in the 121st annual Bethany College Messiah Festival. His oratorio credits include performances of the St. Matthew Passion, Messiah, King David, The Creation, Carmina Burana, and the title role in Elijah. Mr. Thompson has also premiered several new works including David Kirtley's chamber opera In the Father's Garden and other works written specifically for him. In February, Mr. Thompson will appear as a guest soloist with the Boulder Philharmonic in the world premier of Gregory T.S. Walker's Passion According to St. Toscanini. He appeared as a part of the 2000 Colorado Mahlerfest and the opening concert of the 2001 Boulder Bach Festival. He was invited to return as an apprentice artist with this year's Opera Colorado Outreach Artist Ensemble and was Masetto in Opera Colorado's student production of Don Giovanni. Mr. Thompson has been a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was the grand prizewinner in the 2001 Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition. He was awarded the 2001-2002 Spencer Voice Fellowship at the University of Colorado. In 1997 he was a winner of the University of Georgia Concerto Competition and in 1996 Mr. Thompson was one of the top three finalists in the Orpheus National Vocal Competition. A native of Norcross, Georgia, Mr. Thompson first began his vocal studies at the age of sixteen. Mr. Thompson received the Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance (magna cum laude) from Furman University and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. While at Furman, he was a featured soloist with the Furman University Singers on tours in both the United States and Germany. Mr. Thompson began his graduate studies at Florida State University with former Metropolitan Opera tenor Enrico di Giuseppe. He also completed a master's degree at the University of Georgia, where he served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in several disciplines. He is currently undertaking a doctoral degree in voice performance and pedagogy at the University of Colorado where he studies voice with Patrick Mason. Mr. Thompson teaches a private voice studio and serves as the choir director of Mount Zion Lutheran Church in Boulder, Colorado.

2002 .... Jennifer Robertson, dramatic soprano
Robertson
Jennifer, with a B. A. from Metropolitan State College where she studied with Beverly Fernald, completed a Master of Music program in the voice studio of Julie Simson at the University of Colorado Boulder.  She has been the recipient of the Frank and Gina Day Fellowship, the Trudi Mielziner Opera Scholarship and the Vera McWharter Voice Scholarship. Ms. Robertson has received awards from Sigma Alpha Iota, the Dante Alegheri Society, the Metropolitan National Opera Council where was a regional finalist for four successive years in the Rocky Mountain Region, placing third in 2000, and the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition for Colorado Singers, in which she placed first in 2002. In the summer of 2001, she had the unique experience of participating in the AIMS Opera program in Graz, Austria. While there, she studied with Elizabeth Colson, participated in master classes with Patricia Craig and Dorit Hanak, and performed the role of Sylva in Kalaman's Die Czardasfurstin with the AIMS Festival Orchestra. Ms. Robertson has participated in Master Classes with Marilyn Horne, Martin Isepp, Ashley Putnam, and Benita Valente. Her operatic roles with CU Opera include Alice Ford in Falstaff, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. Currently Jennifer is teaching English to Kindergarten children and studying with renown teacher Norma Sharp at the Academy of Music "Hanns Eisler" Berlin, and frequently auditioning.

2003 .... Shannon Taree Magee, dramatic mezzo-soprano
Magee
Shannon, schooled at Texas Tech University, began her singing career in Texas where she sang Lady Jane in Patience in 1991, Grandmother in Red Riding Hood and Ma Moss in The Tenderland in 1994, Buttercup in HMS Pinafore in 1995, and Ruth Pirates of Penzance in 1996 with Allen Theater. She was Alto Soloist in The Messiah with Lubbock Symphony in 1997, Alto Soloist in Lord Nelson Mass in 1992 and Alto Soloist in the Bach Kantate 157 in 2001 with the Midland/Odessa Symphony, and was Alto Soloist in the Mozart Requiem with Roswell Symphony in 1991. She was Ruth in Pirates of Penzance with San Diego Comic Opera and was a soloist in an Opera Concert for the AIMS program with the Graz Orchestra in 1997. Ms. Magee performed the Mother in Tales of Hoffman, the Mother in The Consul (scenes), Principessa in Sour Angelica, and Baba in The Medium (act I) in 2001-2 with Opera Theater of the Rockies. She was a Recital Artist at Colorado College in 2001-2002, performed as Frau Schneider in Cabaret with Colorado College Theater in 2002, and was a soloist in Gabriel's Daughter for Central City Opera's "Opera 101" program in 2003. Her awards include Metropolitan Opera Audition; Finalist, 1998 Texas Music Club Young Artist Competition 1st Place Winner, 2001; Denver Lyric Opera Guild Fourth Place Winner, 2002, First Place Winner, 2003; Oratorio Society of New York Semi-Finalist, 2003; Metropolitan Opera Audition Colorado Finalist, 2003. Among her teachers and coaches are Dean Williamson, Seattle Opera; LeAnn Overton, Metropolitan Opera/Cincinnati Opera; Semyon Rozin, Frankfurt Opera/Aspen Festival; Regina Safferty-Rickless, SantaFe Opera; William Warfield, Master Class; Mara Waldman, AIMS, Graz, Austria; and Martile Rowland, her current teacher. Upcoming engagements include concerts, outreach performances, and the role of The Marquise of Berkenfield in Daughter of the Regiment for Opera Theater of the Rockies. Shannon married Peter Magee in October last year; they live in Denver. She enjoys spending time with her husband and the scenery of Colorado with camping trips! Ahhh, wedded bliss!! She hopes to have a long future in opera, because it is what she LOVES!

2004 ... Wendy Jones, spinto soprano
Wendy Jones
Wendy, a native of Denver, received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder where she studied with Patrick Mason. While completing her Master of Music at the University of Illinois with Sylvia Stone, she was awarded the Illinois Opera Theatre Enthusiasts Award for Excellence as well as the Ann Scott Maher Mason and Dorothy E Bowen Voice Scholarships. In 2004, Ms. Jones was a first place winner at the DLOG Competition for Colorado Singers, a district winner at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in Iowa, and received an Honorable Mention at the MONC Upper-Midwest Regionals. The previous year, Ms. Jones was awarded an Honorable Mention at the MONC Central District Auditions. She has had the opportunity to perform abroad, including performances of Butterfly in scenes from Madame Butterfly and Donna Anna in scenes from Don Giovanni with La Scuola Italia in 2004, Arminda in La Finta Giardiniera with the Austrian American Mozart Academy in Salzburg in 2003 and Agathe in Der Freischütz with Komische-Kammer-Oper-München in 2001. Other operatic roles performed include the Stepdaughter in Six Characters in Search of an Author, Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte, Anna Maurrant in Street Scene, Countess Almaviva in La Nozze di Figaro, and Lady Billows in Albert Herring. Last April, Ms. Jones performed Micaela in a studio production of The Tragedy of Carmen with the Indianapolis Opera outreach program. She currently is living in the West Palm Beach area where she studies with Virginia Zeani.
2005 ... Christopher Job, bass
Christopher Job
Mr. Job is a Southern California native who is an emerging young talent on the American opera scene. In 2005 he can be seen as Dr. Grenvil in La Traviata with Opera Omaha, and also as Zuniga in Carmen with Opera Colorado. The latter production opens Opera Colorado's 2005-2006 season and commemorates the opening of the company's new Ellie Caulkins Opera House. This summer he will be engaged as an Artist in Residence with Chautauqua Opera of New York, singing lead roles in their productions of Madame Butterfly, The Crucible, and The Music Man. Other summer festival engagements have included Des Moines Metro Opera and Aspen Opera Theatre. Previously he was engaged as a Young Artist with both the International Institute of Vocal Arts as well as the Israel Vocal Arts Institute in Chiari, Italy and Tel Aviv, Israel respectively. There he was seen in such roles as the title role in Handel's Giulio Cesare, Simone in Gianni Schicchi, Talpa in Il Tabarro, and Sprecher/Second Priest in Die Zauberflöte. He has also performed such roles as Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, and Grandpa Moss in The Tender Land. Mr. Job earned his Bachelor Degree in Music from California State University, Fullerton and his Master of Music Degree from Northwestern University in Chicago.
2006 ... Jordan Shanahan, baritone
Jordan Shanahan
Hawaiian baritone Jordan Shanahan has worked with leading orchestras and opera houses around the world including The Metropolitan Opera, The Netherlands Opera, The Santa Fe Opera, The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and is currently a member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Center for American Artists. "I can’t begin to tell you how lucky I am to be traveling the world, and working with some of the greatest artists of the day. Opera has really allowed me to experience things in life that I never even would have dreamed could exist." Competitions have played a large role in the advancing of Jordan’s young career, he has won major awards from the George London Foundation, The Loren L. Zachary Society, The Metropolitan Opera National Council, The Elardo International Opera Competition, the Opera Index Association, The Liederkranz Foundation, and many others including first place in the Denver Lyric Opera Guild's 2006 competition. "Competitions have allowed me access to many distinguished and influential people in the operatic world, either as judges or people who may have been in an audience. These people have helped me move into a whole other level both artistically and professionally." Jordan is featured in several widely available recordings; the title role on the recently released CD of Thomas Pasatieri’s Signor Deluso on the Albany Records label, a forthcoming disc also to be released by Albany Records will feature him in songs by Pasatieri, as well as a DVD of the Netherlands Opera production of Don Carlo with Riccardo Chailly and Rolando Villazon available from Opus Arte. 
2007 ... Jennifer DeDominici, lyric mezzo-soprano
Jennifer DeDominiciJennifer DeDominici is gathering impressive reviews for her work on some of our region's finest stages. For her portrayal of the title character in Rossini's La Cenerentola with Opera Theatre of the Rockies in 2005, the Gazette Telegraph stated: "At the end of the three-hour evening, the dazzling Jennifer DeDominici merely has to deliver one of the most mind-bogglingly difficult arias ever written for a mezzo-soprano. She did so on opening night with style, a velvety, even tone, and an extraordinary clarity that made the aria the evening's climax.” Ms. DeDominici was selected from among some 1,000 singers to participate in the prestigious Santa Fe Opera's Apprentice Artist Program for the summers of 2002 and 2003. For the Santa Fe stage, she covered the roles of Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, Filipyevna in Eugene Onegin, and sang the role of Feklusha in Katya Kabanova. She has also been seen on the stage of Opera Colorado as Clotilde in Bellini’s Norma, Hansel, and as Rosina in Barber of Seville. In 2006, Jennifer enjoyed the role of Pitti Sing in The Mikado with Central City Opera and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Jennifer toured with Central City Opera in 2004 and 2005, in addition to being a regular member of the Central City Opera Ensemble. She was a member of the Opera Colorado Outreach Ensemble from 2001-2004, and ventured to Alaska in 2005 to be soloist for the Anchorage Opera Studio Theatre. Jennifer sang the title role in the priemere of Medoff and Shinn's revision of Sara McKinnon with CU Opera in 2003. Her varied performances in 2004 include “Opera on the Rocks” with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Dorabella for Black Box Opera's Cosi fan tutte, West Side Story with Colorado Music Festival, and Hansel for the Fort Collins Symphony. Her 2005 appearances include the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors in Boulder, soloist for the Maine Gay Men's Chorus, and the distinct honor of covering the role of Carmen for Opera Colorado's premiere production in the new Ellie Caulkins Opera House with Denyce Graves during November, 2005. Jennifer was the recipient of a career grant award from the Pikes Peak Opera League in June, 2006, and was featured on the Opera Colorado Stage as Second Lady in Fall, 2006 performances of Die Zauberflöte. She was also one of only 11 singers world-wide to be chosen to study at Italy's famed EPCASO (Ezio Pinza Operatic Institute in Oderzo) where she spent the summer of 2006 studying with renowned Italian musicians, Claudia Pinza and Maestra Enza Ferrari. March 2007 brought more honors to Jennifer as she triumphed as Hänsel in Opera Theatre of the Rockies' production of Hänsel and Gretel on the Pikes Peak Center stage, and soon thereafter was declared the first place winner of the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Auditions. She makes regular solo appearances and is section leader for the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Denver. Jennifer will be starring as Signora Fioria and covering the role of Leona Samish in Do I Hear A Waltz at the Arvada Center between April 17 and May 13. Immediately following these performances, Jennifer will take on the challenging role of Aldonza in Man of La Mancha for Colorado Light Opera's July performances in Boulder.
2008 ... Annamarie Zmolek, Soprano
Annamarie Zmolek Soprano Annamarie Zmolek is delighted to be starting her first year of graduate studies at Rice University in Houston. This coming spring she will sing the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni under the baton of Richard Bado. She has also been engaged to sing in the offstage chorus for Cavallaria Rusticana with the Houston Grand Opera. She recently made her professional debut as Frasquita in Carmen with Opera Theatre of the Rockies. Her association with Opera Theatre began with her participation in the Colorado College Vocal Arts Symposium, where she studied with Martile Rowland. In her four summers there, she appeared in scenes as Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, Birdie in Regina, Giuditta in Giuditta, Gilda in Rigoletto, Flower Maiden in Parsifal, Beth in Little Women, Ortlinde in Die Walküre, and Elvira in I Puritani. She also covered the role of Contessa Almaviva in Opera Theatre's production of Le Nozze di Figaro. She appeared with the Colorado College Festival Orchestra this summer as the soprano soloist in Beethoven's Ninth symphony, conducted by Scott Yoo. A Colorado native, Annamarie has appeared in the chorus of Nixon in China with the Colorado Music Festival, as a soloist with the Western Academy of Music String Orchestra, and in numerous recitals. She won first prize in the 2008 Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition for young singers. She studied at the Eastman School of Music with Robert Swensen, where she earned her Bachelor of Music and Performer's Certificate. While at Eastman, she portrayed The Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd, Mrs. Gleaton in Susannah, Nightingale in Nightingale, and Lisette in La Rondine (cover). She won the 2004 Concerto Competition and performed Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Eastman Philharmonia. She performed this piece again with the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra as the winner of their Young Artist Competition. A willing collaborator on new music, she premiered the role of Venus in Zachary Wadsworth's chamber opera Venus and Adonis, as well as premiering two of his song cycles. Annamarie spent a year and a half after her undergraduate studies in Germany, where she lived in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Bonn, and Kaiserslautern. She is happy to be back in school at Rice and studies with Kathleen Kaun.
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