The Maria Callas award is an annual honor given to an artist who took his or her first bow with the Dallas Opera. If you are a renewing subscriber, you can vote on the nominees. Here’s a full list, and after that, a full release:
Meredith Arwady – “Hostess of the Inn” in BORIS GODUNOV
Evgeny Akimov – “Dmitri” in BORIS GODUNOV
Elena Belfiore – “Smeton” in ANNA BOLENA
Elena Bocharova –”Marina” in BORIS GODUNOV
Charles Castronovo – “Romeo” in ROMEO & JULIET
Kirstin Chávez – “Maddalena” in RIGOLETTO
Laura Claycomb – “Gilda” in RIGOLETTO
Roxana Constantinescu – “Stephano” in ROMEO & JULIET
Vitaly Efanov – “Pimen” in BORIS GODUNOV
Paolo Gavanelli – “Rigoletto” in RIGOLETTO
Georgia Jarman – “Elvira” in DON GIOVANNI
Mikhail Kazakov – “Boris Godunov” in BORIS GODUNOV
Mikhail Kolelishvili – “Varlaam” in BORIS GODUNOV
Mirco Palazzi – “Leporello” in DON GIOVANNI
Ailyn Pérez – “Zerlina” in DON GIOVANNI
Oxana Shilova – “Xenia” in BORIS GODUNOV
Andrei Spekhov – “Shchelkalov” in BORIS GODUNOV
Paulo Szot – “Giovanni” in DON GIOVANNI
Image: Charles Castronovo as Romeo in his Dallas Opera Debut (Karen Almond)
THE DALLAS OPERA PRESENTS
THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2011
“MARIA CALLAS DEBUT
ARTIST OF THE YEAR”
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RENEWING SUBSCRIBERS WILL RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS
BY EMAIL IN ORDER TO VOTE ONLINE
DALLAS, JUNE 24, 2010 – The Dallas Opera is proud to announce the eighteen artists from around the world who are vying for the prestigious “Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year” Award to be announced at the annual Dallas Opera Board and Trustee Appreciation Dinner on Thursday, May 19th at 6:30 PM in the Crescent Ballroom of the Rosewood Crescent Hotel, 400 Crescent Court in Uptown Dallas.
The award is awarded by the Dallas Opera audience to a single performer each season for a particularly remarkable and memorable company debut. The deadline for casting your vote is Tuesday, May 3rd at 5:00 PM.
“In the new Winspear Era,” explains Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny, “we are determined to create state-of-the-art productions and commission new works that will attract the finest singers, conductors, directors and designers the world has to offer. And the task of choosing an honoree for this award should become more difficult for our subscribers with each outstanding season.”
“We have a remarkable list—not only in quality but in quantity,” adds Dallas Opera Artistic Director Jonathan Pell. “This season allowed me an unusual opportunity to bring nearly twenty of the most talented singers in the world to Dallas for their acclaimed company debuts and I, for one, am glad not to have to make the final choice from a roster of so many extraordinary artists.”
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This year, balloting for the award will be conducted entirely online. Any Dallas Opera subscriber, full or FLEX, who has renewed for the upcoming 2011-2012 Season is eligible to cast a ballot and will receive an email with complete instructions. The results will be verified by the independent accounting firm of Travis, Wolff & Company, L.L.P.
The winner will receive an etched-crystal plaque, created for the Dallas Opera by award-winning designers from Tiffany & Co., which bears the likeness of legendary soprano Maria Callas, who launched the company in 1957 with an unforgettable recital at the Music Hall in Fair Park.
NOMINEES FOR 2011 AWARD
Meredith Arwady – “Hostess of the Inn” in BORIS GODUNOV
Evgeny Akimov – “Dmitri” in BORIS GODUNOV
Elena Belfiore – “Smeton” in ANNA BOLENA
Elena Bocharova –”Marina” in BORIS GODUNOV
Charles Castronovo – “Romeo” in ROMEO & JULIET
Kirstin Chávez – “Maddalena” in RIGOLETTO
Laura Claycomb – “Gilda” in RIGOLETTO
Roxana Constantinescu – “Stephano” in ROMEO & JULIET
Vitaly Efanov – “Pimen” in BORIS GODUNOV
Paolo Gavanelli – “Rigoletto” in RIGOLETTO
Georgia Jarman – “Elvira” in DON GIOVANNI
Mikhail Kazakov – “Boris Godunov” in BORIS GODUNOV
Mikhail Kolelishvili – “Varlaam” in BORIS GODUNOV
Mirco Palazzi – “Leporello” in DON GIOVANNI
Ailyn Pérez – “Zerlina” in DON GIOVANNI
Oxana Shilova – “Xenia” in BORIS GODUNOV
Andrei Spekhov – “Shchelkalov” in BORIS GODUNOV
Paulo Szot – “Giovanni” in DON GIOVANNI
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The Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award was launched during the 1991-1992 Dallas Opera Season.
Sharon Sweet was the first recipient for her impressive performance in the title role of Aida. Subsequent winners have included Cecilia Bartoli, Mary Dunleavy, Elizabeth Futral, Hei-Kyung Hong, Denyce Graves, Indira Mahajan, Mary Mills, Patricia Racette, Latonia Moore, Christopher Ventris, Catherine Naglestad, James Valenti, and last year’s winner, Canadian tenor Ben Heppner (Captain Ahab in the world premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Moby-Dick).
