May the best opera singer win

ight voice/opera students from the Eastman School of Music have been nominated to compete in the second annual voice competition presented by the Friends of Eastman Opera--a volunteer group that supports Eastman Opera students, programs, and productions as well as promotes Eastman Opera Theatre in the Rochester community. The competition, which is free and open to the public, is at 3 p.m. Saturday, November 23, in Kilbourn Hall.

"For me, nothing beats the thrill of hearing Eastman's best-of-the-best singing my favorite arias," says Sarah Collins, cochair of the Friends of Eastman Opera. "The chance to hear the stars of tomorrow sing and then chat with them afterwards makes this competition one of my favorite events of the year."

Each singer will perform up to three arias in different languages, vying for cash prizes. The competitors are graduate students Tiffany Blake, Jennifer Gliere, Valerie Kopinski, Cheol Min Jin, Sonia Rodriguez Bermejo, and Munenori Sugitani as well as undergraduates Erin Palmer '03 and Christina Gill '03.

This year, Richard Pearlman, Eastman's former director of opera and current director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago's Center for American Artists, will serve as adjudicator of the competition.

The top three winners will be announced at the end of competition. A reception for all will be held on the School's Cominsky Promenade immediately following the competition.

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