2023 International Vocal Competition
Opera at Florham is excited to announce the winners of the 33rd Annual International Vocal Competition. On Sunday, May 21, ten finalists demonstrated exceptional talent in the operatic art form before a live audience in Morristown, New Jersey. Each contestant sang an aria accompanied on piano by Opera at Florham’s Artistic Director, Mary Pinto. Soprano Amanda Batista placed first for which she was awarded $5,000.
From 175 singers age 21 to 35 who applied for the competition, 75 were selected to audition May 17-19 in New York City. Vocalists were judged by adjudicators renowned in the opera world: Barbara Ann Testa, Cynthia Munzer, Ken Benzon, James Thurmond Smithgall, and Tyson Deaton.
A total of $13,500 in prizes was awarded with every finalist receiving an award.
1st $5,000: Amanda Batista, Soprano. Sponsored by Marty Jeiven.
Amanda Batista, Soprano, is a Puerto-Rican Cuban-American Soprano based in New York City. This season, she joined the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera, where she debuted as the High Priestess in Verdi’s Aida. This summer, she will join the Académie du Festival d’Aix-en-Provence Vocal Residency in France and the Aspen Music Festival as a Renée Fleming Artist. Last summer, she joined the Merola Opera Program and was a soloist in A Celebration of American Song and the Merola Grand Finale concert at the War Memorial Opera House. Ms. Batista is a graduate of Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts, and The Juilliard School.
2nd $3,000: Younggwang Park, Bass. Sponsored by Joe DuPont, in honor of his mother, Violetta, Opera at Florham co-founder and Vocal Competition founder.
Younggwang Park, Bass, earned his Bachelor’s in classical voice from Seoul National University in 2022. He also studied in Parma, Italy, where he was a finalist in the Franco Federici International Competition and won the Grand Prize in the Goyangsi Competition. This season, he won the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition in the Georgia district and placed 3rd in the Southeast region. He recently debuted at Lincoln Center performing the role of Simone in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at the Juilliard School. This summer, he will perform at the Santa Fe Opera. He is pursuing his Master’s at Juilliard.
3rd $2,000: Sejin Park, Baritone. Sponsored by Eleni Matos, former Competition winner.
Sejin Park, Baritone, is an active opera singer and recitalist in Korea and the US. He has trained at the Art Song Festival at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist Program, and the Palm Beach Opera Benenson Young Artist Program. Featured roles are Marcello in La Bohème, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, Il Conte in Le nozze di Figaro, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. He will perform in La Bohème in Korea in 2023, and with the Hawaii Opera Theater and the St. Petersburg Opera Company in 2024. He has placed in multiple competitions including 1st prize in Citta di Pesaro and the Medici International Music Competition. He holds an MM and BM from Seoul’s Yonsei University. He completed the Professional Study program at Mannes School of Music.
Encouragement Awards, $500 each: Taryn Holback, Soprano; Sam Dhobhany, Bass-Baritone; Anna Kelly, Mezzo-Soprano; Seungchan Hong, Baritone; Chuanyuan Liu, Countertenor; Tasha Koontz, Soprano. Sponsored by Marty Jeiven, Joanne Williams, and Opera at Florham.
This year Opera at Florham is introducing a summer concert, “Summertime Soiree” on July 9, and expanding from 4 to 5 concerts plus the Vocal Competition for the 2023-24 season. All events are held on Sundays at 3 p.m. at either The Mansion at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, New Jersey or St. Margaret Church in Morristown, New Jersey. Check our website operaatflorham.org for details and tickets.
Opera at Florham has been northern New Jersey’s leading Opera company since its founding in 1982. In addition to the Vocal Competition, each season our professionally trained artists present four to five concerts performing Opera Arias and excerpts from America’s Broadway musical theater. Singers and music educators reach out to local communities with programs such asOpera Talk with Lou Barrella. This season’s final talk, “Verdi’s Fathers and Daughters” takes place on June 10 at 11:30 a.m. in the Mansion at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ.
Funding has been made possible in part by funds from the Morris Arts Council through the New Jersey State Council of the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
