GIULIO GARI FOUNDATION HONORS A MAJOR STAR AND SOME RISING ONES

 

Aprile Millo

The presence of esteemed and legendary soprano Aprile Millo must have been an inspiration for the young artists who entertained us Sunday at the annual Winner's Concert of the Giulio Gari Foundation. What a superb legacy of the late tenor! Awarding young singers is a not only a source of funding but an encouragement in a world that offers lots of heavy work for slim rewards.

Sunday's concert gave us the opportunity to acquaint ourself further with the gifts of seven young artists, all of whom  we have heard before and enjoyed. The splendid Mary Pinto accompanied them with flourish.

Let's do "ladies first"! We have reviewed Soprano Luna Seongeun Park a half dozen times recently, her having won awards from all of the award giving foundations in New York. What impressed us is her tackling so many different arias in different languages and styles and excelling at all of them. On Sunday, she commanded rapt attention from the audience as she created the character of Musetta who commands attention from the crowd at Café Momus in Puccini's La Bohême. 

Concluding the program was a duet with Son Jin Kim, in which she created a not-so-unwilling Zerlina who holds out for a credit card before exiting with the Don Giovanni of Mr. Kim, about whom more later. It was a clever wrinkle in Mozart's opera and the audience enjoyed it immensely. This gifted young soprano has many more roles ahead of her.

Mezzo-soprano Ruijia Dong employed a pleasing legato as she interpreted "O ma lyre immortale" from Gounod's lesser known opera Sappho. There was a divine depth and fine facility in French that pleased the ear. This was quite a change from our recollection of her weirdly costumed Ruggiero in Händel's Alcina at Mannes College for Music. As you may have guessed we prefer to focus on the voices than on trying to figure out some director's self important concept.

We really enjoyed Ms. Dong's performance of Angelina's final aria from Rossini's Cenerentola "Non più mesta". This is the test of any mezzo's mettle what with its rapid fire fioritura and large leaps. Our singer passed with flying colors and managed to also create a sympathetic character leaving us with pleasure at her "happy ever after" condition.

This was our second time hearing soprano Anna Thompson in a month, since she just won an award from The Gerda Lissner Foundation. She really got into the role of Rosalinde pranking her husband in Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus. Both slow and fast sections were compelling and the German was on point.

As for the men, the afore mentioned bass Son Jin Kim made a fine impression in this generally late maturing fach. He showed a real flair for comedy in Don Basilio's comic aria "La calunnia" from Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia. His technical assurance permitted a gradual buildup of excitement and his well thought out gestures contributed to the success of the performance.

This very extroverted aria was finely contrasted with the more introspective "Cavatina" from Rachmaninoff's Aleko in which Mr. Kim sustained the sad mood of loss--loss of youth and loss of love,  since his fickle Zemfira has abandoned him for a young lover. There was an effective contrast between his melancholy first section and the second section in which he remembers a happier time.

We had one more opportunity to take the measure of Mr. Kim's talent when he took the role of Don Giovanni seducing Zerlina in Mozart's eponymous opera. So this marvelous  bass gave us a dose of fun, a dose of melancholy and one of manipulation, all within an hour!

We also got to hear two fine tenors. We first reviewed Ben Reisinger when he was a baritone and noted his superb upper register in "O vin, dissippe la tristesse"  from Thomas' Hamlet. Then we heard him at a master class when he was struggling with the transition. We are pleased to report that the transition is now a complete success. He completely captured Lensky's pathos in "Kuda, kuda" from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. An appropriate vibrato lent just the right color to his voice and his command of dynamics was best appreciated in a delicate and moving diminuendo. Furthermore he handled the linguistics well, not allowing the difficult consonants to cheat the vowels.

The other tenor Alec Carlson performed "O tu che in seno agli'angeli" from one of our favorite Verdi operas La Forza del Destino. We observed a fine Italianate embouchure, beautiful legato phrasing, and a reassuring lack of tension at the top of the register. The long held "money note" was lovely. We have reviewed Mr. Carlson a number of times, at competitions and at Santa Fe Opera. We are impressed that he has such a diverse repertoire.

We also heard a fine baritone who delighted the audience with "Some Enchanted Evening" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific. We have no problem appreciating this as an aria from an American opera; but in spite of a worthy performance there was something missing, something cultural. The character of Emile de Becque is a specific one. He is French and he has his secrets. Falling in love with an American Army nurse was unexpected and the singer needs to convey the wonder of it all. Very few singers nowadays study the character and the situation, so performances tend to come across as generic and imitative. I hope that Yoonsoo Jang will put in a bit more work towards making the aria his own. We heard him recently creating the character of Dr. Malatesta in Donizetti's Don Pasquale so we know he is up to the challenge.

It was a fine evening and a wonderful opportunity to catch up with citizens of Planet Opera and to hear young artists who will carry the torch into the future. All we need is a small opera house in Manhattan so we can put them all to work!

© meche kroop

GERDA LISSNER COMPETITION

 

Pianists Arlene Shrut and Francesco Barfoed, singers Anna Thompson, Finn Sagal, Titus Muzi III, Magdalena Kuzma, Jennifer Robinson, Korin Thomas-Smith, and Ben Reisinger

Last night at Zankel Hall we experienced the most memorable vocal competition winners recital in our memory. For once we were in complete agreement with the judges' choices and were thrilled by the performances. As always, host Midge Woolsey did a great job introducing the singers and giving brief but concise summaries of each song or aria. Collaborative pianists Arlene Shrut and Francesco Barfoed provided sensitive accompaniment tailored to each piece. As icing on the cake, we were treated to a delightful performance by honoree Stephanie Blythe, about which more later--just because we know, Dear Reader, that what you want to read about first is the performances of the young artists.

Out of 400 applicants, 34 finalists were chosen, and we fortunate members of the audience got to hear the top winners of the 2025 Art Song Competition and the 2026 International Vocal Competition. Each and every artist shone, not only in terms of vocal technique and linguistic skills, but also in stage presence. Rarely have we seen so many young artists on the same stage at the same time with each one so totally immersed in the character and the meaning of the text that we scarcely paid attention to technique.

Most arresting was the performance of baritone Finn Sagal who showed several aspects of his dramatic chops with very different songs. How readily he changed from  Schubert's spooky "Der Doppelgänger" to the hilarious "Zipperfly" by Marc Blitztein. (Dear Reader, when is the last time you heard us enjoy an American song?) What a storyteller is Mr. Sagal! The Schubert song gave us chills as the artist built in intensity this somber vignette, making superb use of his lower register.

 

We were so lost in that chilling mood that we almost missed the delicacy of the following "Automne" by Fauré. However, the Blitztein was so engagingly delivered that we were pulled into the humor and actually laughed out loud a few times. We should also mention that Mr. Sagal knows how to use the entire stage in service of the drama.

Also in the art song category were two lovely sopranos with very different vocal qualities. We have reviewed Magdalena Kuzma a number of times, most recently as a winner of the Marcella Sembrich competition, and have always thought of her as a fine artist. Last night she showed off her facility in three languages, giving superb dramatic import to Rachmaninoff's "Son", Wolf's "Die Bekehrte", and Sibelius' "Var det en drom?" Aside from the exquisite interpretations we noticed something very interesting about Ms. Kuzma. She seems to taste the words! There was such relish and appreciation of the flavor of each language!

Jennifer Robinson is an artist with different vocal qualities. She connected so well with Ricky Ian Gordon's "Will There Really Be a Morning?" that we discovered an appreciation for Emily Dickinson's poetry, the words of which were sung with clarity and meaning. Following Joseph Marx's gentle "Nachtgebet" we heard Richard Strauss' "Cäcilie" sung with passion--and we confess to loving extravagant emotion, if only onstage.

All three art song winners were accompanied by Mr. Barfoed and for the succeeding opera winners, Ms. Shrut took over. It's been quite a while since we heard tenor Ben Reisinger. The first time was at least seven years ago in Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance when he sang a couple of minor baritone roles in Gianni Schicchi. He won an Opera Index award as a baritone and we noted his excellent upper register. And then we heard him in a Joyce Di Donata master class when he was just transitioning to the tenor fach. Ms. Di Donata gave him some pointers about building the intensity of his aria and he seems to have picked it up and run with it, as they say. We loved the way he built "Che gelida manina" from Puccini's La Bohême which he ended with a finely wrought diminuendo.  Even better was "Kuda kuda" from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. The extroverted Rodolfo became an introspective Lensky and every nuance of his looking death in the face was explored. 

It was time to lighten the mood and baritone Korin Thomas-Smith got the audience laughing with a very funny "Come un'ape ne' giorni d'aprile", Dandini's aria from Rossini's La Cenerentola. Thomas-Smith is a most expressive actor and didn't miss an opportunity to create his character. What a surprise then to hear him give such romantic tenderness and longing to the character of Hérode in Massenet's Herodiade as he sings "Vision fugitive".

Baritone Titus Muzi III  demonstrated dramatic facility in creating the character of Count Almaviva in an aria that reveals his narcissism and pomposity--"Hai gia vinta la causa" from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. The jealous husband Ford got equally authentic treatment in "E sogno o realtà" from Verdi's Falstaff. The way he used his consonants allowed him to express rage without shouting. Every gesture was on point. 

Soprano Anna Thompson closed the program with lavish histrionics portraying two very different women--the seductive courtesan Thaïs of the Massenet opera of the same name in "Dis moi que je suis belle" and the spirited Rosalinde pretending to be an Hungarian countess in the czardas "Klänge der Heimat" from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus. Rosalinde is clearly putting on a show for her wayward husband and Ms. Thompson's extravagant acting made it clear throughout both slow and fast sections.

We will not end before sharing with you a highlight of the evening. Superstar mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, accompanied by the incomparable Warren Jones, enraptured the audience with the same type of duo as we heard from the youthful artists. Two very different songs showed off two different aspects of her dramatic gifts. First was the very first song she ever sang--Brahms' "Wie melodien zieht es mir"--followed by  Cole Porter's  very witty "Tale of the Oyster".

What a glorious evening. We have come to have very high expectations of these annual Gerda Lissner Competition recitals but this one exceeded our expectations! Judging by the reaction of the audience we were not alone. How wonderful that one woman's legacy has affected so many young singers at the beginning stages of their careers by providing financial support and exposure. If only we could let her know!

© meche kroop

LONDON COMPETITION FINALS

Korin Thomas-Smith, Nicholas Newton, Trevor Haumschilt-Rocha, John Arida, John H. Hauser, Tiffany  Choe, Adia Evans, and Anna Thompson

The George and Nora London Foundation Competition is one we look forward to every year. We get to see a group of talented young singers, many of whom are new to us.  We may become fans of theirs and follow their careers with great pleasure. We still remember the year that Nadine Sierra won; we recall having a delightful conversation with her whilst waiting for the judges to do their thing. We called her "the diva next door" in our review. Her star has risen!

This year, we were again on the outlook for a winning performance and we witnessed a few. First among them was that of soprano Tiffany Choe whose performance of "Senza mamma" from Puccini's Suor Angelica brought tears to our eyes. We don't recall ever being so moved by this aria in spite of at least a dozen hearings. When a performance is this powerful we forget to note the phrasing, the diction, the resonance, or any other technical details. The most important aspect of a vocal performance, in our opinion, is the communication of the intent of the composer and the meaning of the text.

Contrasting with that tragic offering was the comedy of "Come un ape ne giorni d'Aprile" from Rossini's La Cenerentola. In this aria, the Prince and his servant Dandini have exchanged roles and Dandini is very much overplaying the role of a prince and having the time of his life. Baritone Korin Thomas-Smith has great stage presence and was clearly enjoying himself which allows us, as members of the audienc, to enjoy along with him.  His connection with the character was equivalent to that of the lovely Ms. Choe.

In Rachmaninoff's opera Aleko, the eponymous "hero" sings a cavatina in which he engages in a bit of introspection before murdering his unfaithful wife and her lover. Although we have never seen the opera, we have heard one of our favorite young singers perform this aria on a few occasions, giving us the opportunity to appreciate the performance of Nicholas Newton, whose textured bass-baritone and tortured demeanor connected us to the character and held our interest. John Arida's piano introduction established an air of portent.

In Strauss' comedy Ariadne auf Naxos, Ariadne delivers the very serious aria "Es gibt ein Reich" in contrast with some rather comical elements occurring simultaneously. Soprano Adia Evans employed an imposing stage presence and powerful instrument to create a formidable character.

Soprano Anna Thompson created a lovely Thaïs in "Dis-moi que je suis belle" from the Massenet opera but we wanted her to reveal more of the character's vanity and insecurity. The listener should not be reminded of Marguerite in Gounod's Faust who is also looking in the mirror!

Lately we have been hearing a lot of "Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen" and actually had the opportunity to coach it. We found nothing missing in the vocalism of baritone Trevor Haumschilt-Rocha but we missed the feeling of nostalgic reminiscing which could best be conveyed with the eyes.  We did like the pianissimo ending.

Mezzo Grace Ryan exhibited some lovely colors in the lower register in her performance of "Sgombra è la sacra selva" from Bellini's Norma. However, we longed to hear a bit of Adalgisa's ambivalence and guilt.

Tenor Matthew Sink gave a full-throated and powerful performance of "Mein lieber Schwan" from Wagner's Lohengrin. His delivery would benefit from the replacement of stock gestures with some more specific movement and expression.

Jennifer Robinson has a lovely instrument, well suited to coloratura roles like Amina in La Sonnambula; we found her "Care compagne" appealing. The contrast between Bellini's lengthy legato lines and the vocal fireworks of the cabaletta was well executed.

We are completely unfamiliar with Danielpour's Margaret Garner, so when mezzo-soprano Maiya Williams sang "Margaret's Lullaby" we had nothing to base our opinion on. In spite of some lovely pianissimi and gentle coloring, we were not tempted to hear any more of this opera. We were, however, interested in reading about it and it seems to have a compelling story about the African-American slave experience. But given the choice we would prefer the lullaby "Summertime" from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Opera of the 21st century has not delighted our ears.

Much credit for the success of the program must be given to collaborative pianist John Arida whose playing is always in support of the singer.

Before ending we would like to express a few thoughts. Moving the competition from the Morgan Library to Merkin Hall enhanced the intimacy of the event. However, we do not like the idea of giving large awards to half the competitors and small encouragement grants to the rest. It reminds me of the Laffont Competition at The Metropolitan Opera. We would prefer a more traditional approach, one more graduated.

And finally, we will likely expose ourself to criticism on this point but we would like to see female competitors dress down a bit. Bare skin, exposed breasts, long slits in the skirts, spangles, and glitter all distract from the performance. Male competitors don't have to deal with this issue and we find it much easier to focus on the voice. 

We close with fond memories of Nora London whose gracious and welcoming manner cannot be duplicated. That being said we are grateful to John H. Hauser, President and Executive Director of the Foundation, for keeping the torch lit and fulfilling the mission of supporting young opera singers in their uphill climb to success.

© meche kroop