WSU opera students and faculty receive honors
Graduate student Constantine Novotny and undergraduate Andrew Fisher presented a scene from "Die Fledermaus," directed by Marie Allyn King and accompanied by Bridget Hille, head of the WSU Accompanist Guild. The young men took second place, and a video of their performance will be showcased on the NOA website all year.
Constantine Novotny was also invited to sing in Warren Jones' master class. Jones is a world-renowned collaborative pianist, and has regularly accompanied Marilyn Horne, Samuel Ramey and other opera luminaries.
Distinguished Professor of Opera Samuel Ramey was honored at the convention with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and he was also one of the judges of the NOA vocal competition. Ramey has been the primary coach for the WSU singers, and he is deeply invested in their success.
WSU alumna Mandy Brown was a finalist in the Artist division of the voice competition. Brown won second place, and a prize of $1,200. Novotny holds the Samuel Ramey Fellowship in Opera, and is a student of Deborah Baxter; Fisher is a Gietzen Opera Scholar in the studio of Pina Mozzani. Their work was seen by important professionals, including distinguished coach Warren Jones, internationally renowned mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, and Darren Keith Woods, director of the Fort Worth Opera. The Student Government Association generously agreed to assist the students with travel, housing and convention registration fees.
The National Opera Association is a consortium of university, college and conservatory opera programs, summer festivals such as AIMS in Graz, Austria, and small opera companies around the United States. At the national convention, members share information, scholarship and artistic innovation. Along with master classes by distinguished artists, the annual convention features premieres of new chamber operas, a voice competition, presentation of scholarly works and the invitational opera scenes competition. http://www.noa.org/
The theme of the 2015 convention was Crossroads and Challenges: Compass Points for Creation. The convention this year explored the challenges faced by emerging artists and the many competing visions of music-making. Not only were academic programs from across the United States involved, but a wide range of professional artists from the opera and music theatre worlds were in attendance. This garnered national attention for WSU, the opera program, and the students and alumni of our program.
Networking with professionals, program directors and top students from across the nation gives WSU students visibility and professional contacts essential for career developments. This kind of interaction is also a wonderful recruiting tool, as attendees are solely composed of individuals dedicated to singer training.
Inclusion in the finals, and especially with opera great Samuel Ramey as honored guest, greatly enhanced the reputation and national visibility of WSU. Our students gained the attention of many industry professionals and companies that will be of help to them in starting their careers. Go OperaShox!