Riders Opera Finalist in NYF Radio Awards
"Monumental and well-crafted…Craig Bohmler's Riders of the Purple Sage can now lay claim to a rightful place in the canon of works about the American West." WFMT's American Opera Series broadcast of Riders has been named a finalist in the New York Festivals Radio Awards.
June 27, 2017
The WFMT broadcast of Riders of the Purple Sage, the world premiere opera written by Olivier Award-nominated composer Craig Bohmler and commissioned by Arizona Opera, aired in 400 cities throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
The broadcast, hosted by Naomi Lewin and co-produced by Kristin Atwell Ford, has now been recognized as a Finalist in the New York Festivals Radio Awards "Best Music Special" category.
Jorge Mejia Named A Steinway Artist
A Steinway Artist featured in Billboard Magazine’s “40 under 40” and “Latin Power Players” lists, classical pianist and composer Jorge Mejia defies easy categorization.
October 18, 2017
““Steinway represents everything I strive for as an artist: an unflinching dedication to beauty and unparalleled artistry. There is simply no other piano for me.””
Featured in Billboard Magazine’s “40 under 40” and “Latin Power Players” lists, classical pianist and composer Jorge Mejia defies easy categorization. His impassioned performances and evocative compositional style are enriched by his role as a leader in the Latin music world, infusing all facets of his work with a keenly global perspective.
Jorge has now been named a Steinway Artist by Steinway & Sons. He is thrilled to join the ranks of such legendary artists as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Arthur Rubinstein, and Keith Jarrett.
Jamie Barton Receives 2017 Beverly Sills Artist Award
The $50,000 prize is awarded annually by the Metropolitan Opera to one of its most promising young singers.
January 31, 2017
“I am truly humbled to be receiving an award given in honor of Beverly Sills, whose lively presence helped opera shine even where classical music previously felt unreachable and elite. Her offstage commitment to cultivating and celebrating homegrown American artistry and her onstage collaborations with people from all walks of art – from “Sills and Burnett at the Met” to “The Muppet Show” and “The Tonight Show” – helped make opera accessible to all and addictive to many. Her ability to communicate an unfolding story with every vocal nuance continues to inspire me – it’s that kind of artistry that moves me as an audience member, and it’s the kind of storytelling I strive for in my own performances. To be not only honored by the Metropolitan Opera but also to become part of a legacy that includes such strong advocates for our art form is one of the greatest honors I can imagine.”
Photo by Jonathan Tichler
See what the New York Times had to say, and read an excerpt from the Metropolitan Opera below:
Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton has been named the winner of the 12th annual Beverly Sills Artist Award for young singers at the Metropolitan Opera. The $50,000 award, the largest of its kind in the United States, is given to extraordinarily gifted singers between the ages of 25 and 40 who have already appeared in featured solo roles at the Met. The award, given in honor of Beverly Sills, was established in 2006 by an endowment gift from the late Agnes Varis, a managing director on the Met board. Barton, who came to prominence as a winner of the Met’s National Council Auditions in 2007, has distinguished herself in recent seasons with acclaimed Met performances of Adalgisa in Bellini’s Norma, Giovanna Seymour in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena, and Fenena in Verdi’s Nabucco. She is currently in rehearsals for her role debut as the witch Ježibaba in Mary Zimmerman’s new staging of Dvořák’s Rusalka, which opens February 2.
The Sills Award was created to help further recipients’ careers, including funding for voice lessons, vocal coaching, language lessons, related travel costs, and other professional assistance. Sills, who passed away in 2007, was well known as a supporter and friend to developing young artists, and this award continues her legacy as an advocate for rising singers. The 35-year-old Barton is the 12th recipient of the award, following baritone Nathan Gunn in 2006, mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato in 2007, tenor Matthew Polenzani in 2008, bass John Relyea in 2009, soprano Susanna Phillips in 2010, mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard in 2011, soprano Angela Meade in 2012, tenor Brian Hymel in 2013, tenor Michael Fabiano in 2014, baritone Quinn Kelsey in 2015, and soprano Ailyn Pérez in 2016.
Conductor Christopher Allen Recognized by Solti Foundation U.S.
The 30-year-old maestro receives a 2016 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award.
May 3, 2016
Photo by Gabriel Gastelum
Christopher Allen, John L. Magro Resident Conductor at Cincinnati Opera, and Associate Conductor at Los Angeles Opera, has been named as a recipient of a 2016 Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award.
Now in its twelfth year of assisting outstanding young U.S. conductors to further develop their talent and careers, the Solti Foundation U.S. is the foremost organization in the United States dedicated exclusively to helping young conductors.
The mission of the Solti Foundation U.S. is to identify, support and promote emerging young American conductors as they launch their classical careers.
Established in 2000 to honor the memory of Sir Georg Solti by lending significant support to career-ready young American musicians, the Foundation endeavors to seek out those musicians who have chosen to follow a path similar to that followed by Sir Georg himself.
Verismo Clients Featured in "Best of 2015" Round-Ups
Jamie Barton, Corinne Winters, and Amanda Majeski have made round-ups in New York, St. Louis, and Chicago.
December 31, 2015
Verismo clients are popping up in several "Best of 2015" Year in Review lists:
BroadwayWorld.com Best of New York Opera in 2015
Jamie Barton
"Jamie Barton in EVERYTHING and ANYTHING. I was taken with mezzo Barton's velvety, cavernous voice the first time I heard it and it has only become more appealing with every performance, particularly as Anna Bolena's rival Giovanna Seymour."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch Year in Review for Classical Music
Corinne Winters
"Canción Amorosa: Songs of Spain. Corinne Winters began her career as a Gerdine Young Artist at OTSL and has built it internationally with the company’s support. This recording is a beautiful selection of miniatures in characteristically Spanish styles."
Chicago Tribune's Best of 2015 in Chicago Classical Music
Amanda Majeski
"Crime and punishment on the operatic stage: Mieczyslaw Weinberg's powerful, Holocaust-themed "The Passenger," [starring Amanda Majeski] in its Midwest premiere at Lyric Opera."