Young Opera Singers Compete in Sarasota in National Vocal Contest

Young Opera Singers Compete in National Vocal Contest in Sarasota

Jay Handelman

Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Sunday, May 28, 2023

The Sarasota Opera season has ended but audiences can get a glimpse of the future of the art form during the second national finals for the Schmidt Vocal Competition program.

More than 30 young singers who emerged as winners in 14 regional competitions will take the Sarasota Opera House stage for the semi-final, and up to 16 will be in the final round during the two-day event on June 3 and 4. The competition, a masterclass and an awards presentation are open to the public.

“We’re so happy with the partnership we have with the Sarasota Opera,” where the inaugural event was held last year, said Linda McAlister, executive director of Schmidt Vocal Arts, which sponsors the competition that has awarded $650,000 in prizes and scholarships to young singers this year. The national contest offers a $10,000 first prize, $7,500 for second place and $5,000 for third.

The regional contests had been conducted for 25 years before the national competition was launched last year. This year’s event is expected to include six singers from Florida, several of whom traveled to different regional contests to earn their places.

Nicole DiPasquale singing during the 2022 Schmidt Vocal Competition at the Sarasota Opera House. DiPasquale won the $10,000 first place prize. LORI SAX/PROVIDED BY SCHMIDT VOCAL ARTS

Last year’s winner, Nicole DiPasquale, is from the Tampa area, and has just completed her freshman year at the Boston Conservatory of Music. She said the contest gave her the financial ability to thrive in college and a support network of other singers whom she has met through competitions and other Schmidt regional programs.

DiPasquale said she grew up listening to classical singing with her grandmother.

“She loved to listen to opera all the time. That was my entrance into classical voice, but from the beginning I wanted to study classical voice,” the 19-year- old said in a telephone interview. “It sounded very glamorous to me as a child. I liked how emotive the singers were. They were very full of expression and that really speaks to me. I started enjoying it because she listened to it, and then I started listening on my own.”

DiPasquale said winning last year’s competition has given her a bit more recognition.

“It really puts your name in the right people’s mouths. So far, it has created a lot of great connections for me, helping me get where I want to be. Entering BoCo, people were aware that I had won this and they already had this sense of your character. It helps to create a good reputation,” she said.

DiPasquale will be back in Sarasota for this year’s competition but is looking forward to just enjoying the music and the building. ‘I’m excited to see that space again. I love that opera house.”

For the semi-final round on June 3, the judges will be pianist and coach Margo Garrett, mezzo-soprano Kathryn Hartgrove, tenor Stanford Olson, soprano Beth Roberts and bass-baritone Kevin Short, who has performed frequently in Sarasota.

For the finals on June 4, the judging panel includes soprano Alyson Cambridge, Detroit Opera Associate Artistic Director Christine Goerke, and Cincinnati Opera Artistic Director Evans Mirageas.

Dalila Lugo, who won second place at the 2022 Schmidt Vocal Competition in Sarasota, is expected to compete again this year. LORI SAX/PROVICED BY SCHMIDT VOCAL ARTS

DiPasquale said she always gets more excited than nervous at competitions. “That environment with a lot of pressure helps me to perform my best. The environment was very supportive and not competitive in the way others can be.”

Singers can enter the competition more than once. Dalila Lugo, who took second place last year, qualified to return, McAlister said.

More than 5,000 young singers have been involved in the competitions, the oldest of the Schmidt Vocal Arts programs, since they started in 1997. It also offers a two-week intensive summer residential program and a scholarship program.

McAlister said the number of participants and the quality of the singers eases any potential doubts about the future of opera.

“The art form is going to be safe in their hands, at least in their lifetime,” she said. “We hear some amazing young singers. A lot of them are so passionate about the craft of singing and music already. It’s wonderful to see.”

The program is named for William E. Schmidt, a longtime donor and former Sarasota Opera board member who died in 2014. With the encouragement of his sister, Anna Lee Hamilton, he launched the competition program in Indiana.

Schmidt Vocal Competition National Finals

Semi-finals at 10 a.m. June 3, $15, $10 for students. Master class at 10:30 a.m. Final round and awards ceremony begin at 1 p.m. June 4. $25 for the day, $10 for students. 941-328-1300; sarasotaopera.org