CONTACT: Whitney Hale, (859) 257-1754 ext. 229
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alltech Opera Scholarship Contest Fills Singletary with Music
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 6, 2009) − Top young opera vocalists from around the country will descend on the University of Kentucky campus this weekend to compete for prizes and scholarships at the 2009 Alltech Opera Competition scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, March 8, at the Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall. The event is free and open to the public.
More than $300,000 in prizes will be awarded at the 2009 Alltech Opera Scholarship Competition. Grand prizes for the contest include the following awards:
· Alltech Graduate First Prize: full tuition to UK and a $10,000 stipend from Alltech;
· Alltech Graduate Second Prize: full tuition to UK and a $7,500 stipend from Alltech;
· UK Undergraduate First Prize: full tuition to UK and a $5,000 stipend from Alltech; and
· Bryant's Rent-All Undergraduate Second Prize: $2,500 plus a tuition waiver offered by UK.
Business members from the local community have also contributed to the vocal competition. A series of new special awards for this year’s competition and their corresponding contributors include:
· “The Barbara Rouse Kentucky Prize”: $5,000 awarded to a student born or educated in Kentucky presented by William L. Rouse III;
· “Musicianship Award”: $1,500 awarded for outstanding performance and technical ability presented by Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC;
· “Audience Favorite”: $1,000 presented by McBrayer, McGinnis, Leslie Kirkland PLLC;
· “Outstanding Transfer Student”: $1,500 presented by Powell, Walton, Millward Insurance, a division of J. Smith Lanier & Co.; and
· “Encouragement Award”: two $500 prizes awarded to an undergraduate student and graduate student presented by BIO-CAT Inc.
Returning supporters of the competition, who continue to create opportunities for opera students will provide the following awards:
· Kentucky Opera Prize: a future Main Stage role with Kentucky Opera; and the
· American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) Prizes: two $2,200 prizes awarded to graduates students for tuition at the prestigious AIMS Institute in Graz, Austria, and two $1,750 prizes awarded to undergraduate students for tuition to the AIMS Institute in Graz.
The audience will get to vote for a "favorite" of the competition who will receive the prize money awarded by McBrayer, McGuiness, Leslie and Kirkland, PLLC. All award winners will be announced at the competition’s conclusion.
Each undergraduate singer at the vocal contest will prepare two songs or arias, and each graduate singer will prepare four selections. The undergraduate singer will choose one selection to perform and the graduate will choose their first selection and the judges will select the second offering performed.
Winners of the 2009 Alltech Opera Scholarship Competition will be judged by a panel of professionals in the field of opera from all over the U.S. This year's judging panel includes: Lisa Hasson, music director of the Kentucky Opera Studio Artist Program; Beverly Hay, professor of voice at Converse College; Thomas King, co-artistic director for AIMS and professor of voice at Austin Peay State University; Laurinda Nikkel, professor of voice at San Diego State University; and Susan Kane, professor of voice at California State University, Los Angeles. Cliff Jackson, vocal coach for UK Opera Theatre, will provide accompaniment for the contestants.
Sunday’s program also includes performances from a number of past Alltech winners including: Monica Dewey, winner of the Bryant’s Rent-All Second Place Undergraduate Award, from Stone Mountain, Ga.; Rachel Sterrenberg, winner of the Alltech First Place Undergraduate Award, from Madison, Ga.; Amanda Balltrip, winner of the Alltech Second Place Graduate Award, from Hazard, Ky.; and Bruce Bean, winner of the Alltech First Place Award, from Huntsville, Ala.
Alltech is a global animal health company providing natural, nutritional solutions to the feed and food industries. Founded in 1980 by Pearse Lyons, the company is now involved in 85 countries. Alltech is headquartered in Nicholasville, Ky., with a strong regional presence in North America, Europe, Middle East, Latin America and Asia Pacific.
For more information on the Alltech Opera Competition, contact UK Opera Theatre at (859) 257-9331.
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