UCLA Division of Voice and Opera

Accomplishments

Tenor Rodell Rosel '05 won the Grand Prize in the 2005 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in NYC, 3rd Prize in the 2006 Palm Beach Opera Competition, and 2nd Prize in the 2006 Lotte Lenya Vocal Competition in NYC. He is an alumnus of Lyric Opera of Chicago's Ryan Opera Center, and since then has sung Blind/Die Fledermaus, Ruiz/Il trovatore, Second Jew/Salome and Altoum/Turandot, among other roles. Earlier he performed at the Music Academy of the West (Basilio/Le nozze di Figaro), and won top prizes in the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Rio Hondo Symphony Young Artists Competition, and the Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition, and, most currently, a recipient of the Opera Buffs Career Achievement Award. Mr. Rosel recently debuted as Goro/Madama Butterfly with Pittsburgh Opera. Future performances in 2008 include Bardolfo/Falstaff with Lyric Opera of Chicago, and a Houston Grand Opera debut as Squeak/Billy Budd.
Mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor M'04 received her MM degree in Voice Performance from UCLA and immediately gained recognition for her creation of the role of Lorca in Golijov's opera "Ainandamar" at the Tanglewood Institute. She later performed this role with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, at Santa Fe Opera Festival, at Lincoln Center in NYC, and with the Atlanta Symphony. She has also recorded it for Deutsche Grammophon. In 2006 she performed at the Ojai and Ravinia Festivals and sang at the Barbican Centre in London. "Opera Now" magazine has recognized Kelley on its "Young Artists: Who's Hot?" list for 2006. Upcoming engagements include concerts with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, and the National Symphony, and she will understudy a role at New York City Opera. She has swon the Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition and the Long Beach Mozart Festival Competition.
Soprano Jamie Chamberlin '02 M'04 sang the soprano lead role in the San Francisco Opera Merola Center production of Susa's "Transformations" in 2006. She made her LA Opera solo debut in 2004-05 in supporting roles, and has been a LA Opera chorister for 3 years. She made her Los Angeles Philharmonic debut in 2005 at Disney Hall as soloist in Salonen's "Wing on Wing" and has sung lead roles in 4 LA Opera Educational Outreach productions. She has sung 3 separate solo engagements with Pasadena Symphony, and this season performs as soloist with Fort Collins (Colorado) Symphony, Indian Wells Desert Symphony, Occidental College Chorale, and the Nimbus Ensemble. She was a Metropolitan Opera Western Regional Finalist 2005, won the Society of Singers Prize in 2002 and local foundational prizes and grants every year since 2002. In June of 2007 she won third place in the Jose Iturbi International Vocal Competition and was one of 46 singers worldwide (only 6 Americans) selected to compete in the Seoul (Korea) International Opera Competition in January 2008.
Tenor Jesus Leon (Opera Studio participant) was a member of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program at LA Opera. He covered Ferrando at Santa Fe Opera in 2007 and he covered Almaviva at Opera Theatre of St. Louis in 2006. He was a member of the 2006 Solti Accademia di bel Canto in Florence, Italy. He performed the roles of Rodolfo and the Duke of Mantua at the 2005 New Opera Festival di Roma, and spent a year at the Boston Opera Institute where he performed 5 leading roles. He has performed several times in the Palm Springs Showcase and has been featured soloist at the 2005 and 2007 in the Equestrian World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, broadcast by NBC Sports.
Mezzo-soprano Karin Mushegain M'05 was chosen to join Pittsburgh Opera's Young Artist Program. During her two-year Residency she performed multiple principal and supporting roles both on the main stage of Pittsburgh Opera and in their Resident Artist productions. Miss Mushegain was recently seen as Maria in West Side Story at Ash Lawn Opera Festival to which she received great critical and audience acclaim. In 2006 she made her Pittsburgh Symphony debut. She will appear with the Symphony again in 2008 under the baton of Grammy award winning conductor Marvin Hamlisch and also in a supporting lead role in Pittsburgh Opera's production of the new opera Flight in 2008. Miss Mushegain has been awarded by the Fine Arts Club of Pasadena, the Leni Fe Bland Foundation, and the Heinz Rehfuss Singing Actor Competition.
Bass-baritone Evan Hughes '06 is currently enrolled in the Master's program in Voice at the Curtis Institute. He recently made his New York city recital debut to critical acclaim (NY Times) as the 2006 winner of the Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition. He performed at the Music Academy of the West in 2005 and 2006. He has been invited to sing at Carnegie Hall in 2008 in Marilyn Horne’s “On Wings of Song” gala and to perform an artist residency for the Brownville concert series (Omaha, NE) in 2007. Current performances include an appearance with the Richmond Symphony and the title role in “Le Nozze di Figaro” with the Curtis Opera Theater. In the Spring, he will perform in the Philadelphia premier of the grammy award winning new Opera, “Ainadamar,” as well as performances of Tchaikovsky’s “Iolanta.” This past summer, he made his European recital debut in Denmark’s “Somermusik.” Evan was a 2007 finalist in the exclusive Marian Anderson competition.
Baritone Brian Cali M'07 is in his first year with the new Domingo/Thornton Young Artists program. He won Third Place in the Palm Springs Vocal Competition in December, 2006. He will be singing in the Palm Springs OPERA IN THE PARK program in April, 2007
Soprano Karen Vuong '06 is in her final year with the new Domingo/Thornton Young Artists program where she has sung the role of Mimi at the Dorothy Chandler in several outreach productions and covered several small mainstage roles. She was a finalist in Placido Donmingo's Operalia and won the Martinez Culturarte Award of $10,000 and will be giving a concert for them in Puerto Rico in June. She was a top prizewinner in the Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition and will be singing in the Palm Springs Opera in the Park program in April, 2007.
Soprano Khori Dastoor M'05 DMA'08 is currently in residence as a principal artist with Opera San Jose. Her debut as Lucia with the company garnered critical acclaim. She recently performed Mary in the world premiere of Paul Chihara's Magnificat and was seen as Miss Wordswoth for the Aspen Opera Theatre under the baton of Robert Spano. She made her international concert debut as soloist with the Presidential Philharmonic in Ankara, Turkey and made her debut with Lake George Opera last season performing the lead soprano role in Offenbach's La Vie Parisienne. Upcoming engagements include the roles of Sophie (Werther), Gilda (Rigoletto), and Pamina (Die Zauberflote) with Opera San Jose, and a return to Lake George Opera for the 2008 summer season as Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance) and Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi). In June, Ms. Dastoor will appear again in Royce Hall with the Angeles Chorale as the soprano soloist for the Brahms' /Requiem.
Tenor Kalil Wilson '06 has sung lead roles at the Aspen Festival for the last two summers, including the title role in Britten's Albert Herring. He will be attending again this coming summer and sing in Cavalli's Eliogabalo. He won 2nd prize in the Metropolitan Opera Western Regional Finals, won 1st Prize in the Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition, and has frequently performed as soloist with the Oakland Symphony.
Soprano Rebecca Sjöwall M'08 won the 2007 American Jenny Lind Vocal Competition and toured Sweden in recital with the 2007 Swedish Jenny Lind. She also won First Prize of the Long Beach Mozart Festival Vocal Competition and the Redlands Bowl Young Artist Auditions, and she has twice been a District Winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In 2006, she won First Place in the Carlsbad Vocal Competition, which provided full sponsorship for her entry in the International Dvorak Competition in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, where she placed as a Finalist in the Art Song category. She made her European debut as Pamina in Mozart's "The Magic Flute" in the 2006 New Operafestival di Roma in Italy.
Bass Apollo Wong '04 M'08 won First Place in the Palm Springs Vocal competition in December, 2006. He will be singing in the Palm Springs OPERA IN THE PARK program in April, 2007. He has performed several featured bass roles with Hong Kong Opera.
Soprano Jacqueline Bezek '05 M'07 was the featured soprano in the Opera Buffs Inc. Showcase, held at the Colburn School of Music in March 2006 and 2007. After winning the Burbank Philharmonic's vocal competition, Jacqueline was featured in a concert with them in April 2007 where she sang Desdemona's Salce scene from
Otello. Jacqueline has been an active singer for the Palm Springs Opera Guild, as she has participated in several of their desert outreach programs as well as being featured in their 2007 Opera in the Park. This past summer Jacqueline performed the famed role of Violetta Valèry in Tuscia Opera Festival's production of La Traviata. Her most recent achievements include being a recipient of the Leni Fé Bland vocal scholarship and being a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions this past October 2007.
Soprano Julianna di Giacomo '97 began the 2006 season with a highly acclaimed debut as Fiordiligi in Così fan Tutte with New York City Opera under the baton of Julius Rudel, for which she was named City Opera’s debut artist of the year. She joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera last season for Suor Angelica, Idomeneo, and The Magic Flute and makes her debut this season as Clotilde in Norma. Also this season, Ms. Di Giacomo returns to New York City Opera to sing Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, makes her Carnegie Hall debut as Lucrezia in I due Foscari with Opera Orchestra of New York and will sing the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro for Opera Grand Rapids.
Soprano Erin Wood '94 M'96 was a member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Young Artist Program for 3 years. There she made her debut as Sieglinde in "Die Walkyre" and performed and understudied several lead roles. She has also sung with San Francisco Opera, Music Academy of the West, and Pacific Opera. She has sung orchestral concerts at the Ravinia Festival and with the Pacific Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Toledo Opera, and with the Joffrey Ballet. She has won many prizes in the Chicago area as well as First Prize in the Palm Springs Opera Guild competition.
Soprano Angel Blue M'07, who was the 2006 Miss Southern California and second runner-up in the statewide pageant, is a member of the Los Angeles Opera Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program where she sang the role of Mimi at the Dorothy Chandler in several outreach productions. In April of 2008 she is engaged as the featured soloist with the Riverside County Philharmonic.
Tenor Daniel Suk M'08 performed as soloist for the Pacific Symphony's 2006 summer parks series and in Royce Hall as soloist in Puccini's "Mass."
Soprano Katherine Giaquinto '08 won Second Place in the Palm Springs Vocal competition in December, 2006. She sang in the Palm Springs Opera in the Park in April 2007, with Aspen Festival in the summer of 2007, and will be covering the role of Alcina at Wolf Trap Opera this summer.
Mezzo-soprano Rose Beattie M'06 DMA '08 will be making her debut with the Seattle Opera young artist program in 2009 performing the role of Hippolyta in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream. She also sings with the LA Opera Chorus.
Baritone David Williams '05 is in his first year of the Masters program at Juilliard, has performed at the Music Academy of the West, and has been a Metropolitan Opera Western Regional Finalist.
Baritone Ralph Cato DMA'05 tours as soloist with Riverdance, recently sang Amonasro in "Aida" with Sacramento Opera, and is a member of the UC Riverside voice faculty.
Soprano Rebecca Tomlinson DMA'02 sings with the LA Opera Chorus and is a member of the voice faculty at Cal State University, San Bernardino.
Mezzo-soprano Bonnie Snell M'02 sings with LA Opera Chorus and is a member of the Scripps College voice faculty.
Baritone Christian Nova DMA'05 is a member of the Chapman College and the Los Angeles Valley College voice faculties.
Soprano Rebecca Semrau DMA'98 spent 3 years in the Paris Opera Centre as a Young Artist.