As you know from the previous blog, I was planning to go to Los Angeles to attend many AVA related events in May. It was a busy week and most enjoyable seeing the resident artists and alums doing what they do best – sing!
Most of my time was spent with the Loren L. Zachary Vocal Competition events. Starting on Thursday evening, I was honored to be the host of a reception for stage director Tito Capobianco, who spoke and worked with the ten finalists from the competition. The insight he gave was invaluable to the young singers. He also worked with four of them on their arias with action tips, including AVA baritone Wes Mason. (pictured left to right - Viktor Antipenko, Tito Capobianco, Olivia Moore, Wes Mason, Chloe Moore, Scott Conner, Mackie MacLean, Nedra Zachery, Peter Huber)
Saturday was the actual competition. I had great company in the audience, including AVA Board Chairman, Mackie MacLean, AVA faculty members Bill Schuman and Thor Eckert, and AVA alums Ailyn Pérez, Stephen Costello and Alex Lawrence. All the singers did a wonderful job and AVA singers took the top prizes of first (Scott Conner, bass), second (Olivia Vote, mezzo-soprano), and third (Chloé Moore, soprano). (pictured left to right - Alex Lawrence, Scott Conner, Olivia Vote, Chloe Moore)
I attended the Judges Dinner that evening as Nedra Zahary’s guest. She is the founder of this forty year old vocal competition. I had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people during the event who knew of the work AVA has been doing. In the program for the competition was a list of the past winners, and I counted twenty-four of them from AVA. (pictured - Me and Nedra Zachary)
The rest of the trip was filled with musical and AVA related adventures, but that’s for another blog!
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