ROCHESTER, NY – The Eastman School of Music will be the site for one of four regional auditions and the final judging in the 2001 Lotte Lenya Competition for Singers, sponsored by the Kurt Weill Foundation. Regional auditions will take place on Saturday, February 3, beginning at
10:30 a.m. in Kilbourn Hall (26 Gibbs St.), with the final round of competition scheduled for Saturday, March 17, in Kilbourn Hall (time to be announced). Both rounds of competition are free and open to the public.
Established in 1998 to honor German composer Kurt Weill’s wife and foremost interpreter of his music, the Lotte Lenya Competition for Singers is open to students enrolled in a degree program at any college, university, or conservatory in the United States or Canada. It recognizes excellence in the performance of music for the theater, including opera, operetta, and American musical theater. During performances of varied works to show versatility in musical styles, contestants will be judged on multiple criteria such as vocal technique, interpretation, acting, and stage presence. Awards totaling more than $15,000 will be presented to the winners of the regional and national auditions. In addition, national winners will be given the opportunity to participate in a concert in New York.
The regional competition at Eastman will be adjudicated by Judy Kaye, an eminent performer of musical theater. Kaye’s career includes a Tony award-winning performance as Carlotta, the opera singer, in The Phantom of the Opera. A frequent performer of Weill’s music, Kaye also is the recipient of the Theater World Award, the L.A. Drama Critics’ Circle Award, and two Drama Desk nominations. She has appeared in numerous theater, opera, concert, and film roles.
Further information about the 2001 Lotte Lenya Competition for Singers is available at www.kwf.org, the web site of the Kurt Weill Foundation.
###