Over 200 WRTI listeners let their voices be heard on October 5 when they heard the Academy of Vocal Arts Operatic Competition on the air and then voted in our online poll for the competition's star singers.
WRTI Online Poll Winner:
First Place: Cody Austin
AVA's 2008 Giargiari Bel Canto Competition Winner:
First Prize: Jessica Julin
ABOUT THE WINNERS:
Cody Austin [listen]
First-Place Winner: WRTI Online Poll
Audience Choice: Giargiari Bel Canto Competition
Tenor Cody Austin hails from Spring, Texas, and is a third-year resident artist at The Academy of Vocal Arts.? A graduate of Indiana University and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, he has performed the roles of the Dance Master in Manon Lescaut (Act ll), Vana Kudrjas in Kat'a Kabanov?, and Gaston in La traviata.? With Concert Operetta Theatre, he impressed local audiences as Tassilo in Countess Maritza, and last summer performed the role of St. Brioche in Opera New Jersey's production of The Merry Widow.??
Nina Yoshida Nelson [listen]
Second-Place Winner: WRTI Online Poll
Mezzo-soprano? Nina Yoshida Nelsen is from Santa Barbara, CA, and holds a Master of? Music in Vocal Performance from Boston University.? She was a 2006 Jensen? Vocal Competition, National Finalist, a 2006 Metropolitan Opera National? Council National Semi-Finalist, and a National Finalist in the? Loren L.? Zachary Society National Vocal Competition in? 2005.? At AVA she has? sung the roles of Larina in Eugene Onegin, Erika in Vanessa,? Rosette in Manon, Dorabella in Cos? fan tutte, Marfa? Ignatevna Kabanova and Glasa in Kat'a Kabanov?,? and? Annina in La? traviata.? She will sing in AVA's January 2009 concert opera, La fiamma.
Jessica Julin [listen]
Third-Place Winner: WRTI Online Poll
First Prize: Giargiari Bel Canto Competition
A native Californian, soprano Jessica Julin holds music degrees from Ithaca College and Indiana University.? A fourth-year resident artist, she has sung Freia in Das Rheingold, Agatha in Der Freisch?tz, the title role in Vanessa, and? Amelia in Un ballo in maschera (Act lll).? This past summer she sang the role of Giorgetta in Il tabarro in Urbania, Italy.? Philadelphia audiences can hear her in AVA's January 9 production of Respighi's La fiamma.
Jan Cornelius [listen]
Second Prize: Giargiari Bel Canto Competition
Second-year resident artist, soprano Jan Cornelius, holds a M.M. from the University of Houston's Moore School of Music and a B.M. in Vocal Performance from Louisiana State University.?She has won several voice competitions, including second place in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Competition.? She has sung the roles of Mica?la in Carmen and Giannetta in L'elisir d'amore with Chautauqua Opera, and Nedda in I Pagliacci, Frasquita, and Mica?la in Carmen,? Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro,? and Madam Witch in Sleeping Beauty,? with Virginia Opera.? At AVA she has sung the title role in Manon Lescaut (Act ll) and Violetta in La traviata.? Miss Cornelius will sing the title role in AVA's Anna Bolena from November 8 to 22.
More Information:
Academy of Vocal Arts Website