Here is my Monday April 6 Chicago Sun-Times and suntimes.com review of the Saturday April 4, 2009 "Rising Stars in Concert" performance by members of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Ryan Opera Center.
Winners of the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and featured subjects in the new MET Opera film, The Audition, including Lyric Opera of Chicago Ryan Center members the late Ryan Smith (far left) and Amber Wagner (third from left).
2009 Lyric Rising Stars at their April 4 curtain call. Photo: Dan Rest.
Opera's in good hands, Lyric 'Rising Stars' concert shows
LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO
Rising Stars in Concert 2009
BY ANDREW PATNER
That chance plays a role, along with skill and drive, in artistic success was underscored by Saturday's Lyric Opera of Chicago "Rising Stars in Concert" program at the Civic Opera House. What if a high school student hadn't heard an operatic aria performed at a school assembly? What if a conservatory student from a low-income family hadn't received a personal loan from a neighbor to pursue her dream? What if a soprano has a cold on the day of her big audition?
This year's showcase of the members of Lyric's professional training program, the Ryan Opera Center, was a celebration of ongoing achievement by 11 outstanding young North American singers. But it also reflected the mortality, even of the young and talented: First-year member Ryan Smith, considered one of the most promising tenors recruited by center director Gianna Rolandi, died of lymphoma in November. He was 31.
Opera itself can take on the big issues of life, death, and their meanings as well as offer fine entertainment. Saturday evening's concert was weighted with heavy numbers by Verdi and Richard Strauss. There was but one Puccini aria -- and a tough one, with long high notes for the tenor, Rinuccio's song of praise for the title character of Gianni Schicchi. Unfortunately, there also were no English language selections and none written in the last 75 years.
Every one of the singers, six men and five women -- second-year tenor David Portillo is performing this month with Opera Company of Philadelphia -- showed promise for a place in the operatic universe. And while all are still building their voices and presentation, several gave signs Saturday that they might follow in the footsteps of such successful Center alums as Nicole Cabell, Matthew Polenzani, Elizabeth Futral, Joseph Kaiser, and Erin Wall, who makes her Metropolitan Opera debut this month as Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni.
To these ears, the big news was Oregon-born soprano Amber Wagner, like the late Ryan Smith a 2007 Metropolitan National Council Audition winner and a subject of a new documentary on that competition, The Audition, having its première across the country on April 19. As both Amelia in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera and in the title role in a duet with the fine Chicago Opera Theater soprano Andriana Chuchman from Strauss's Arabella, Wagner showed off both a big, beautiful voice and a maturity and theatrical style well beyond her years.
Bass-baritone Paul Corona, Elk Grove Village's own and another known quantity from COT, continues to grow, and shared a bit of a preview of Lyric's 2009-10 season with Silva's Act I scene from Verdi's Ernani. First-year soprano Angela Mannino earned her soubrette's wings with comic and decorated numbers from Donizetti and Ambroise Thomas. Graduating second-year Daniel Billings was gripping in Rodrigo's recitative and death scene from Verdi's Don Carlo. And second-year tenor Edward Mout held those high shouts of delight at the end of the Gianni Schicchi scene.
Philip Morehead, Lyric's indispensable head of music staff, ably conducted the superb Lyric Opera Orchestra in the 18 widely varied selections.
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