The Heartland Sings 2024 Vocal Competition
From a large field of talent spanning the globe to now a carefully chosen group of semi-finalists, our vocal competition will feature top vocal artists. The competition ends with a grand finale at ‘A Night At The Opera’ production where finalists provide a stellar performance before the competition winners are announced.
Catch the competition
Sit in on the competition and listen as our semi-finalists perform their selected pieces for the judges. No ticket is necessary. A more detailed list of performance times will be published as determined.
Monday, May 20th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
(no ticket necessary)
Plymouth Congregational Church
501 W Berry St.
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Catch the concert
Winners from our competition will be announced during Heartland Sings’ production of ‘A Night At The Opera.’ All finalists will perform in this production, with the three finalists featured. Judges will announce the winner near the conclusion of the concert.
Wednesday, May 22nd
Rhinehart Music Center, Purdue University
FW2101 East Coliseum Boulevard
Fort Wayne, IN
Get tickets now!
Competition Semi-Finalists
Bethany Jelinek
Soprano
Addison, Texas
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Bethany Jelinek, soprano, is a versatile young artist based in Dallas, TX. Praised for her “flawless vocal technique”, Ms. Jelinek is a passionate performer and a dynamic competitor. She is the winner of the 2024 North Dakota-Manitoba District Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition. She was the recipient of the 2023 Jonathan Pell People’s Choice Award from the Dallas Opera Guild Biennial Lone Star Vocal Competition. While in school, she earned the 2022 Roy and Sue Johnson Opera Theatre Award, and the 2021 Thomas Hayward Memorial Award for outstanding undergraduate singer at SMU.
Chuanyuan Liu
Countertenor
Washington, DC
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Praised for his "otherworldly flourish" (The Wall Street Journal) and "intense stage presence" (Classical Voice North America), countertenor Chuanyuan Liu is proving himself a strong presence amidst the new generation of countertenors. His deep passion for storytelling inspires him to connect with his audience through empathy, authenticity, and creativity.
A two-time National Semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, Chuanyuan has won awards from Opera Index, Camille Coloratura Awards, The Gerda Lissner Foundation, amongst others. He holds degrees from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Bard College Conservatory of Music and University of Virginia.
Dawson Franzino
Mezzo
Orlando, Florida
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Orlando-native Mezzo-Soprano Dawson Franzino, is currently pursuing her Master's in Voice Performance at Florida State University under the guidance of Dr. Sahoko Sato Timpone. She recently performed Rosina in The Barber of Seville. Dawson has also appeared in Laura Kaminsky’s As One, Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro as Marcellina, Catan’s La hija de Rappaccini as Isabella, and Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel as the Mother. Her oratorio roles feature as the alto soloist in Messiah and Vivaldi’s Gloria and made her Tallahassee Symphony debut in the Viva Verdi Concert during 2022-23 season. A recipient of the Hanna Beaulieu competition, she was also a young artist at Sewanee Summer Music Festival's Opera Fest and Lunigina International Music Festival in Italy.
Evan K. Brown
Tenor
Austin, Texas
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Known for his “unfailingly vigorous” tenor voice, this Texas native has been growing in demand. Evan has been seen as Luigi in Il Tabarro with Angels Vocal Art prior to his 2020 Apprenticeship with Sarasota Opera, where he covered and performed Benvolio in their Winter production of Romeo et Juliette. More recently, Evan has been seen as Spoletta in Tosca, Steve Wozniak (Cover) in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (both with Austin Opera), Count Vaudemont in Iolanta, Harlekin in Der Kaiser von Atlantis and Don José in Carmen. In 2023 he performed Hoffmann in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, which received much acclaim, before joining Charlottesville Opera Ader Emerging Artist program performing Spoletta/ covering Cavaradossi in Tosca and performing Arvide in Guys and Dolls. Evan was named winner of the 2018 SMU concerto competition, and has been recently named finalist in the 2023 in the McCammon Voice Competition, in addition to the Houston Gilbert & Sullivan Society competition (as well as in 2022); additionally, he was a semi-finalist in both the 2019 Lois Alba Aria Competition, as well as the 2019 Young Texas Artist Competition. Evan has also been praised for his soloist work; performing the Tenor Solo in the Texas Bach Festival’s performance of the Rachmaninov All-Night Vigil and in the Songs Re-Imagined Recital Series with the BOC. His upcoming engagements include: Rodolfo in La Bohème, and Gherman in Queen of Spades.
Hyesoo Kim
Soprano
San Francisco, California
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Hyesoo Kim is a Korean Soprano, currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Professor César Ulloa. Her upcoming 23/24 season engagement include Missy Mazzoli's opera Proving up as Littler Zegner Daughter with SFCM Spring Mainstage Opera and scene work as Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor) and Violetta (La Traviata) with the SFCM Artist Diploma Showcase. A selection of her other roles includes Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Vitige (Flavio), Hèléne (Une Education Manquée), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Musetta (La Bohème), Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Martha (Martha), and Pamina (Die Zauberflöte). Scene works include Julietta (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), Juliette (Roméo et Juliette), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Margarita (Ainadamar), Silberklang (Die Schauspieldirektor), Madame Herz (Die Schauspieldirektor) and Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte). In 2023, she was named second place winner for the Premiere Opera Foundation International Competition and Nightingale Opera Theatre Vocal Competition. Also, she was Finalist in Vincerò World Singing Competition, Semi-Finalist in John Alexander National Vocal Competition (Opera Mississippi), Washington International Competition and Loren L. Zachary Competition. She has won several national competitions in Korea including second place in the 8th Seil Korean Art Song Competition, the grand prize of the 25th Sungjung National Music Concours, the gold prize of the 14th National Voice Competition, and second place of the 25th Suri Music Competition. She was presented as Kumho Young Artist with Kumho Cultural Foundation in 2019. Hyesoo holds a Master’s degree (Voice performance) from the Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor’s degree (Voice performance) summa cum laude from Ewha Womans University.
Ilhee Lee
Tenor
Brookline, Mass.
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Korean tenor Ilhee Lee is currently pursuing a Performance Diploma at the Boston University Opera Institute under the tutelage of Penelope Bitzas. He pursued a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music degree from Seoul National University, as well as a Graduate Diploma from the New England Conservatory of Music. Ilhee Lee has showcased his talent in various roles, including Nemorino in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, Endimione in L'arbore di Diana, Aeneas in Dido&Aeneas, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Quint in The Turn of the Screw, Luigi in Il Tabarro, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni. In the upcoming season, he will perform the role of Prince in Massenet's opera Cendrillon and the role of Tito in La clemenza di Tito. He has earned prestigious scholarships throughout his career, including the Joan and Henry Wheeler Presidential Full-Ride Scholarship and the Tan Family Foundation Scholarship at the New England Conservatory, as well as the School of Music Full-Ride Merit Scholarship at Boston University.
Jenna Clark
Mezzo-Soprano
Denver, Colorado
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Jenna Clark, mezzo-soprano is a versatile and compelling artist based in Denver, CO. Ms. Clark graduated from the University of Denver with a dual concentration Masters degree in Vocal Performance & Choral Conducting and is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the University of Colorado- Boulder. Recent opera roles included Mistress Quickly in Verdi’s Falstaff at CU-Boulder (October 2023), Cherubino in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro with the Crested Butte Music Festival (August 2023), Dolores Caro in Tom Cipullo’s The Calling with the CU New Opera Workshop (June 2023), Mrs. McLean in Opera Fort Collins’ production of Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah (May 2023), Le Prince Charmant in Massenet’s Cendrillon at CU-Boulder (March 2023), Amor in La Púrpura de la Rosa by Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco with the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado (February 2023), and the Announcer in Douglas Moore’s Gallantry with Opera Theater of the Rockies (January 2023). In the summer of 2022, Ms. Clark was an Apprentice Artist at Central City Opera covering the role of Signora Naccarelli in Adam Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza.
Johanna Will
Soprano
New York, New York
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German soprano Johanna Will graduated from the Mannes School of Music in New York City and from the Hochschule für Musik Hamburg, Germany. She previously was awarded the Rolex Scholarship as the youngest participant to attend the Solti Accademia di Bel Canto in Italy, where she worked with Angela Gheorghiu, Richard Bonynge and Dennis O'Neill. In 2021 she was selected for the prestigious Merola Opera Program of the San Francisco Opera. Stage credits include Tatyana (Eugene Onegin), Contessa (Le nozze di Figaro), Fiordiligi (Cosí fan tutte), Mimi (La Bohème), and Suor Angelica. Most recent performances include concert engagements with the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra and the Heidelberg Philharmonic Orchestra. This past year Johanna Will also sang at the opening of the Viennese Opera Ball NYC and at the International Opera Festival Albania with the Tirana Symphony Orchestra. Other highlights of the past year include performing at NOSPR in Poland under Marin Alsop, joining the season's final concert at the Granada Theater (Santa Barbara) under the baton of Speranza Scappucci, as well as giving her Chinese debut with the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra. In 2025 she will make her debut as Senta in Der fliegende Holländer in St. Margarethen, Austria. Johanna Will has received several grants and is a prizewinner at various international competitions, in Europe, USA and Asia.
Julia Johnson
Soprano
Del Ray, California
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Julia Maria Johnson is an American soprano and educator. A winner of the 2024 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition- Washington State District, she is a current Resident Artist at Opera Naples singing the roles of Phyllis in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe and Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly. In 2023, Ms. Johnson performed her recital, CABARET CONFIDENTIAL, in collaboration with The Opera Buffs and Pacific Opera Project in Los Angeles. Ms. Johnson returned to Pacific Opera Project singing in Trial By Jury in November after making her debut as Isabel in The Pirates of Penzance earlier in the year. She also sang the role of Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro with Lyric Opera of Orange County. Other 2023 engagements include a fellowship with the Vocal Immersion Program at The Castleton Festival and being a featured artist with Classic Lyric Arts in Novafeltria, Italy. Hailing from Washington State, she earned her M.M. in Voice Performance at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. She is also on voice faculty at California Lutheran University.
Justin Kroll
Tenor
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
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Praised by the Miami Herald for his “penetrating tenor,” Justin Kroll is a focused singer who combines an exciting instrument with radiant musicality and an undeniable stage presence.
An active performer, Justin is currently a Filstrup Resident Artist with Tulsa Opera, where he will perform Larry/Matt in Molicone’s The Face on the Barroom Floor in the 2023/2024 season. Other recent performances include appearances with Opera Idaho, as a 2022/2023 Emerging Artist; Central City Opera, as a 2022 Bonfils-Stanton Apprentice Artist; Geneva Light Opera; Madison Opera, Madison Symphony; and Painted Sky Opera of Oklahoma City.
A native Texan, Justin holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Voice Performance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also holds the Master of Music degree in Voice Performance, and the Bachelor of Music degree in Music History & Literature from Baylor University, as well as an Associate of Arts degree in Music from McLennan Community College.
Kylie Kreucher
Soprano
Novi, Michigan
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Kylie is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Opera at Curtis Institute of Music, under the tutelage of Julia Faulkner. This season at Curtis, Kylie sang Marianne in the Act 2 Opening of Der Rosenkavalier with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin and made her role debut as Lišak in Příhody lišky Bystroušky. She recently completed her bachelor’s degree at Oberlin Conservatory, where she was honored with the Pi Kappa Lambda Award for Musicianship, the Margot Bos Stambler ‘84 Award for Professional Development, and the Theodore Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award. Recent awards and honors include an Encouragement Award at the 2022 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, winner of the 2022 Schmidt Undergraduate Vocal Competition, and the Jessye Norman award at the Great Lakes NATS Competition. Kylie was a two-time Vocal Fellow at Music Academy of the West where she made her role debut as Musetta under the baton of Daniela Candillari in the Granada Theatre of Santa Barbara. This summer, Kylie will be attending Wolf Trap Opera as a Studio Artist where she will cover Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte as well as Jackie O. in the vocal-piano workshop for The House of Yes, a new opera commissioned for Wolf Trap.
Matthew Reese
Countertenor
Greensboro, NC
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Hailed by Opera News magazine as “vibrant, and full of empathy”, American countertenor Matthew Reese made his professional debut as Belize in the New York premiere of Peter Eötvös’ Angels in America with New York City Opera. Additionally, Matthew has premiered this role internationally with Salzburg Landestheater (20212022) and most recently with Theater Bremen (2022-2023). Other operatic credits include Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Cardinal/Oracle #1 in Philip Glass’ Galileo Galilei. He has garnered much success at many vocal competitions at both the regional and national level. Highlights include: a two-time district award winner and regional encouragement award winner for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and becoming the first countertenor winner for both the Heafner-Williams National Vocal Competition and the S. Livingston Mather Competition for Male Vocalists. Matthew completed undergraduate studies at the Schwob School of Music in Columbus, GA. Graduate studies were completed at the UNC-Greensboro where his transition to the countertenor voice took place through the assistance of his current instructor Dr. Robert Bracey.
Nathan Matticks
Baritone
North Charleston, SC
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American baritone Nathan Matticks is rapidly establishing himself as one of opera’s brightest young prospects. The 2022/2023 season included important roles as Count di Luna in Verdi’s IL TROVATORE and the title role of Rigoletto in Verdi’s RIGOLETTO. Houston Press touted “Baritone Nathan Matticks (Rigoletto) is a thunderous yet sympathetic jester.” Previous engagements with Florida Grand Opera in Don Giovanni, Rigoletto, and a role debut as Count Robinson in Cimorsa’s IL MATRIMONIO SEGRETO, Figaro in Palmetto Opera’s production of IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA at the Koger Center for the Arts followed by a Tour of MADAMA BUTTERFLY as Sharpless. Matticks has also appeared in Opera Connecticut’s production of La Boheme as Marcello, Times hailed him “quite simply, as good as it can get from any…baritone currently thriving on the international scene today!” 2019 Winner of The Regional Met National Council Auditions in New York City.
Rolfe Dauz
Baritone
Detroit, Michigan
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Filipino-American baritone Rolfe Dauz is quickly becoming recognized for his beautiful voice, sensitive artistry, and compelling stage presence and has garnered international acclaim for his "focused baritone, perfect diction, and dramatic acting” (Calgary Herald). Last summer, Rolfe performed concerts and recitals curated by internationally acclaimed soprano Dawn Upshaw at the renowned Tanglewood Music Center as a Vocal Fellow. He is currently a member of Detroit Opera’s 2023/24 Resident Artist Program under the leadership of Christine Goerke and Nathalie Doucet. In the summer of 2022, Mr. Dauz joined the Chautauqua Opera Company as a Festival Artist, performing roles in Virgil Thomson The Mother Of Us All and a contemporary opera by Kamala Sankaram entitled Thumbprint. During the 2021-22 season, Mr. Dauz performed the role of Wotan/Hingaan Jann in Indonesian composer Yadi Nursalim Anugerah’s new opera, Ine Aya’, at the renowned Holland Festival and reprised this role in a Holland Festival touring production through Indonesia. His vocal-piano duo with Lithuanian pianist Gabrielė Žemaitytė, Youth and Love, was awarded 2nd prize at the 2021 International Copenhagen Lied-Duo Competition, and he also performed a livestream recital in the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ under the auspices of the Grote Zangers Recital Series.
Sarah Neal
Mezzo-Soprano
South Bend, Indiana
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Hailed as a “musical and theatrical delight,” mezzo-soprano Sarah Neal has recently been the recipient of awards from numerous vocal competitions, including the Dallas Opera Vocal Competition, the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, the Houston Gilbert and Sullivan Society Career Grant Competition, and the Tuesday Musical Club Young Artist Competition. Most recently, Sarah returned to Central City Opera for their second summer as an Apprentice Artist where they performed Gertrude in Roméo et Juliette. In the season prior, Sarah also debuted with Baroque chamber company Ars Lyrica Houston in a contemporary staging of J.S. Bach’s BWV 82 as the mezzo-soprano soloist. Sarah then returned for Ars Lyrica's production of Dido and Aeneas where she performed First Witch and covered the title role. Up next, Sarah looks forward to joining Mercury Chamber Orchestra for this season’s opening of J.S. Bach Cantatas BWV 80 and BWV 131. Sarah received her Master of Music from the University of Houston where they performed the title role in La Cenerentola, Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti, Nancy in Albert Herring, and Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro.
Sejin Park
Baritone
New York, New York
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Baritone Sejin Park is a renowned opera singer and recitalist active in both Korea and the US. He holds a Diploma IV Repertorio de Opera from Ópera de Tenerife and has participated in esteemed training programs such as the Opera Steamboat Young Artist Program, Art Song Festival at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist Program, and Palm Beach Opera Benenson Young Artist Program. In 2023, Park sang Schaunard in La Boheme in Korea. Looking ahead to 2024, he will take on the role of Ping in Turandot with the St. Petersburg Opera Company and reprise Schaunard in La Boheme with the Hawaii Opera Theater. His accolades include winning the 1st prize at the 'Citta di Pesaro' competition, 1st prize at the 'Medici International Music Competition,' 2nd prize and Audience Favorite Award at the '8th Galina Vishnevskaya International Opera Singers Competition,' a Grant Award from the Giulio Gari Competition, and 3rd prize from the Opera at Florham Competition. Recently, he won the First prize from Premiere Opera Foundation International Vocal Competition.
Steele Fitzwater
Bass-Baritone
Chicago, Illinois
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Hailed for his "commanding stage presence" and the "dynamic power" of his voice (San Diego Story), bass-baritone Steele Fitzwater is quickly becoming a sought-after performer nationwide. In 2024, Steele can seen returning to Cedar Rapids Opera in Puccini's Tosca, making it his first time with the company since his acclaimed Pirate King in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance in 2022. Later that year, Steele returns to Central City Opera covering Frank Maurrant in Weill's Street Scene, The Police Sergeant in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, and performing Billy Jackrabbit in Puccini's La Fanciulla del West. Last season, Steele saw his company debuts as an apprentice artist with Sarasota Opera and as Don Basilio in Rossini's The Barber of Seville with Opera Neo, as well as singing as an apprentice artist with Opera Neo's summer festival. A master's degree and performer's diploma graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Steele completed his studies under acclaimed singers Peter Volpe and Carol Vaness. A frequent performer on his university stage, Steele was seen in the title role of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Achilla in Handel’s Giulio Cesare, Don Bartolo in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, and die Zweite Gralsritter in the university’s bicentennial production of Wagner’s Parsifal. Equally at home on the concert stage as in opera, he was recently featured as the bass soloist in Haydn’s The Seasons, as well as in soloist appearances in Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s The Creation, and Schubert’s Mass in G. Completing his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University (Ohio), Steele was featured as Frank Maurrant in Weill's Street Scene, Count CarlMagnus Malcom in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, and Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, as well as in multiple concerts of jazz standards and classics from The Great American Songbook. Steele’s summer and training programs include two summers at The Brevard Music Center and one summer as a Studio Artist with Central City Opera, having sung the world premiere role of Louis Cypher in Brevard’s Falling Angel by J. Mark Scearce and in Central City’s acclaimed production of Britten’s Billy Budd. Off-stage, Steele works behind the scenes as a competition manager and coordinator for Schmidt Vocal Arts, a non-profit company devoted to the education and training of young singers.
Will Upham
Tenor
Bloomington, Indiana
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Originally from Bedford, Indiana, Will Upham is pursuing a Performer Diploma in Voice at Indiana University under the tutelage of Peter Volpe. At IU, he workshopped the role of Comrade Belka in Hennessy’s Swimming in the Dark and performed Beadle Bamford in Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. Recently, Will worked as a Young Artist at the Glimmerglass Festival where he performed Benvolio and covered Roméo in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. Prior to that, Will worked as a Resident Artist with Indianapolis Opera. While there, he portrayed the roles of Donald Hopewell in Moore’s Gallantry, VA Psychiatrist in the Midwest premiere of Wells’s Veteran Journeys, and both Tamino and Monostatos in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Will is also a former Education Artist at the Dallas Opera where he performed the role of Nemorino in an abridged, English-language version of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love. He holds a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Southern Methodist University and a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from DePauw University. Will is excited to join Des Moines Metro Opera this summer as a Young Artist where he will perform First Jew and cover Herod in Strauss’s Salome.
Competition Judges
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Caroline Smith, a native South Carolinian, received a Master of Music Degree in vocal/opera performance from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Music Degree in vocal performance from Converse College. After a distinguished thirty-six-year teaching career at DePauw University in Indiana culminating with the Tucker Distinguished Teaching Career Award, she retired in July 2020 moving to the Savannah area with her husband, Dr. Larry Smith. There she taught at The Georgia Southern University School of Music, joining the voice area in 2021 & 2022. Having just relocated to the Nashville area, she maintains an active private voice studio, inclusive of students across the country and abroad.
Having performed on NPR and PBS with extensive operatic and chamber music experience, her highlighted more recent performances include Corigliano’s Fern Hill, Libby Larsen’s Eleanor Roosevelt, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Chen Yi’s Meditation, George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children, Debussy's La Damoiselle Élue, Tania León's Oh Yemanja, Kapilow’s Green Eggs and Ham – a Midwest Première, Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music. Throughout her career she has remained an active adjudicator, including 11 Classical Singer National Conventions (International/Nationals/ Regionals), NATS (Nationals/Regionals/State), American Traditions Vocal Competition, Grand Concours de France National Vocal Competition Finals, IAA, MTNA, NSAL NATSAA, ISSMA, Prelude, Overture, etc., and master clinician for Classical Singer Nationals/ Regionals, Interlochen Arts Academy, Kentucky, Arizona, South Carolina Governor’s School, American Traditions High School Competition, AGO, etc. As a master teacher, her students are successful in both classical and musical theatre performing careers nationally and regionally, including Broadway and major opera companies.
She is delighted to serve as one of the judges for the Inaugural Heartland Sings Vocal Competition.
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Mezzo soprano Kathryn Cowdrick is a graduate with distinction of Penn State and Columbia University with degrees in Speech, Language and Voice Pathology. She is currently a Professor of Voice at the Eastman School of Music where she teaches classes in vocal pedagogy, music leadership and for Eastman Performing Arts Medicine initiatives. She was a member of the Juilliard Opera Center and began her singing career when awarded an Adler Fellowship with the San Francisco Opera appearing in productions that include Adriana Lecouver, La Cenerentola Falstaff, Manon, Faust, Pique Dame, Il Ritorno di Ulisse, Il turco in Italia, Der Rosenkavalier , Die Walkure and Jenufa.
Opera News has described Kathryn Cowdrick as an artist who “brightly infused every scene with her singing, dazzling fioratura, and her sexy, warm, comedienne personality”, a remark which seems to convey the essence of this charismatic mezzo-soprano. Her credits include the Spoleto Festival dei due Mondi, Wexford Festival Ireland New York City Opera Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera Tulsa Opera, Vancouver Opera and the Carmel Bach Festival . She made her European debut at the Nederlandse Opera in Dario Fo’s staging of Il barbiere di Siviglia.. Well- known for her Rossini heroines, she has sung the leading role in Il barbiere di Siviglia over 200 times in addition to the leading roles in La Cenerentola, L’italiana in Algeri and Comte Ory with opera companies that include Koln, Chautauqua, Utah, Memphis , Vancouver , Kentucky, the National Arts Center in Ottowa, Scottish Opera and New York City Opera. She can be heard as Charmian on the 1984 Grammy- award winning album of Antony and Cleopatra recorded live at the Spoleto Festival and Jenufa recorded live from Carnegie Hall on Gramaphone Bis with the Opera Orchestra of New York starring Leonie Rysanek.
She was in demand as one of our most respected singing actresses- appearing in the past as Mrs. Lovett for the Princeton Festival , Old Prioress in the Dialogue of the Carmelites and the Marquise(Le fille du Regiment)) for Arizona Opera, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel and Augusta Tabor (Ballad of Baby Doe ) for Augusta Opera, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly for Artpark, Aunt March (Little Women) and Ruth (Pirates of Penzance) for Ft. Worth Opera, and the title role of Orfeo for Opera Memphis . She was Mrs. Gibbs in the professional premiere of Ned Rorem’s Our Town for Opera Saratoga also appearing there as the Old Woman in Candide, Despina in Cosi fan tutte and in Gianni Schicchi/Buoso’s Ghost. She was Madame Halitiere for Kentucky Opera’s Cendrillon and Elizabeth Proctor for Tulsa’s The Crucible. Miss Cowdrick sang the role of Julia Child in Hoiby’s opera Bon Appetit for Child’s induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2007.
Alumni of her studio have garnered prizes in the Metropolitan Opera and Lotte Lenya competitions. Many have gone on to participate in prestigious Young Artist programs that include the Merola Program, Metropolitan Opera, Adler Fellowships at San Francisco Opera, the Jette Parker/Covent Garden, Washington National Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Glimmerglass Opera and many summer festivals including Opera Saratoga, Aspen, Ohio Light Opera and Tanglewood. Five students were selected to participate in the National Association of Teachers internship program and many are teaching on voice faculties around the United States.
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A national and international performer and vocal pedagogue, Dr. Keith Brautigam’s credits range from numerous performances on the concert and opera stage to utilizing his expertise in vocal training at universities, choral organizations, and opera apprenticeship programs throughout the USA and abroad.
As a professor of voice, Dr. Brautigam’s students have been accepted into an array of prestigious graduate programs, and have been highly successful on the performance stage - ranging from lead roles with the Metropolitan Opera to a significant number of other international and regional opera and musical theater programs and companies around the world. Additionally, he has numerous former students who are now utilizing their training in university voice positions, secondary education classrooms, community theaters, voice and recording studios, mission organizations, music therapy careers, church positions, and administrative offices of major performance companies, among others.
Throughout his entire career, Dr. Brautigam has regularly taught a wide slate of courses required of vocal performance majors ranging from vocal pedagogy, lyric diction (German, French, Italian, English, and Latin), vocal literature, ear training, and choral conducting, to opera workshop and opera theater. Additionally he has directed and co-directed mainstage operas/musicals such as Die Fledermaus, Pirates of Penzance, Gianni Schicchi, Camelot, The Clever Artifice of Harriet and Margaret (performed at the National Opera Association national convention), and The Mikado, among others. He has also twice served as a visiting instructor for the Instituto of the Teatro Colon opera apprenticeship program in Buenos Aires, Argentina; a two-week residency as a guest voice faculty at the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music; and as a professional vocal instructor and coach for the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus and the Calvin College Alumni Choir in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Critical to his work as a vocal instructor, Dr. Brautigam’s primary scholarship has centered on maintaining an active performance schedule, soloing with opera companies, symphony orchestras, chamber/jazz groups, choral organizations, and in numerous churches. As an oratorio and concert soloist, highlights range from Orff’s Carmina Burana and Handel’s Israel in Egypt with the Cleveland Orchestra under the direction of Robert Porco; numerous performances of G.F. Handel's Messiah, Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Haydn's Creation, and the Fauré Requiem with such organizations as the Calvin Oratorio Society, the Grand Rapids Symphony, Bel Canto Chorus of Milwaukee, Michigan City Choral Society, the historical Moody Church in Chicago, and Christ Memorial Church in Holland, MI; Johannes Brahms' Ein Deutches Requiem and J.S. Bach's Coffee Cantata (BWV 211) with the Grand Rapids Symphony; The Bloch Sacred Service with the Marion Philharmonic; and Ravel's Chanson Madecasses with the Chicago Ensemble. Additionally, since its inception over twenty years ago, Dr. Brautigam has been a regular soloist with the Fort Wayne Bach Collegium under the direction of Dr. Daniel Reuning (with whom he has partnered to perform countless Bach concerts spanning over 30 years) and Dr. Koji Otsuki, specializing, among numerous other works, in the role of Christus in all of the Bach Passions.
Opera engagements include Germont in La Traviata with Chautauqua Opera; Schaunard in La Boheme and The Sergeant of Police in Pirates of Penzance with Cleveland Opera; Papageno in Die Zauberflöte and Father Capulet in Roméo et Juliette with Opera Grand Rapids; Tonio in I Pagliacci with Skylight Opera Theater of Milwaukee; and Pantalone in Mozart's "new" opera, The Jewel Box, with Chicago Opera Theater, among numerous other roles.
In the spring of 2022, Dr. Brautigam retired as full professor from the voice faculty of Indiana Wesleyan University. Having been twice tenured during his career, he previously served on the faculties of Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI (tenured); the Baldwin-Wallace University Conservatory of Music in Berea, OH (tenured), where he served as chair of the voice department; Moody Bible Institute in Chicago; and Huntington University in Huntington, Indiana. In addition, he served as the Director of Education for Heartland Sings, a not-for-profit vocal production company in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he coordinated outreach and educational programming, and taught/coached the professional principal vocal artists for the company.
Dr. Brautigam holds a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Grand Rapids Baptist College (now Cornerstone University) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and his Master of Music and Doctor of Music degrees in vocal performance from the prestigious Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, where he studied with the world-renowned Wagnerian soprano and pedagogue, Miss Margaret Harshaw, and the long-time chair of the voice department, Dr. Roger Havranek.
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As an oratorio soloist, Ms. Young most recently sang in McCullough's Song of the Shulamite, Mozart's Requiem, Handel's Messiah, and Brahms' Requiem. She also maintains a busy concert schedule and most recently sang as a soloist in Heartland Sings' original productions: An American Pop Music Review, Life Goes On: A Country Music Show, and ART-V: The Musical. She also enjoys appearing as a guest artist with organizations locally and abroad and has sung principal roles with the Leonhardi Ensemble in Munich, Opera Naples, Lawrence Opera Theatre, Heartland Sings, and The Theatre in the Park. A member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Ms. Young maintains an active voice studio and is passionate about helping singers develop vocally while studying classical, musical theatre, and contemporary repertoire.
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Robert Nance is a multi-talented musician who maintains a lively schedule as conductor, keyboardist, teacher, composer, and arts advocate.
A distinguished graduate of DePauw University School of Music (Indiana) and the Peabody Conservatory (Baltimore), Nance is the President and Founding Artistic Director of Heartland Sings, Inc., a company of professional vocal artists and ensembles founded in 1997. He is also the Director of Music at Plymouth Congregational Church of Fort Wayne, serves as a collaborative musician for Temple Achduth Vesholom, and is a regular live pianist at The Bradley Hotel.
He has received many honors and awards to his credit, including guest conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, a recipient of the Indiana Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship, has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and appeared on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center. His “Attitude Series” of keyboard recordings are favorites and his recording “The Spirit of Christmas” featuring Heartland Sings continues to receive rave reviews.
Maestro Nance has made Fort Wayne his home since 1990, where he has distinguished himself as a dedicated performer and teacher, as well as a capable community leader and arts advocate. In his many endeavors, he has focused on providing sustainable employment for musicians, particularly vocal musicians, and has impacted the community through premiere performances such as “October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard”, an opera by American Composer Curtis Heard based on the book by Leslie Newman and “Song of the Shulamite” by Don McCullough.
In honor of his commitment to the arts, in 2017 he was awarded “Artist of the Year” by Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne.
For more information, log on to www.maestronance.com
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As pianist, vocal coach, or music director, Timothy Cheek has worked with the Prague Summer Nights Young Artists Music Festival, Czech Republic; Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy; Steans Institute, Chicago; Cape Town Opera, South Africa; Detroit Opera; Santa Fe Opera; Israel Vocal Arts Institute, Tel Aviv; Teatro Municipal, Santiago, Chile (including the South American premiere of Rusalka); Vianden Festival, Luxembourg; Mozart Opera Studies Institute, Austria; Bel Canto Northwest Vocal Institute, Oregon; and others, including the International Institute for Chamber Music, Munich, Germany, where he performed for five summers as masterclass pianist for Elly Ameling, Walter Berry, Thomas Grubb, Jörg Demus, and others. He has also served as guest teacher with the Eastman School of Music; Oberlin Conservatory; Academy of Vocal Arts, Philadelphia; Rice University; Indiana University; Opera Nuova, Canada; Cherubini Conservatory, Florence; Music Academy, Bratislava; Prague Conservatory and Opera Studio Prague, Czech Republic; and many others.
Cheek has performed recitals as a collaborative pianist in eighteen countries on four continents, and has been heard on radio and television programs around the world. His CD of the songs of Czech composer Vítězslava Kaprálová, recorded for Supraphon with soprano Dana Burešová, was nominated by the Czech Republic’s foremost music magazine Harmonie for the best Czech music CD of 2003, made its way into the Golden Globe-winning American TV series Mozart in the Jungle in 2017, and continues to be broadcast worldwide.
Cheek holds a doctorate in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan; and degrees in Piano Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory and the University of Texas at Austin. He was awarded a Fulbright grant in 1990–91, studying as an opera coach at the Teatro Comunale in Florence, Italy under conductors Bruno Bartoletti, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, and Zubin Mehta; and also served an apprenticeship at the Prague National Theatre in 1995 with conductor Bohumil Gregor.
Cheek is Professor of Music at the University of Michigan, where he works in Opera Workshop; teaches lyric diction classes; and is a language coach for opera productions. He is also an Associate Faculty member of the university’s Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, and teaches a Czech Vocal Literature course for singers and pianists. Dr. Cheek’s books on Czech pronunciation and vocal repertoire are used by opera houses and musicians worldwide, and his recent book Perfect Italian Diction for Singers, co-authored with Anna Toccafondi, was adopted in 2023 by the renowned Maggio Musicale in Florence, Italy as their official resource for perfecting Italian lyric pronunciation by the international young artists in their Accademia opera program.
Read about the competition and upcoming concert
From more than 150 contestants to a semi-finalist count of 18, the Heartland Sings 2024 Vocal Competition has brought together talent from across the country. Semi-finalists are due to arrive in Fort Wayne for the final steps of the competition in mid-May.