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Orange County, California's resident grand opera producing company
600 W. Warner Avenue
Santa Ana, CA 92707
714-546-6000
Press contact: Rebecca Loesch (714.830.6307)
Laura Shane, Peter Goldman, Tim Choy
Davidson and Choy Publicity (323.954.7510)
Photos are available by email request rloesch@operapacific.org
LAILA S. CONLIN HIGH SCHOOL VOCAL COMPETITION
SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Saturday, May 13, 2006
The sixteenth annual Opera Pacific Laila S. Conlin High School Vocal Competition took place Saturday, May 13, 2006 at the Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA) in Santa Ana, California. The Conlin Vocal Competition is part of Opera Pacific’s extensive community outreach mission to provide educational opportunities for the area’s youth and develop future operatic vocal talent. Over 30 high school students competed for $5000 in scholarship awards. Students who reside in, or study voice in Orange County were eligible for the competition.
The live competition took place among applicants who qualified from round one (a CD or tape recording of their singing). Applicants performed the repertoire submitted and were judged on their technical and musical interpretive abilities, stage presence, and professional attitude by voice and music professionals. The judging panel included Opera Pacific Director of Artistic Operations and Productions James Fairbanks, USC Emeritus Professor John Glen Paton, and Lynette Tapia. Tapia was the winner of the first competition in 1991 and now has a flourishing career in opera. She most recently appeared with Opera Pacific in March 2004 as the lead soprano role of Cunegonde in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. She has also performed in opera houses throughout the world.
Winners will be presented at a Guild Alliance luncheon event on Wednesday, May 24 at which time they will perform and be presented with their awards.
| List of Winners: |
| Young Ladies: |
Young Men: |
| 1st Place - Megan Franklin |
1st Place - Efrain Solis |
| 2nd Place - Alexandra Schenck |
2nd Place - Andrew Wong |
| 3rd Place - Sierra Farber |
3rd Place - Brandon Cielasek |
| Judges' Award - Carrie Lee |
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| Honorable Mention: |
Honorable Mention: |
| Austen Courter |
Christopher Maze |
| Sara Covey |
Edwin Reyes |
| Katy Tang |
Raymond Rincon |
| Chelani Tiang |
| Alexa Wildish |
The Laila S. Conlin High School Vocal Competition was started in 1990 through the Opera Pacific Guild Alliance volunteer support group. Laila Conlin is the founder of the Guild Alliance, which provides opera education in cooperation with the Community Outreach Program, guest speakers, tours, and social events in which many Opera Pacific supporters volunteer their time.
The vocal competition is funded by the generosity of the Guild Alliance members through donations to its Tribute Fund. It was established to encourage young vocalists to pursue their art form.
To learn more about the vocal competition, go to: www.operapacific.org/Education/OutreachEvents/
About Opera Pacific
In just twenty seasons, Opera Pacific has established itself as one of the finest professional opera companies in the nation. Opera Pacific's mainstage productions, extensive community outreach programs, and energetic Guild Alliance combine to create a cultural resource for all of Southern California. More than 670,000 people have enjoyed Opera Pacific's productions at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, while over 575,000 young people have discovered the world of opera through the company's in-school presentations, Student Previews, and nationally recognized Opera Camp.
Opera Pacific’s 21st season (2006-2007) includes three operas produced by Opera Pacific in The Center’s Segerstrom Hall. Mozart’s Don Giovanni performs January 17-27, 2007, followed by Bizet’s Carmen from February 28 to March 10, 2007, and Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, performing April 11-22, 2007.
The season begins with two special events. The first is a full concert version of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (October 4-5, 2006) during the opening celebration for the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, which is part of the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s expansion. Porgy and Bess is part of the American-Russian Festival: The Jazz Connection, a collaboration with Pacific Symphony for the opening of the new concert hall. Opera Pacific Artistic Director John DeMain will conduct the mainstage productions and Porgy and Bess. The second special event is the full production of Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov by the Kirov Opera of the Mariinsky Theatre of St. Petersburg, Russia (October 13-15, 2006) at Segerstrom Hall. Boris Godunov, presented in cooperation with the Orange County Performing Arts Center, is part of the Center-wide Mariinsky Festival.
About the judges of the Vocal Competition
Lynette Tapia, soprano
American Coloratura Soprano Lynette Tapia has been heard throughout the United States in solo recitals. She recently performed a Gala Concert with the Dallas Symphony and Andrew Litton, and Messiah at Carnegie Hall with Musica Sacra. Her New York recital debut was with Marilyn Horn at Carnegie Hall and she became a part of the annual Marilyn Horne Foundation Gala Benefit Concert. She has represented Carnegie Hall in a recital at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels. She recently made her European debut singing the title role in Lakme for the Grand Theatre Municipal de Bordeaux and the role of Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare at the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome. She has Performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Pacific, Santa Fe Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Arizona Opera, and the Glimmerglass Opera, to name only a few. Ms. Tapia has won many National and International awards. As a student in Orange County she was the very first 1st Place winner of the Laila S. Conlin High School Vocal Competition.
John Glenn Paton, tenor/music editor/professor
John Glenn Paton is internationally known for his research and publications in the areas of voice instruction, lyric diction and vocal repertoire. His edition of 26 Italian Songs and Arias has been published in Japanese and Korean and soon will be published in Chinese. His performances as a tenor soloist in opera and oratorio culminated in a full recital for his 60th birthday. He taught singing on all levels from beginners through the doctorate, most extensively at the University of Colorado, which gave him the title of emeritus professor.
James Fairbanks, director of artistic operations and production
James Fairbanks comes to Opera Pacific from Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was Artistic Administrator for Cincinnati Opera Association and Marketing and PR Manager for The World Piano Competition, Inc. He brings experience to Opera Pacific in the areas of opera production and artistic administration through long working relationships with Washington National Opera and The Santa Fe Opera, in particular. During eight seasons with Washington National Opera, he successively held the positions of Stage Manager, Production Stage Manager, Associate Production Manager, and Associate Artistic Administrator. Beginning as a Production Assistant, his work with The Santa Fe Opera spanned seven seasons, four seasons as Production Stage Manager. A musician at heart, James holds a Masters in Stage Direction for Opera from Indiana University, Bloomington, and an undergraduate degree in Piano from Louisiana State University.
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