ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>The Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation - 2011 Winners Biography</TITLE> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Shift_JIS"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Script-Type" content="text/javascript"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" href="../main.css"> <script type="text/javascript" src="../rollover.js"></script> </HEAD> <BODY> <div align="center"> <TABLE border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="700" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <!-- Header Starts Here --> <TR><TD align="center" height="" bgcolor="#ffffff"><a name="top"><img src="../img/logo.gif" border="0"></a></TD></TR> <TR><TD align="center"> <TABLE border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="660"> <TR><TD align="center"><hr size="1" color="#9e0b0f" noshade></TD></TR> </TABLE> </TD></TR> <!-- Header Ends Here --> <TR><TD height="15"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <!-- Contents Starts Here --> <TR><TD align="center"> <TABLE border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="660"> <!-- Page Title Starts Here --> <TR><TD align="center" valign="top" width="" height=""><font color="#003471" size="5" class="lll"> 2011 International Vocal Competition<br> Winners Biography</TD></TR> <!-- Page Title Ends Here --> <TR><TD align="center" height="10"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR><TD align="center" valign="top" width="" height=""><font size="3" class="lm"><a href="2011.html">Click here for winners list</a></TD></TR> <TR><TD align="center" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <!-- Bio Starts Here --> <TR><TD align="center" valign="top" width="660"> <TABLE border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="600"> <!-- Top Prize--> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Top Prize</b></font></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-1.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Margaret W. Mezzacappa, Mezzo-Soprano</b> has appeared with Opera Company of Philadelphia as Emilie in <i>Othello</i>. Appeared at the Kennedy Center in concert. She attends the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. She has received many Awards from prestigious International Vocal Competitions. First Prize Winner of the 2011 Gerda Lissner Foundation Competition.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" height="5"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center"><hr size="1" width="50%" color="#003471" noshade></TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" height="5"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <!-- 1st Prize--> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>First Prize</b></font></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-2.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Corinne Winters, Soprano.</b> This season she joins the roster of the Metropolitan Opera for the new production of <i>Das Rheingold</i>, conducted by James Levine and made her Met debut as Countess Ceprano in <i>Rigoletto</i>. Will be singing <i>Fiordiligi</i> with Lake George Opera and return to Opera Theatre of St. Louis in 2012.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" height="5"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center"><hr size="1" width="50%" color="#003471" noshade></TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" height="5"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <!--2nd Prize--> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Second Prize</b></font></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-3.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Cedel Brandon, Bass-Baritone</b> has appeared with the Music Academy of the West in the <i>Barber of Seville</i> and Opera Company of Philadelphia in Tosca. He attends the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He is a Top Winner of The Gerda Lissner Competition 2011. Has also appeared in Italy and France in concert.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" height="5"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center"><hr size="1" width="50%" color="#003471" noshade></TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" height="5"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <!--3rd Prize--> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Third Prize</b></font></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-4.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Jonathan Beyer, Baritone.</b> This season he joins the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in <i>Faust</i>. He will also be appearing in Opera in Frankfurt, Germany and Opera Hong Kong in <i>La Boheme</i>. He will be appearing with Pittsburgh Opera, The Dallas Opera, Forth Worth Opera, and Austin Lyric Opera. He was First Prize Winner of the George London Competition in 2011.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" height="5"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center"><hr size="1" width="50%" color="#003471" noshade></TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" height="5"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <!--4th Prize--> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Fourth Prize</b></font></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-5.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Emily Duncan-Brown, Soprano,</b> studies at Mannes College of the New School for Music. Sang Adina in <i>L Elisir of Love</i> for the International Vocal Arts Institute in Israel. Covered Inez in <i>L Africaine</i> at Avery Fisher Hall for Opera Orchestra of New York in 2011. Has appeared at Tanglewood Music Center as Echo in <i>Ariadne of Naxos</i>. Has appeared with Chautauqua Institution in Opera.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" height="5"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center"><hr size="1" width="50%" color="#003471" noshade></TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" height="5"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <!--5th Prize--> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Fifth Prize</b></font></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-6.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Emalie Savoy, Soprano</b> is a member of The Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera. Will be making her Met Opera debut as Kristina in The <i>Makropoulos Case</i> in 2012. She has completed her studies at the Juilliard School. Received the 2011 Leonie Rysanek First Prize from the George London Foundation. She also will appear with the New York Philharmonic in the <i>Cunning Little Vixen</i> in 2011.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" height="5"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center"><hr size="1" width="50%" color="#003471" noshade></TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" height="5"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <!--Grant Winners--> <TR><TD colspan="2" align="center" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Grant Winners</b></font></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-7.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Natalie Aroyan, Soprano</b> is completing her professional studies in Opera at Mannes College of the New School for Music. Has appeared in concert in Sydney, Australia. Has studied with the Solti Te Kanawa Accademia Program in Tuscany, Italy. Was a 2011 Second Place Winner in the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition and has won many other Awards.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-8.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Luigi Boccia, Tenor</b> spent most of his early life in Italy. He studied musicology at University of Pavia with renowned tenor, Gianni Raimondi, a star of La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. In the United States he has appeared in <i>Don Giovanni</i>, <i>Gianni Schicchi</i>, and <i>Il Barbiere di Siviglia</i>. He received First Prize from the 2008 Gerda Lissner Foundation and the 2011 Violetta Dupont Vocal Competitions. Has appeared as Alfredo in Verdi s <i>La Traviata</i> at Opera at Florham in June 2010.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-9.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Liam Bonner, Baritone.</b> In the 2010-2011 season, he sings his first performances of Pelleas in <i>Pelleas and Melisande</i> with Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Morales in <i>Carmen</i> and joined the company as Horatio in <i>Hamlet</i>. He sing his first performance of Zurga in <i>Les pecheur de perles</i> with New Orleans Opera, Ned Keene in <i>Peter Grimes</i> in a return to Houston Grand Opera.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-10.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Deanna Breiwick, Soprano.</b> Winner of Grand Finals, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions 2011. Will appear as Zaide in Mozart, <i>Zaide</i> at Zankel Hall in 2011. She will be singing Nannetta in Falstaff for the Aspen Opera Theater Center. Has appeared at Tanglewood Music Center in <i>Ariadne of Naxos</i>. She is soprano soloist in a new recording of Mahler, Fourth Symphony.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-11.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Michelle B. Johnson, Soprano.</b> Winner of Grand Finals, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions 2011. Sings in the Alba Music Festival in the Verdi Requiem in Italy. Has appeared with Opera Tampa, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the Music Academy of the West, Tanglewood Music Center and in Concert at Carnegie Hall. Studies at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. Received First Prize in the Marion Anderson Scholars Competition in Philadelphia in 2011.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-12.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Alexander W. Lewis, Tenor</b> is in his first year of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program of the Metropolitan Opera. This year he has performed the role of Vasek in the Met-Juilliard production of <i>The Bartered Bride</i>, under the baton of Maestro James Levine, and his first recital as tenor as part of The Lindemann Program recital series. In 2010, he completed The Merola Opera Program in San Francisco where he performed Nemorino in <i>L elisir d amore</i>. He is recipient of numerous Awards.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-13.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Yi Li, Tenor</b> studied at Sichuan Conservatory of Music in China, pursuing a Masters degree in Vocal Performance. He appeared in Opera in China with great success singing in Verdi s <i>La Traviata</i> and Puccini s <i>Tosca</i>. He is studying at the University of Cincinnati for a Masters degree. Winner of the First Prize World Chinese Singing Competition in Taipei. Also was a Winner in the Montserrat Caballe International Singing Competition in Spain.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-14.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Nicholas Masters, Bass.</b> Winner of Grand Finals, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions 2011. Studying at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. Will be appearing at Caramoor Festival as Walter in <i>William Tell</i>. Also appeared at Wolf Trap Opera and at Glimmerglas Opera. Has sung with the famous Sinfonica di Orchestra in Italy. In 2011 he received Awards from Opera Index, The George London Foundation, and First Prize from The Gerda Lissner Foundation.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-15.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Takaoki Onishi, Baritone</b> received First Prize at the Juilliard Voice Competition and will begin his studies at Juilliard with a full scholarship. Received First Prize in Voice Competition in Tokyo and the famous Concorso di Lirica in Italy. Has sung in concert in Tokyo, Japan the Verdi and Mozart Requiem. Received an Encouragement Award from the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition and the Giulio Gari Competition.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-16.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Nicholas Pallesen, Baritone</b> has been appearing at the New York City Opera as Sharpless in <i>Butterfly</i> and in <i>Capriccio</i>. He also appeared at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, El Paso Opera, Castleton Festival Opera and in the famous Festival of Opera in Rome. In concert with The National Philharmonic, The Vancouver (BC) Symphony, The Louisiana Philharmonic, National Theater Orchestra of Prague. Winner of many Awards from famous Vocal Competitions.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-17.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Danielle Pastin, Soprano</b> appearing at the Metropolitan Opera as Masha in The <i>Queen of Spades</i> and as Juliet with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Appeared with The Santa Fe Opera, The Pittsburgh Opera, Central City Opera. Has been a resident artist of the Pittsburgh Opera Center and Central City Opera. Has been a Richard Tucker Career Grant participant.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-18.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Jennifer Rowley, Soprano</b> will soon be making her debut with Opera Australia and the Norwegian National Opera. Has appeared at Caramoor Music Festival as Maria di Rohan. Has appeared with the Martina Arroyo Foundation Prelude to Performance. She has received a First Prize in The Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition 2011 and received Awards from many prestigious Vocal Competitions.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-19.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Jessica Stavros, Soprano</b> will be making her debut at Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Dusseldorf, Germany in 2011. Has appeared with the Glimmerglass Festival as Donna Elvira in <i>Don Giovanni</i> for the Music Academy of the West. Received her Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from Manhattan School of Music. Was in 2011 Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition Regional Winners and National Semi-Finalist.</font></TD> </TR> <TR><TD colspan="2" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> <TR> <TD align="left" valign="top" width="100"><img src="../img/winners11-20.jpg"></TD> <TD align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000" size="3" class="lm"><b>Suzanne Vinnik, Soprano</b> will be appearing with the Pittsburgh Opera in the lead role of Leila in <i>Les Pecheur de perles</i> in 2011 and sings Violetta in <i>La Traviata</i> with Opera Hong Kong in 2012. Has sung at the Academia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia as Mimi in <i>La Boheme</i> in Italy. Has appeared in Opera Festivals in Finland and Germany. Appearing with Loren Mazel at the Castleton at the Castleton Festival as Musetta in <i>La Boheme</i>.</font></TD> </TR> </TABLE> </TD></TR> <!-- Bio Ends Here --> <TR><TD align="center" height="20"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> </TABLE> </TD></TR> <!-- Contents Ends Here --> <!-- Footer Starts Here --> <TR><TD align="center"> <TABLE border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="660"> <TR><TD align="center"><hr size="1" color="#9e0b0f" noshade></TD></TR> </TABLE> </TD></TR> <TR><TD align="center"> <TABLE border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="660"> <TR><TD align="center"><img src="../img/copyright.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> </TABLE> </TD></TR> <TR><TD align="center" height="25"><img src="../img/clear.gif" border="0"></TD></TR> </TABLE> </div> </BODY> </HTML>