Transitioning to the Big Time

March 1st, 2012

Classical Singer | As my love for young singers knows no bound, I have often been a sounding board to their frustrated warblings, which seem to increase exponentially about the time singing competition season rolls around. It was during some such exchanges that I first heard the name of Angela Meade, a young soprano who seemingly swept most of the first place prizes in 2007. Her winning streak proved steady, and in April of that year NPR affiliates across the country broadcast Meade winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a feat later shown to audiences worldwide in the film The Audition.

Ever since, Meade’s ascent has been steady and, in many ways, rapid. Less than a year after learning the ways of New York’s big repertory house through cover assignments, she scored a huge triumph when she came to the aid of an ailing colleague and took over the demanding role of Elvira in Verdi’s Ernani. I was in the audience that night and finally put a voice to the name of the much discussed newcomer. Subsequent additions to her repertoire, particularly Rossini’s Semiramide and Bellini’s Norma (both showcased at the Caramoor International Music Festival), proved that the success of her Elvira had been no accident.

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