UK Voices Soar in Met Auditions
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 24, 2008) − Vocalists from University of Kentucky Opera Theatre (UKOT)
sang their way to the top of district auditions for the Metropolitan (Met) Opera presented this
year in memory of Gail Robinson, late opera star and voice professor at UK School of Music. Two of this year's three
finalists, Amanda Balltrip and Christopher Conley, selected at the opening level of competition
in the Metropolitan Opera
National Council Auditions, are from UK.
UK soprano Amanda Balltrip and counter-tenor Christopher Conley were selected for two of this year's Kentucky District Auditions finalist positions and will advance to regional competition. They will join a third finalist, Morehead State University graduate Andrea Trusty, at the Tri-State Regional Finals to be held in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Jan. 18, 2009.
This is the third time Conley, a native of Mt. Sterling, Ky., has been selected as a district finalist. The vocalist, who has a bachelor's degree from Morehead State University, recently earned a master's degree from UK. Local audiences may remember Conley for his performances as the Drunkard in UKOT's "The Little Prince" and Liberto in "L'incoronazione di Poppea." He was also the recipient of the 2006 Puccini Award at the Orpheus Vocal Competition.
This is the third time Balltrip has been recognized at the competition as well, but it is the first time she has been selected as a finalist. She previously took home honors as recipient of the Encouragement Award at the Kentucky District Auditions the last two years. A native of Hazard, Ky., Balltrip has received her bachelor's degree from UK and is currently pursuing her master's degree. Local audiences may remember Balltrip for her recent performances as Musetta in this fall's UKOT production of "La Bohème," as well as her turns as Tallulah Carter in the Lexington premiere of "The Hotel Casablanca" and as Gretel in "Hansel and Gretel." Balltrip was among the UK vocalists who studied under Robinson.
Aside from moving forward to regional competition, Balltrip and Conley each received a $1,500 award presented at the competition by judges Paul Groves, tenor and former winner of the Richard Tucker Foundation Award, and Catherine Malfitano, an acclaimed soprano and Emmy award winner.
The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions program provides a venue for young opera singers from all over the U.S. to be heard by a representative of the Met. Applicants prepare a minimum of five operatic arias in their original language; selections must demonstrate contrasting style as well as languages. Upon completing the audition, candidates are given the opportunity to meet with the judges personally to discuss matters of evaluation and advice.
The Met holds the auditions to discover new talent and to search for possible participants in the Lindemann Young Artists Development Program. The Lindemann program, designed to nurture the most talented young artists through training and performance opportunities, provides financial aid together with supervised artistic direction to the young artists.
The district level is the first stage of the three-tiered audition process, and contestants can choose to compete in any district regardless of their place of residence. There is no set number of singers to advance to compete in the regional with roughly 1,500 singers participating each year in the 16 regions across the country. Regional finals for this area include participants from Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. Winners at the regional level advance to the National Council Auditions Semi-Finals in New York in the spring. Only eight to 10 singers are selected as national finalists and perform in the Winners Concert at the Met.
To read more about this year's district auditions, visit Rich Copley's coverage of the competition in his article "3 Kentuckians go to finals" from Sunday's Lexington Herald-Leader or access his podcasts from the contest and the following memorial for Robinson on iTunes via his blog coverage on Copious Notes.
UK soprano Amanda Balltrip and counter-tenor Christopher Conley were selected for two of this year's Kentucky District Auditions finalist positions and will advance to regional competition. They will join a third finalist, Morehead State University graduate Andrea Trusty, at the Tri-State Regional Finals to be held in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Jan. 18, 2009.
This is the third time Conley, a native of Mt. Sterling, Ky., has been selected as a district finalist. The vocalist, who has a bachelor's degree from Morehead State University, recently earned a master's degree from UK. Local audiences may remember Conley for his performances as the Drunkard in UKOT's "The Little Prince" and Liberto in "L'incoronazione di Poppea." He was also the recipient of the 2006 Puccini Award at the Orpheus Vocal Competition.
This is the third time Balltrip has been recognized at the competition as well, but it is the first time she has been selected as a finalist. She previously took home honors as recipient of the Encouragement Award at the Kentucky District Auditions the last two years. A native of Hazard, Ky., Balltrip has received her bachelor's degree from UK and is currently pursuing her master's degree. Local audiences may remember Balltrip for her recent performances as Musetta in this fall's UKOT production of "La Bohème," as well as her turns as Tallulah Carter in the Lexington premiere of "The Hotel Casablanca" and as Gretel in "Hansel and Gretel." Balltrip was among the UK vocalists who studied under Robinson.
Aside from moving forward to regional competition, Balltrip and Conley each received a $1,500 award presented at the competition by judges Paul Groves, tenor and former winner of the Richard Tucker Foundation Award, and Catherine Malfitano, an acclaimed soprano and Emmy award winner.
The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions program provides a venue for young opera singers from all over the U.S. to be heard by a representative of the Met. Applicants prepare a minimum of five operatic arias in their original language; selections must demonstrate contrasting style as well as languages. Upon completing the audition, candidates are given the opportunity to meet with the judges personally to discuss matters of evaluation and advice.
The Met holds the auditions to discover new talent and to search for possible participants in the Lindemann Young Artists Development Program. The Lindemann program, designed to nurture the most talented young artists through training and performance opportunities, provides financial aid together with supervised artistic direction to the young artists.
The district level is the first stage of the three-tiered audition process, and contestants can choose to compete in any district regardless of their place of residence. There is no set number of singers to advance to compete in the regional with roughly 1,500 singers participating each year in the 16 regions across the country. Regional finals for this area include participants from Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. Winners at the regional level advance to the National Council Auditions Semi-Finals in New York in the spring. Only eight to 10 singers are selected as national finalists and perform in the Winners Concert at the Met.
To read more about this year's district auditions, visit Rich Copley's coverage of the competition in his article "3 Kentuckians go to finals" from Sunday's Lexington Herald-Leader or access his podcasts from the contest and the following memorial for Robinson on iTunes via his blog coverage on Copious Notes.