In This Issue

From the President

David Holley

This abbreviated issue of NOA NOTES has an updated schedule for our exciting 60th annual convention, as well as some reminders about two important approaching deadlines: 

• The Carolyn Bailey and Dominick Argento Vocal Competition (http://www.noa.org/competitions/vocal-competition.html)

• The Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition (http://www.noa.org/competitions/opera-scenes-guidelines.html)

 
The Collegiate Opera Scenes is including, for the very first time, a brand new Musical Theater Scenes category. The deadline is October 18^th, and our very capable and enthusiastic Vice President of Regions is promising us an outstanding experience at our upcoming convention.
If you have questions about our convention, you can email me directly at: d_holley@uncg.edu
 
See you in Greensboro in January!!
 
Best,
 
David 
d_holley@uncg.edu

From the Editor

Kathleen Roland-Silverstein

Folks, we're sending this out to you in haste, in order to encourage you to jump on some opportunities that we think you'll be excited about.  

The first year I joined the National Opera Association, my own student, a promising young soprano by the name of Christin Wismann, was honored to win first place in the Artist's division of our voice competition. She's gone on to do some pretty amazing singing, at Julliard,  Aspen, and around the world, but it was that first win at the NOA convention in New York City that gave her a tremendous boost and sent her on her way. 

The deadline for the Carolyn Bailey and Dominick Argento Vocal Competition is next week, Wednesday, October 15th. Your most promising students can participate- direct them to the noa.org website today. And check out the Collegiate Scenes competition at the same website.

Our convention schedule is here as well. What an exciting line-up we have for all of you!

Just a word about our wonderful Face of NOA, Ms. Stephanie Blythe.  Yes, she was electrifying as our keynote speaker at last January's convention in New York City. And I have had the privilege of seeing her in action just recently, when Stephanie and pianist Warren Jones came to my university to perform and work with our students in a master class.  "Life-changing" was the adjective I heard most frequently.  We could not have a more dynamic representative, nor one more dedicated to advancing our art form into the 21st century. 

If you want a major shot in the arm, come to Greensboro and NOA this January!

Best,
Kathleen   
kathleenroland@mac.com

Stephanie Blythe

The new FACE OF NOA

Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe is considered to be one of the most highly respected and critically acclaimed artists of her generation. Her keynote address at the 2014 NOA conference in NYC greatly inspired attendees, and she has graciously committed to be the Face of NOA for 2014-2016.

Ms. Blythe has sung in many of the renowned opera houses in the US and Europe, including the Metroplitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Seattle Opera, San Diego Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and the Opera National de Paris.  Many of her roles include the title roles in Carmen, Samson et Dalila, Orfeo ed Euridice, La Grande Duchesse, Tancredi, Mignon and Guilio Cesare; Principessa and Zita in Il trittico, Fricka in Das Rheingold and Die Walkure, Waltraute in Götterdammerung, Azucena in Il trovatore, Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera, Baba the Turk in The Rake’s Progress, Jezibaba in Rusalka, Jocasta in Oedipus Rex, Mere Marie in Dialogues des Carmélites, Mistress Quickly in Falstaff, and Ino/Juno in Semele.  She recently played the role of Gertrude Stein in the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s Twenty-Seven at the Opera Theater of Saint Louis.  Ms. Blythe has also appeared with many of the world’s finest orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Orchestra of New York, Minnesota Orchestra, Halle Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Ensemble Orchestra de Paris, the Concertgerbouw and Les Violons du Roy.
 
A champion of American song, Ms. Blythe has premiered song cycles composed for her by Alan Louis Smith and the late James Legg.  Her acclaimed show with pianist Craig Terry, We’ll Meet Again: The Songs of Kate Smith was seen on PBS and continues to be a success in live venues around the country.  She is the Artistic Director of the Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar, a program for emerging singers and collaborative pianists that focuses solely on American art song by living composers, held every May on the campus of her alma mater, SUNY Potsdam.  She is also a faculty member at the Tanglewood Music Center.
 
Some of her many upcoming engagements this year include a return to the Metropolitan Opera in The Rake’s Progress, to the Lyric Opera of Chicago for Il trovatore, and to Carnegie Hall for a recital in Stern Auditorium.  She is thrilled to be involved with NOA, and looks forward to attending the 2015 conference where she will conduct a master class and serve on the judges panel for the vocal competition.