Keith Cerny Increases Exposure For The Dallas Opera

The man leading the charge: Keith Cerny.

"The Dallas Opera will present the second 'General Director's Roundtable,' a timely and in-depth discussion of issues affecting opera, contemporary audiences, and the greater performing arts community today. The brainchild of Dallas Opera General Director & CEO Keith Cerny, this series seeks to bring together the most knowledgeable voices in their fields, both local and national, in a genuine quest for answers. The topic of our second roundtable is 'Collaboration in the Arts,' once again presented in partnership with D magazine and moderated by D magazine Arts Editor Peter Simek. The panelists, in addition to the multifaceted Mr. Cerny who hosts these events, will include the dynamic and critically acclaimed artistic director of the Dallas Theater Center, Kevin Moriarty, and the recently appointed general director of Opera Company of Philadelphia, David DeVan, who has been raising the profile of the OCP for the past six years. All
three panelists have strong opinions (and equally strong track records) about the need for increased collaboration within the performing arts. 'My ideas about exciting, new possibilities for creative partnerships in the arts were being formulated long before I ever set foot in Dallas,' explains TDO General Director & CEO Keith Cerny. 'One of my first tasks was to introduce myself to the other arts organizations in town and find the points of intersection where meaningful collaborations might be possible. Those discussions got underway almost at once, resulting in the Dallas Opera's very first simulcast last October in collaboration with AT&T Performing Arts Center, our first artistic partnership with the Dallas Museum of Art to present a world premiere song cycle inspired by works from the Permanent Collections, and the announcement of a history-making collaboration with the Dallas Theater Center to launch the Dallas Opera's new chamber opera series next March. These partnerships serve many important purposes,' adds Mr. Cerny. 'They increase our exposure in the community even as they deepen our base of support. The radical exchange of ideas, in itself, alters the way we think about this great art form. It eliminates the perceived boundaries in which we operate or perform; it makes us challenge our existing assumptions about what we can or cannot do. And, it helps us to take an art form that some regard as aloof and make it exciting and relevant for a much broader cross-section of the community.'" [Source]

Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition Semi-Finalists Named

The Texas organization has announced twenty-one semi-finalists in their 23rd annual competition that will have its final judging on Saturday, May 14, 2011, in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Some past winner alumni of the competition include Latonia Moore, Jesus Garcia, Clifton Forbis, Takesha Meshé Kizart and Jennifer Black. The judges this year include Daniel Biaggi (General Director of Palm Beach Opera), Andreas "Andy" Melinat (Director of Artistic Administration, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Christina C. Scheppelmann (Director of Artistic Operations, Washington National Opera), Joshua Winograde (Artistic Administrator, Los Angeles Opera and Director of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program) and Jonathn Pell (Artistic Director, The Dallas Opera). In previous years the competition has administered as much as $19,000 in prize money. The event is free to the public. [Source]

The full list of semi-finalists is after the jump.

· Bass-baritone Noel Bouley, age 27

· Mezzo-soprano Wendy Boyce, age 30

· Baritone Adam Cannedy, age 26

· Soprano Dee Donasco, age 28

· Soprano Katrina Galka, age 21

· Baritone Juan Galvin, age 27

· Baritone Norman Garrett, age 29

· Soprano Julie-Anne Hamula, age 27

· Counter-tenor John Holiday, Jr., age 26

· Mezzo-soprano Laura Krumm, age 23

· Baritone Ye Young Lee, age 27

· Soprano Julie Marx, age 23

· Soprano Kristen Mata, age 28

· Soprano Audra Methvin, age 24

· Baritone Najabulo Mthinkhulu, age 29

· Tenor Scott Quinn, age 30

· Tenor Ian José Ramirez, age 23

· Baritone Brent Turner, age 27

· Soprano Suzanne Vinnik, age 24

· Soprano Maren Weinberger, age 21

· Soprano Angela Yoon, age 26

James Valenti and Laura Claycomb Are Dallas Opera Stars

"Laura Claycomb (Gilda) is a highly acclaimed soprano long overdue on the Dallas stage. An operatic moment that Rigoletto fans look forward to is Gilda’s coloratura trills send high notes flying to Mount Everest heights without the arduous climb. The love song 'Caro Nome (Sweet name)' shows off Claycomb's amazing lyrical vocal abilities with pure high notes effortlessly placed with a light airiness.

 Tenor James Valenti (the Duke of Mantua) is not only a rising international opera star, he is also has striking leading man looks. His Duke of Mantua is a believable scoundrel as exemplified in the famous song 'La donna é mobile.'" [Source]

Photos: Michael L. Haynes