9th Evelyn Lear and Thomas
Stewart Emerging Singers Concert
Under the honorary patronage of His Excellency, Wolfgang Ischinger, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, and Mrs. Jutta Falke-Ischinger, the Wagner Society of Washington, D.C. will present the 9th Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart Emerging Singers Concert in the auditorium of the Embassy of Germany, 4645 Reservoir Road, N.W., Washington, D.C., on Friday, October 8, 2004, at 7:30 P.M. A reception with the singers and with Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart will follow the concert.
This Concert. The concert will consist of solos, duets, and scenes from five of the operas of Richard Wagner. It will be performed by five young American singers who have the potential for careers singing the Wagner repertoire. The singers have been selected and coached by the world-famous opera stars and teachers Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart, assisted by John Edward Niles, administrative director for the program and a member of the Board of Directors of the Wagner Society.
The Singers and the Works. Mezzo-soprano Roxanne Rowedder, returning for another appearance in these concerts, will perform Waltraute’s Narrative from Götterdämmerung. Tenor Brian Carter, will sing Winterstürme and Siegmund heiß ich und Siegmund bin ich! from the first act of Die Walküre. Baritone Jason Switzer will sing Wotan’s Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge from Das Rheingold. Tenor David Smith will perform Nur eine Waffe taugt, the final solo from Parsifal. Baritone, Matt Lepold, will join Smith, Switzer, and Carter for the song contest scene from Tannhäuser. The well-known Washington teacher and performer Betty Bullock will accompany on the piano. Texts and translations will be provided.
The Emerging Singers Program is a partnership of Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart and the Wagner Society of Washington, D.C. It is intended to provide enjoyment of Wagner’s music and experience for promising singers. Although it is not a competition, singers in the concerts may receive support from the Society to help advance their careers.
Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart are two of the greatest singers in American operatic history. Their distinguished careers took them to major opera houses and music festivals throughout the world. Both won prestigious awards, including a number of Grammy Awards for their recordings. Now living in the Washington area, they are in constant demand for master classes, coaching, and for The Emerging Singers Program. Through these efforts they help to develop young American singers, thereby passing on to the next generation of world-class opera singers the high artistic standards they set in their own brilliant singing careers.
Admission to the concert and the reception is $25 for Wagner Society members and $35 for others. Reservations should be made by Monday, October 4th. Reservations may be made on the Society’s web page at www.wagner-dc.org or by calling the Society at 301.907.2600. Public parking is available outside the embassy grounds on Reservoir Road. The complete concert program will be posted at the Wagner Society’s web site.
The Wagner Society of Washington,
D.C.
P.O. Box 33051 ■ Washington, D.C. 20033 ■ Telephone
301.907.2600 ■ Facsimile 301.907.8671
www.wagner-dc.org