RADNOR, Pa. (March 2, 2012) — Resident artists from the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) will perform selections from opera and light opera at a free concert at Cabrini College on Sunday, March 25 at 7 p.m. in the Mansion (610 King of Prussia Road, Radnor).
Soprano Maria Aleida, mezzo-soprano Chrystal E. Williams, tenor Nelson Ebo and bass Scott Conner will perform selections from “Carmen,” “La Traviata,” “Porgy and Bess,” “Don Giovanni” and “South Pacific” under the musical direction of Michele Scanlon.
A third-year AVA resident artist from Holguin, Cuba, Aleida was District Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in Puerto Rico in 2012. A second-year AVA resident from Portsmouth, Va., Williams was District Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in Boston, Mass., in 2012.
A first-year AVA resident from Luanda, Angola, Ebo took first place at the Lakes Region Opera and Opera New Hampshire Competition in 2008. A third-year AVA resident from Olathe, Kan., Conner was District Winner at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in Philadelphia in 2010. Scanlon, who will accompany the singers on piano, served as musical director for opera companies in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including ConcertOPERA in Philadelphia and Opera New Jersey in Princeton.
Founded in 1934, the Academy of Vocal Arts provides tuition-free vocal and opera training to exceptionally talented and committed young singers.
For more information, contact Dr. Adeline Bethany, professor and chair of fine arts at Cabrini College (610-902-8380, abethany@cabrini.edu).
For a full fine arts schedule, visit www.cabrini.edu/FineArtsCalendar.
About Cabrini College
Students do extraordinary things at Cabrini College, a residential Catholic college welcoming learners of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds. Founded in 1957 by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the College provides a transformational “education of the heart,” focusing on academic excellence, leadership development and a commitment to social justice.
Cabrini offers 1,300 full-time undergraduate students more than 30 majors, pre-professional programs, concentrations and minors. Nearly 2,000 students are in graduate studies programs at the main campus in Radnor, Pa., and at 13 off-site locations. The College’s serene 112-acre campus is located 30 minutes from Philadelphia.