Volume IV, No.

November 2007

Chairmans Greeting: We are pleased to present this fourth annual issue of The Wagner
Singer, the sister publication of our twice-yearly Wagner on the Potomac newsletter.
Join us for our 2007 GALA Benefit on December 1 and other programs!
J.K Holman, Chairman; author of Wagner Moments (2007) and Wagners Ring (1998)

Reminder: The 2007 Flying Dutchman GALA Benefit

December 1, 2007 at La Maison Franaise, Embassy of France

Greetings from Evelyn Lear: When my late husband Thomas Stewart and I agreed in 2000 to
serve as Artistic Directors of the Emerging Singers Program named in our honor, we were not sure
where it would all come out. How wonderful to note that we just presented our 15th concert! In
the seven years of the program, more than 125 singers have auditioned; more than 75 of them have
performed in the spring and autumn concerts each year. I am grateful to the Wagner Society for its
generous support of the aspiring Wagner singers we select for the Program. I am honored to serve as
Artistic Director in Toms memory. I appreciate the help of John Edward Niles, our Program Director. And I am delighted that we are creating an Advisory Board of distinguished artists to guarantee
the long-term advancement of the Program.

The 15th Emerging Singers Concert

November 1, 2007 at the German Embassy

Young Singers Triumphant in Wagner Roles

Cecelia Porter in Washington Post, November 3, 2007

(See www.washingtonpost.com and www.wagner-dc.org)
The landmark 15th ESP concert featured favorite Wagner vocal excerpts demonstrating the artistry of the gifted singers, accompanied by pianist Betty Bullock. Excerpts included Tannhuser (Dich teure Halle); Die Meistersinger von Nremberg
(Preislied); Der fliegende Hollnder (Duet Wie aus der Ferne);
Parsifal (Ja, wehe, wehe; Nur eine Waffe taught); Tristan und
Isolde (Liebestod); Die Walkre (Ein Schwert verhie mir der
Vater... Winterstrme...Du bist der Lenz.)

In photo (left to right), tenor Corey Bix; soprano Julia Rolwing;

baritone Ryan Kinsella; soprano Valerie Bernhardt; baritone Michael
Hayes; EVELYN LEAR; and tenor Brian Register. (missing from
photo: pianist Betty Bullock)

Contents
2007 GALA Benefit.................................................... 2
ESP Singers on World Stage....................................... 3
Selected ESP Participants.........................................4-6

Contribution and Membership Forms........................ 7

The Meistersinger Guild and Golden Ring .................. 8

The Wagner Society of Washington, DC

P.O. Box 58213 Washington, DC 20037
Phone 301.907.2600 Fax 301.907.8671

www.wagner-dc.org

The 2007 Flying Dutchman GALA Benefit

Saturday, December 1, 2007, 7:00 pm, at La Maison Franaise, Embassy of France
A roving Dutchman will greet you during the cocktail reception and around the silent auction tables full of surprises and thrills. You can be the only person in North America to own
the 2008 calendar autographed by Christian Thieleman and full of Bayreuth production pictures. Fabulous auction items include: a stay in the
super deluxe Ashford Castle in Ireland to muse on the story of Tristan
and Isolde; a week in "Valhalla West" in Sun Valley, Idaho; and a special
Dutchman package for you and three guests to enjoy the Washington National Opera Flying Dutchman in April 2008. Classical WETA 90.9 FM
Weekend Host Chip Brienza is poised to let the live auction go soaring.
You will meet two artists who have participated in the Emerging Singers
Program and now have international singing careers Jennifer
Wilson, Senta in the WNO The Flying Dutchman and Jason Stearns, the
Dutchman in the 2008 Savonlinna Festival in Finland in July. (See photos and bios on page 3).
Diane Stanley and Yoko Arthur,
Gala Co-Chairs

You will be seated to enjoy exquisite cuisine by the French Embassy's catering service. Soprano Valerie Bernhardt
and baritone Ryan Kinsella, two future stars of Wagner operas and this years Emerging Singers Program participants, will be introduced by Evelyn Lear and will sing for you.

Special Appreciation for Dr. Gerald Perman

The GALA will honor Dr. Gerald Perman, founder and artistic director of The Vocal Arts Society of Washington,
D.C. in recognition of the lasting impact he has been making to enrich the musical life in our nation's capital. On
behalf of the Wagner Society the distinguished opera singer Richard Stilwell will present Dr. Perman a special appreciation.
The French Embassy is an especially appropriate venue for an event centered on the
Flying Dutchman. Richard Wagner composed this opera in Paris, after a perilous North
Sea journey!
The Gala is taking shape under the direction of Yoko Arthur and Diane Stanley. Working with them are Blaine Marshall, the Society's administrator Jackie Rosen, and board
members Betty Byrne,
Frederic Harwood, and Nancy O'Hara along with Chairman Jim Holman.
All proceeds from the Gala will support the Wagner Societys activities including the
Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart Emerging Singers Program (ESP).
The deadline for reservation to attend the Society's major fund-raiser is November 15.

Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart Emerging Singers Program (ESP):

Emerging Singers in Opera Houses around the World
The 1st ESP concert was presented on April 15, 2000; the 15th on November 1, 2007. Ever since October 2004, The
Wagner Singer has charted the progress of the Wagner Society ESP partnership with Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart.
This issue reviews the progress of 17 selected singers who have received coaching, master classes, rehearsals, advice,
contacts and, in many cases, financial support to develop their careers singing the Wagner repertoire. We highlight in
this issue two protgs of Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart: soprano Jennifer Wilson and bass-baritone Jason Stearns,

Soprano Jennifer Wilson

Soprano Jennifer Wilson will sing Senta in the Washington National Opera
(WNO) performances of The Flying Dutchman next Spring. This is a source
of special pride for the ESP. Ms. Wilson was discovered by Evelyn Lear and
Thomas Stewart in the WNO chorus and was engaged for the 3rd concert
in October 2001 where she sang an an unforgettable Dich tuere Halle. This
was followed by her rapid rise to the world opera scene as a protge of Evelyn Lear. A scant five years after her professional debut as Turandot with
the Connecticut Opera in 2002, Jennifer Wilson firmly established herself
as a one of the worlds leading upcoming dramatic sopranos. She has sung
in Houston, Santa Fe and at the Lyric Opera replacing Jane Eaglen. Anne
Midgette in The New York Times wrote that Ms. Wilsons Brnnhilde in
Placido Domingo with Jennifer Wilson
at the Washington National Opera (WNO) Chicago brought down the house. Ms. Wilson went on to performed at
October 2007 Welcome to the Opera Concert the Thtre du Chtelet in Paris in Robert Wilsons Die Walkre in the 20052006 season. Her upcoming engagements include Elisabeth in Tannhuser
with LOrchestre Symphonique de Montral. She also returns to Valencia to reprise her role as Brnnhilde in Siegfried in
a performance conducted by Zubin Mehta. She debuts this season at both Covent Garden as Turandot and at the Los
Angeles Opera as Gutrune in Gtterdmmerung; she is booked as Aida in 2009 for Opera Australia. She is also an accomplished concert artist. Ms. Wilson lives in Fairfax VA. She is fondly remembered by members of the WNO choir
as well as the choir at the Holy Trinty Church in Georgetown where she sang for many years.

Bass-Baritone Jason Stearns

Bass baritone Jason Stearns came to the attention of Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart
in 2004 after his professional career with the U.S. Army Chorale. He appeared often at
the White House and at diplomatic events when he was a featured soloist with the U.S.
Army Band. He was awarded First Prize in the first annual Chester Ludgin American
Verdi Baritone Competition in May of 2005, which was judged by Placido Domingo
and others. In the course of preparing singers for the 13th ESP concert on the eve of his
death, Thomas Stewart spoke of Mr. Stearns as his successor. In 2005. Mr. Stearns made
his German operatic debut in Gelsenkirchen as Count di Luna in Il Trovatore. In 2006
he sang the Heerrufer in Lohengrin with Opera Leipzig. In 2007 he sang two roles with
Los Angeles Opera: Biterolf in Wagners Tannhuser, and Noah (Noye) in Brittens Noyes
Fludde. and most recently, The Mayor in Janaceks Jenufa. He returns to Los Angeles to
sing in the American Premiere of an opera by Viktor Ullmann and will also be in the
spring production of Tristan und Isolde. Jason Stearns will sing the lead role in The Flying
Dutchman in the in the 2008 Savonlinna Festival in Finland.

Charles Robert Austin

Valerie Bernhardt

Corey Bix

Daniel Brenna

WAGNER ROLES: Wotan, Hunding, King Marke, Daland, and Landgrave.

Charles Robert Austin, bass-baritone, has appeared in three ESP concerts: the 6th (May 2003), the
7th (September 2004) and the 10th (May 2005) where he offered selections from Die Walkre and Der
fliegende Hollnder. The Wagner roles he has sung in other venues include Hunding and Wotan in
Die Walkre, King Marke in Tristan and Isolde, Daland in Der fliegende Hollnder, and the Landgrave
in Tannhuser. Other roles also include Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Frre Laurent in Romeo et
Juliett, and Duke Bluebeard in Bluebeards Castle. His most recent role was King Hrothgar in the premiere
of Elliott Goldenthals opera Grendel. This native Nebraskan is a former US Marine Corps Helicopter
Pilot and businessman. Contact: A.O.R. Management, Inc.mailto:jennyrose@aormanagementuk.com
WAGNER ROLES: Isolde and Senta.
Valerie Bernhardt, soprano, made her ESP debut at the 15th Concert (November 1, 2007) at the
German Embassy in Washington DC. The holder of two Juilliard graduate degrees, Ms Bernhardt has
also distinguished herself in vocal competitions-- most recently in the Wagner Division of the 2007
Liederkranz Foundation Competition and the Metropolitan Opera National Council. She made her
Carnegie Hall debut in Donzettis Adelia, and her City Opera debut in Janceks Cunning Little Vixen.
She has a wide range of operatic roles, including the Wagnerian roles of Isolde and Senta, and she has
made numerous appearances as the featured soprano soloist with large choral organizations here and
abroad. Contact: Pinnacle Arts Management.
WAGNER ROLES: Walther and Siegmund.
Corey Bix, tenor, made his ESP debut at the 15th Concert (November 1, 2007) at the German
Embassy. As an undergraduate in Iowa, his home state, he appeared in a number of operatic roles,
including Don Jose (Carmen), Flute (Midsummer Nights Dream), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni),
and The Beatle (Sweeney Todd). His current Wagner roles are David and Siegmund. A graduate
of Simpson College in Indianola, Mr. Bix also earned a Masters in Music from the New England
Conservatory in 2004. Since then he has appeared with the Santa Fe Opera and, in 2006, he won
the George London/Kirsten Flagstad Memorial Award for singing Walthers Preisleid from Die
Meistersinger.
WAGNER ROLES: Siegmund and Erik.
Daniel Brenna,tenor, made his ESP debut in the 10th Concert (May 2005) in the German Embassy.
He is a graduate of the Opera Institute at Boston University, where he performed the roles of Don
Jos in the Bizet/Brook La Tragdie de Carmen, and Lysander and Albert Herring in Brittens operas
A Midsummer Nights Dream and Albert Herring. He later appeared as Haimon in the world premier
staging of Merrymans Antigone and the Tenor in Dominic Argentos Postcard from Morocco. Mr.
Brenna has performed with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Boston Lyric Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, the Tanglewood Music Centre Orchestra, and the Opera House in Giesen, Germany, where he
has sung the roles of Hans (Bartered Bride), Siegmund (Die Walkre), Erik (Der Fliegende Hollnder)
and other works by Verdi, Puccini and Kurt Weil.
WAGNER ROLES: Steurermann and Siegmund.
Michael Hayes, tenor, sang in the 6th ESP Concert (May 2003) at the German Embassy. Mr.Hayes
has performed the Wagnerian roles of Erik and the Steuermann (Der fliegende Hollnder ) and
Siegmund (Die Walkre). His vocal performances include many career highlights, such as the title
role in Verdis Otello at the RAI Theater in Amsterdam, Turiddu and Canio (Cavalleria Rusticana/
Pagliacci) for Boston Lyric Opera, and Radames (Aida) with Nashville Opera. He has also sung with
New York City Opera, Washington Summer Opera Theatre, Opera Detroit, Virginia Opera, Dayton
Opera, Kentucky Opera and Cincinnati Opera. He lives in the Washington DC metropolitan area.
Contact: Randsman Artists Management.

Michael Hayes
4

WAGNER ROLES: Amfortas.

Ryan Kinsella, baritone, first performed for the Society at its 2007 Banquet (May 2007). He sang
in the 15th ESP Concert (November 1, 2007) at the German Embassy. He is a native of Syracuse,
New York, and a graduate of the Boston University Opera Institute. He won the 2007 Wagner
Prize of the Liederkranz Foundation. He has collaborated with the Opera Company of Brooklyn in
reading engagements of Tosca and La Traviata. Recently Mr. Kinsella performed Silvio (Pagliacci)
with the Lake George Opera and Belshazzars Feast with the Washington Chorus. He has also sung
with the New York City Opera, New Opera Theatre, Metro Lyric Opera, among others, and he
appears on a new CD:Divas of a Certain Age by Thomas Pasatieri on the Albany Label.
Ryan Kinsella

WAGNER ROLES: Eva and Gerhilde(in Bayreuth).

Amanda Mace, soprano, who appeared in the 2nd ESP Concert in May 2001, is now based in
Germany, where, with financial support from the Wagner Society of New York, she enjoys an active
career. Her Wagner roles include Gerhilde with the Bamberger Sinfoniker under Jonathan Nott in
2004, and Ortlinde (Die Walkre) at Bayreuth under Christian Thielemann in 2007. She also sang
Eva in Die Meistersinger, directed by Katharine Wagner with Thielmann conducting in 2006. In
March 2007 she performed the role of Sieglinde (Die Walkre) with the National Opera in Vilnius.
In addition to her operatic roles, Ms Mace frequently appears on stage as an international concert
artist. Contact:Alferink Artists Management (Amsterdam).
WAGNER ROLES: Steuermann andTristan.
Paul Mow, tenor, sang in the 2nd (May 2001) Concert and 4th Annual Wagner Society of
Washington, DC banquet in June (2202). He sang Bacchus in Ariade auf Naxos at the Catholic
University Summer Opera Theatre in 2003. He added two Wagner roles to his rapidly expanding
repertoire in early 2005. He sang the Steuermann in Der fliegender Hollnder with the Anchorage
Opera in January 2004, followed by Tristan in February, in the Rostock Opera Theaters concert version of Act I of Tristan und Isolde. He returned to New York for performances of the Beethoven 9th,
then went on to perform Lennie in the Toledo Operas Of Mice and Men, which he also performed
with New York City Opera. He appeared in the NYCO production of Il Ritorno dUlisse in Patria
and Sousas The Glass Blowers, which he originated with the Glimmerglass Opera, The October 2007
Gramophone published a highly positive review of his recording of the Brahms 15-song cycle.
WAGNER ROLES: Ortrud and Erda.
Jennifer Roderer, mezzo-soprano, has sung in three ESP Concerts: the 6th Concert (May 2003), the
11th (October 2005) the 12th (June 2006) and the 14th (May 2007) at the University of Maryland.
She has sung selections from Das Rheingold, Siegfried, and Die Gtterdmmerung. She has sung with
the Seattle Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Teatro Colon Buenos Aires, where she debuted as
Fricka in Die Walkre, conducted by Charles Dutoit. Her Wagnerian credits also include Waltraute
for Lyric Opera of Chicago and Seattle Opera, and Rossweiss (Die Walkre), for Opera Pacific, and
Flowermaiden (Parsifal) with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Pierre Boulez, in addition to other
concert performances featuring Wagnerian excerpts, such as Ortrud (Lohengrin) with the American
Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center. Contact: Mirshak Artists Management.
WAGNER ROLES: Sieglinde and Freia.
Julia Rolwing, soprano, made her ESP debut in the 15th ESP Concert (November 1, 2007). She is
a native of Ohio. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Miami FL and
is now based in the New York City area. Ms Rolwing recently appeared at the Lasker Summer Music
Festival in North Carolina as the 2007 Vocal Award winner of the Liederkranz Foundation of New
York. She also performed the role of Tosca with the Opera of the Hamptons. In October, she was
cast as Freia in Das Rheingold for a performance this year with the New Jersey Concert Opera. One
year ago, Ms Rolwing sang her first Wagnerian role as Sieglinde (Die Walkre) in Plainfield, NJ. In
June, she was awarded the Robert Lauch Memorial Award, the top honor of the Wagner Society of
New York.

Amanda Mace

Paul Mow

Jennifer Roderer

Julia Rolwing

WAGNER ROLES: David.

Jeffrey Springer, tenor, sang in the 13th thee ESP Concert (October 2006). Persuaded by the legendary
James King to move into the tenor range, Mr. Springer has since made it his own. He debuted as Manrico
(Il Trovatore) with the Connecticut Opera in 2005, and he later toured throughout the US performing
the roles of Don Jos, the Gypsy and the Soldier with the Teatro Lirico DEurope. He also sang
Cavaradossi in Tosca with Opera Naples in addition to his American opera and concert engagements;
he also has performed extensively in Germany, France and Spain. This season he will appear with the
Houston Symphony, singing works in concert. He is a recent recipient of a grant from the Gerda Lissner
Foundation in New York. Contact: Columbia Artists Management, Inc.
WAGNER ROLES: Brnnhilde.
Rebecca Teem, soprano, has sung in three ESP Concerts: the 10th (May 2005)11th (October 2005)
and 14th (May 2007) She is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, now living in New York City. Following her
selection as a Metropolitan Opera Regional Finalist in 1999, she made her debut with Opera Dramatica
NYC in their performance of Don Carlo. This was followed by performances of Aida (2005), Strausss
Elektra (2006) and Brnnhilde (2007) with the New York Opera Forum in both staged and concert
presentations. Her Brnnhilde in Siegfried (Act III) in the 14th Concert with the University of
Maryland Symphony under the baton of James Ross at the 14th ESP (May 2007) was followed by
promising auditions in Europe. .
WAGNER ROLES: Tristan, Siegmund, Parsifal, Lohengrin, Erik, and Froh.
Thomas Rolf Truhitte, tenor/Heldentenor, has appeared in two ESP Concerts: the 3rd (October 2001),
and the 4th (May 2002) presenting selections from Die Walkre, Parsifal and Rienzi. Since performing in
ESP concerts, he has added several Wagnerian roles to his repertoire; among them, Erik in Der fliegende
Hollnder), Siegmund in Die Walkre, the title roles in Parsifal and Lohengrin and Tristan in Tristan und
Isolde (at the Virginina Opera with Janine Altmeyer), Froh (in Seattle). He has also sung Max in Der
Freischtz. A native of California, Mr Truhitte has sung in venues across the country from the Los Angeles
Walt Disney Hall to the Lincoln Centers Avery Fisher Hall, and from Opera Canada in Toronto to Brazil
and from the Spoleto Festival in Italy to the rest of Europe as far as Metz in France, which covers much of
the range of Western opera house stages. Contact: Randsman Artists Management.
WAGNER ROLES:
Caroline Whisnant, soprano, sang in the 7th ESP Concert (September 2003) at the Smithsonian
Institution. Since then, she has developed an active career in Germany, where she is an ensemble member
with the Nationaltheater Mannheim and a frequent guest performer with Oper Frankfurt and Badisches
Staatstheater Karlsruhe. Highlights of her career have included the title roles in Elektra, Brnnhilde in
Die Walke, the title role in Tosca, the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos, Santuzza in Cavaleria Rusticana,
Leonora in Il Trovatore, Madame in Les Dialogues des Carmlites and Maddalena de Coigny in Andrea
Chnier and others. Equally at home on the concert stage, she has performed roles including Sieglinde
in Die Walkre, and works ranging from Barber, Korngold and Arvo Prt, to Mozart, Verdi and Mahler.
Contact: Randsman Artists Management,
ACCOMPANING PIANIST:
Betty Bullock, pianist, is a favorite of singers at the German Embassy. A member of the Washington National
Opera staff for twenty-five years, Ms Bullock holds degrees from Oberlin and the University of North Carolina.
She also studied at the Salzburg Mozarteum in Austria and the Hochschule fr Musik in Munich. She was
formerly on the faculty a Duke University and the Oberlin Conservatory, as well as a winner of the Franz
Schubert Prize for Accompanists awarded by Baden bei Wien in Austria. She is currently on the faculty of
the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria and, since 1997, also of the University of Miami
Summer Vocal Institute in Salzburg.

Jeffrey Springer

Rebecca Teem

Thomas Rolf Truhitte

Caroline Whisnant

Betty Bullock

Help Develop the Emerging Singers Program by Your Contribution

FORM OF PAYMENT: (do not send cash)

Check Enclosed

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SPECIAL THANKS: The Meistersinger Guild: Most of the Members in the Guild have been long-time gener-

ous contributors; all have pledged $5,000 for the 2008 membership year. Guild Members (so far) for 2008 are: The
Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Frederic Harwood and Lea McDaniel; Christine Hunter; Jim and Diana;
Holman; John and Lynn Pohanka; and Guillermo and Cecilia Schultz. For further information on the Guild, please
contact Development Committee Chair Frederic Harwood on 202.438.4800 or by email at Frederic_Harwood@
Yahoo.com.

SPECIAL THANKS: Golden Ring Members ($1,000 membership contribution)

Betty Byrne; Aurelius & Janet Fernandez; Marc & Jacqueline Leland; Maika Siebeck; Richard and Cathy Soderquist;
Thomas and Diane Stanley; W. Wolff & Catherine Chura Wolf.

The Emerging Singers Program

Evelyn Lear

Artistic Director

John Edward Niles

Program Director

The Wagner Society of Washington DC

J.K. Holman

Chairman

Aurelius Fernandez

President

Invitation to Aspiring Wagner Singers:

Aspiring Wagner singers are invited to submit their CVs and a recorded CD or audio tape sample of their singing to
Program Administrator John Edward Niles to apply for the Emerging Singers Program. See www.wagner-dc.org.

The Thomas Stewart and Evelyn Lear

Emerging Singers Program

November 2007 update

The Wagner Society of Washington, DC

P.O. Box 58213
Washington, DC 2007
www.wagner-dc.org

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