You can hear these 10 local talents live on July 8, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. in concert at the Aronoff’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater. It's YOUR chance to vote for our finalists who will go on to compete to be our 2010 Opera Idol™ winner!
All seats are $10 and can be purchased online or by calling the Cincinnati Arts Association box office at (513) 621-2787.
Mark Aiken
A Miami University undergraduate, bass Mark Aiken has been studying music under Alison Acord for the past three years. She is, in fact, Mark’s musical role model. Currently a resident of Cincinnati, the twenty-one-year-old runs four beer bottle stands on the lawn at Riverbend Music Center. He found himself at Opera Idol™ auditions as moral support for a friend, and auditioned on a whim. Without the chance to warm up, Mark sang “O Isis und Osiris” from Mozart’s
The Magic Flute, hoping to impress with the low notes. “I didn’t think for a moment that I would actually make it this far,” Mark says. But the experience is a great culmination of his past four years, in which he has been transformed from a kid who did not know classical music to an Opera Idol™ semi-finalist. And that, he says, is already a “pretty good story.”
Lauren Bridges
Lauren Bridges is an eighteen-year-old soprano from Batavia, Ohio, who has been singing all of her life. She listens to a variety of music, but loves to sing opera because it challenges her and teaches her new things about her voice with every song. Lauren’s audition piece was “Chacun le sait” from Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment because she wanted to show the judges she was having fun and the song is “a blast to sing.” She gains inspiration from her grandfather for a simple reason—he loves to sing. She hopes that winning the Opera Idol™ competition will help her introduce younger people to how fun opera can be. In addition, Lauren said, “I want to be proof that hard work and lots of practice really do pay off in the long run.”
Ciro Del Gaudio
Tenor Ciro Del Gaudio, age forty-nine, began singing in his late teens with various school groups. He studied voice with Berle Sanford Rosenberg in New York for several years. Originally from Brooklyn, Ciro now lives in Fairfield, Ohio, and currently works at GE as a senior tax analyst. He enjoys listening to and singing operatic works, Neapolitan songs, and has recently begun to enjoy Spanish songs. His wife encouraged him to audition for Opera Idol™, because she believed it would be a great opportunity for him to perform again. Ciro sang “Princesita” by Jose Padilla because of its melody and audience appeal. He was proud to see the number of people who desired to share their voice; in his eyes, it is proof that opera is active and alive in the community.
Melissa Eppinger
Melissa Eppinger, a soprano, began singing in her church choir in Cleveland, Ohio, at a young age. It was not until she was nineteen, however, that Melissa developed a passion for professional singing. At Central State University, Melissa studied voice under William Henry Caldwell and Christina Haan. Now twenty-nine, Melissa lives in Cincinnati and teaches language arts at Alliance Academy. She finds herself singing contemporary Christian music most passionately as it allows her to express her love for God through her gift of music. Fittingly, Melissa sang “The Lord’s Prayer” for her Opera Idol™ audition. Melissa is honored and humbled to have been selected as a semi-finalist. Winning the Opera Idol™ competition, she says, “would allow me the opportunity to share the gift that God has given me with others.”
Denise Luebbe
After several years away from singing, soprano Denise Luebbe, age 42, auditioned for Opera Idol™ and impressed judges with her rendition of “Let the Bright Seraphim” from Handel’s Samson. Denise divides her time between her hometown of Cincinnati and Querétaro, Mexico. She first began singing at age twenty-three and studied voice with Patricia Berlin at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. For years she dedicated herself to raising two sons, and with their support and that of her husband she chose to take her chance at Opera Idol™. “I think I have some unfinished business to tend to as far as singing is concerned,” said Denise.
Michael Match
Countertenor Michael Match, 31, began working in the church choir at age eleven by playing the organ, but did not begin singing until high school. Originally from Niles, Ohio, Michael earned his B.A. in voice from Youngstown State University and his M.M. from Indiana University. He has always had a passion for opera music, but as a countertenor found that his talent was not very marketable. Currently an organist and music director at Saint Aloysius Gonzaga in Cincinnati, Michael “loves teaching voice and pedagogy.” He sang “L’angue offeso” from Handel’s Julius Caesar at the audition, while cautioning himself “don’t forget to tell them you’re a countertenor before you start singing!” Michael says Opera Idol™ is “amazingly unique…[a] fantastic opportunity and the best way of coming one step closer [to] actually getting out and performing.”
Akilah Ruiz
Mezzo-soprano Akilah Ruiz has been singing in children’s choirs since the third grade, and has studied voice for three years at Northern Kentucky University. The twenty-two-year-old currently resides in Erlanger, Kentucky, where she works at Cheddar’s Casual Café as a waitress. Though she used to prefer singing the blues, which allow her express her unique vocal style, she now expresses an equal fondness for performing opera repertoire, which always presents her with new challenges. In addition to singing, Akilah has also developed a passion for writing blues music. She auditioned for Opera Idol™ with the hopes that it would give her the opportunity to really begin pursuing her dreams. Akilah chose to sing “When I am Laid in Earth” from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas for the range and emotion it requires of a performer.
Kobie Smith
Kobie Smith, 26, is a young baritone from Montgomery, Alabama, who has been singing in church choirs since he was a child. He studied voice while attending the University of Alabama, and he now resides in Cold Spring, Kentucky. Kobie works as an assistant development officer for the National Major Gifts Program at the University of Cincinnati Foundation. He enjoys singing opera because it combines his loves of singing, acting, and great orchestral music. At his audition, Kobie sang “Make Them Hear You” from the musical Ragtime. He wants to win the Opera Idol™ competition because “performing on stage is a dream of mine and Cincinnati Opera has given me an opportunity to pursue that dream.”
Emeline Thomsen
Emeline Thomsen, 34, is a soprano from Cincinnati, Ohio. She became serious about singing in high school, and is now a private voice teacher and a stay-at-home mom. For her audition she chose to sing “Je Veux Vivre” from Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet because she finds the music moving. Emeline received her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Louisiana State University. She listens to an assortment of music, and has a secret passion for singing jazz. Her singing inspiration is soprano Anna Moffo, because “she sings with such clarity and has wonderful technique.” She wants to win the Opera Idol™ competition because she hopes to expose new people to opera.
Shannon Wilson
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Shannon Wilson began singing at age fifteen. A mezzo-soprano, she followed her dreams to Northern Kentucky University, where she is completing a Bachelor’s degree in vocal performance. Shannon has studied opera throughout her years as a singer, and hopes that the Opera Idol™ competition will further her opera career. Now a resident of Batavia, Ohio, the twenty-five-year-old works as a server at Red Lobster and spends free time with her daughter, playing soccer, and reading. Shannon’s role model is the late Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson, also a mezzo-soprano. Her iPod hosts a mix of all musical styles, especially blues, jazz, and opera. For her Opera Idol™ audition, Shannon sang “Va! Laisse couler mes larmes,” from Massenet’s Werther, a piece that she greatly enjoys performing.
