June 19, 2009, Ópera de San Miguel, Singers on the Road to Stardom 2009, Choir Festival, Festival Internacional de Coro de Niños, Music in the air, By Alice Sperling

Ópera de San Miguel
Singers on the Road to Stardom 2009
Sat, Jun 20, 8pm
Teatro Ángela Peralta
Mesones 82
300/200/100 pesos

Opera concurso surges toward finals

México’s premiere opera diva, Gilda Cruz-Romo joins judges’ panel
by John Bills

A young singer once asked legendary soprano Birgit Nilsson what it took to sing Isolde in Wagner’s grueling Tristan und Isolde. “Comfortable shoes,” she quipped.

A funny answer, if not very enlightening. The eleven finalists in the 2nd Annual Concurso de la Ópera de San Miguel report receiving considerably more beneficial advice this week from opera star Gilda Cruz-Romo, the most celebrated soprano to emerge from México in the last 50 years, and one of the panel of highly regarded judges for tomorrow night's Concert and Final Round. Cruz-Romo joins judges Jack Goodwin, long-time Artistic Director of the New York Choral Society; James Wright, General Director of the Vancouver Opera; Ópera de San Miguel’s Artistic Director, Joseph McClain; and this writer, a 26-season veteran of the Metropolitan Opera. Ms. Cruz-Romo spent many hours this week in intensive coaching sessions with the singers, sharing the wealth of her knowledge and experience, gleaned from a truly remarkable international career.

In the two-year history of Concurso San Miguel, the competition has quickly become one of the most important and prestigious events for aspiring opera singers in all of México, annually awarding over $100,000 pesos in grants for advanced study and professional expenses. Unique to Ópera de San Miguel’s contest is the opportunity for the finalists to work one-on-one with artists of the caliber of Ms. Cruz-Romo and Joseph McClain, in preparation for the final concert. Finalists like 29 year-old soprano Linda Gutierrez, who says that working with artists at this level gives her “a greater understanding of what standard of performance is demanded of singers at the international level.” Put simply, she says, “They demand perfection.” Soprano Zaira Soria, 27, who says she loves the adrenalin rush of competitions, says competitions are “the best way to assess your own level of accomplishment.” She emphasizes how important it is to a young singer to hear the judges’ comments, and to spend time with the other singers, sharing experiences and learning from each other.

In the days leading up to the final week, all of the finalists were looking forward to meeting Ms. Cruz-Romo. Gutierrez says, “It is so difficult for a young singer to find the way to grow in their profession.” She was hoping to hear Cruz-Romo’s practical recommendations on how “a young singer at the beginning can start to build a career in Mexico.” Ms. Soria was looking for insight on how to balance family and career. I had my own questions for Ms. Cruz-Romo, who spoke to me by telephone last week from her Texas home.

John Bills: When young singers come to you for advice, what do you tell them?

Gilda Cruz-Romo: Always be well prepared, learn the music the way it is written, not the way you think it should go, or what you think is traditional. Be professional. Don’t oversing. And in auditions don’t start with your biggest piece, because if you don’t do well, you won't have an opportunity to sing anything else. But most of all, be prepared. There is no opera for beginners.

JB: In competitions, what qualities do you look for in a young singer?

GC-R: I look for voice quality, for stage presence, for musicianship and musicality. I look for the way they present themselves, and I don’t mean so much how they are dressed. I don’t want to see a “know-it-all” attitude. Singing is a learning experience, every time, from the beginning to the end of a career.

JB: Joseph McClain often talks about Mexican singers having a special Latin vocal color and a fascinating access to the passion of operatic music. Do you agree?

GC-R: Well, we Mexicans are almost all of mixed blood, there is no pure race in Mexico anymore, so we have European influences as well, French, Spanish. But we are all Latin in our temperament. We are passionate, we talk with our hands, and so we have a natural ability to express these passionate characters in opera.

JB: When you were a young singer, were there concursos available to you? Did you compete? How did that process help you in your formative years?

GC-R: When I was a student there were not these opportunities. My first competition was for a scholarship to study in Mexico City. At that time I really suffered, because there was so little money, I worked at four jobs just to be able to continue studying. But I value that time because through that hardship I think I became a human being, and I learned the value of hard work. Even though I often went to bed hungry, it also made me hungry to become a really good singer. My first performances after Mexico City were in Dallas, then the New York City Opera, then the Met. My first European opera house was Covent Garden, and my second was La Scala, but it was those early days that taught me that an opera career is work, it’s not all flowers and champagne.

JB: Why do you think the Concurso San Miguel is important for these young singers?

GC-R: Any young singer who receives the exposure and experience of a competition like this is already a winner. Competitions like this one give the singers the opportunity to hear other singers, to be exposed to other ideas and to realize that every career is different, and it helps them to find their own way. I encourage the singers first to be prepared, to ask questions and to take away as much knowledge as they can from the competition.

The exciting Concert and Final Round , featuring eleven incredibly talented young artists, and a couple of surprises as well, will be held Saturday night at 8pm at the Teatro Ángela Peralta. Last year’s finals sold out completely, with 200 people turned away at the door.

My recommendation: Put down this paper and run, don’t walk, to the Peralta box office!

Choir Festival

Festival Internacional de Coro de Niños
Tue–Sat, Jun 30–Jul 4
San Miguel & Guanajuato
Free

San Miguel concerts

June 30, 7pm, Official Opening Ceremonies and Songfest in front of the Parroquia

July 1, 8pm, Showcase Concert, San Francisco Church

July 2, 5pm, Impromptus, Belles Artes

July 2, 8pm, Chicago Arts Orchestra, Teatro Ángela Peralta

Guanajuato concerts

July 3, 8pm, Gala Concert Debut, Teatro Juarez (nominal fee)

July 4, 5pm, Gala Festival Concert, San Francisco Church

Sanmigulenses are in for a musical treat this summer with four free concerts by internationally acclaimed children’s choirs. “We are excited about being in Mexico for the first time,” said Festival presenter Bethel Watt of Musica Mundi. “Children can create cultural bridges in a way that adults frequently cannot.”

During the Festival Internacional de Coro de Niños, children’s choirs from the US and Canada perform in San Miguel and Guanajuato. The children, aged 9 to 16, sing secular and sacred music by such composers as Bach, Vivaldi, Nuñez and Giraldo and Glick.

During past years, Musica Mundi has produced nine editions of the Tuscany International Children’s Chorus Festival as well as the design and management of both the Sydney Sings Children’s Chorus Festival and the Copenhagen International Children’s Chorus Festival. Henry Leck, founder of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, is the Festival’s Artistic Director. The Chicago Arts Orchestra, conducted by Javier José Mendoza, accompanies the choirs.

“We are also pleased to be able to contribute to the local economy, even in a small way,” said Watt. “We have hired local people and booked restaurants, hotels and venues.” In hopes of a long and fruitful association with San Miguel, next year’s festival has already been scheduled for June 28–July 4, 2010. The organizers expect participation in the Festival to be even greater next year.

Remember, concerts are free! For more information, email alicesperling@hotmail