2010 Opera Idol™ Cincinnati
Cincinnati Opera proudly announces that countertenor Michael Match has been named the winner of the company’s second annual Opera Idol™ Competition!
Cincinnati Opera’s second annual Opera Idol™ Competition began with an open audition for which nearly 60 amateur opera singers turned out to perform before a panel of professional judges. None of these singers had sung professionally with a theater company, opera company, or symphony orchestra. Through multiple rounds of voting, six finalists were chosen. Videos of those finalists in performance were posted on the Cincinnati Opera website, and the public was invited to view the videos and vote for their favorite, for which over 4,500 total votes were cast. As the winner, Match receives a $3,500 contract with Cincinnati Opera.
About Michael Match
Countertenor Michael Match, thirty-one, 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 Jacobs School of Music. During the 2007-08 season, he toured with the men’s choral ensemble, Chanticleer, singing first soprano. 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!”
Our five six 2010 Opera Idol™FINALISTS are:
we had a tie…AGAIN!
Voting is now CLOSED! But you can still watch their performances!
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| Mark Aiken | Lauren Bridges | Michelle Eppinger |
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| Denise Luebbe | Michael Match | Shannon Wilson |
Congratulations to our 2010 Opera Idol™ Semi-Finalists!
- Mark Aiken, a bass from Cincinnati, Ohio
- Lauren Bridges, a soprano from Batavia, Ohio
- Ciro DelGaudio, a tenor from Fairfield, Ohio
- Melissa Eppinger, a soprano from Cincinnati, Ohio
- Denise Marie Luebbe, a soprano from Cincinnati, Ohio
- Michael Match, a countertenor from Cincinnati, Ohio
- Akilah Ruiz, a mezzo-soprano from Erlanger, Kentucky
- Kobie Smith, a baritone from Cold Spring, Kentucky
- Emeline Thomsen, a soprano from Cincinnati, Ohio
- Shannon Wilson, a mezzo-soprano from Batavia, Ohio
ABOUT OPERA IDOL™
Cincinnati Opera launched Opera Idol™, the company’s search for the next great opera star, in June 2009. More than 160 amateur singers turned out for an open audition before a panel of professional judges. Through multiple rounds of voting, six finalists were chosen. Videos of those finalists in performance were posted on the Cincinnati Opera website, and the public was invited to view the videos and vote for their favorite, for which over 10,000 total votes were cast.
Read about the 2009 Opera Idol™ winner.
