 |
Tenor Matthew Polenzani as Third Named Recipient of Metropolitan Opera's Beverly Sills Artist Award
26th April, 2008
The Metropolitan Opera announced today that American tenor Matthew Polenzani has been named as the third recipient of the company's Beverly Sills Artist Award.
Bestowed annually to a young American singer who has already appeared in featured solo roles with the Met, the award carries with it a $ 50000 prize - the largest award of its kind in the United States - intended to help further singers' careers by providing funding for voice lessons, vocal coaching, language lessons, travel costs and other professional assistance. Polenzani, 39, is the third singer to receive the award since its 2006 inception, in honor of the late Beverly Sills, through an endowment gift from Agnes Varis, a managing director on the Met board, and her husband, Karl Leichtman. Polenzani will sing the role of Belmonte in the Met's upcoming performances of Die Entführung aus dem Serail, which begin on April 26 and run through May 7.
"What a tremendous honour to be the recipient of this award. I am humbled to win it, but also sad that I never knew Ms. Sills personally. I have only known her through her recordings, which are inspirational," said Polenzani. "I first became aware of her art when I heard a recording of her singing the 'Willow Song' from The Ballad of Baby Doe. I was struck by the beauty of her tone, the directness of her communication, and the honesty of her delivery . These are things that I strive for in my own singing. With the help of this award, I will continue to follow the example she set for me, and for all of us, to sing with heart, mind and soul. I am so grateful to Agnes Varis, Karl Leichtman, and to the Metropolitan Opera for this honour. And especially my heartfelt thanks to Beverly Sills whose tremendous support and love the world of opera has known from the moment she set foot on the stage, to the moment of Her passing. "
Polenzani, who made his Met debut in 1997 as Khrushchov in performances of Boris Godunov, has sung a total of twenty-seven roles with the company, including Ferrando in Così fan Tutte, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Lindoro in L'Italiana in Algeri, David in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. During the current season, Roméo Polenzani has sung in the Met's performances of Gounod's opera and Alfredo in La Traviata. The tenor has also performed at the Opera National de Paris, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden, the Vienna Staatsoper, Teatro Carlo salt, Lyric Opera of Chicago and San Francisco Opera. Polenzani has frequently performed in concert with orchestras that have included the Boston Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra, he has also sung with the MET Chamber Ensemble at Carnegie's Zankel Hall as well as in a solo recital at Weill Hall with Met music director James Levine.
The two previous recipients of the Award include Sills baritone Nathan Gunn (2006) and mezzo Joyce DiDonato (2007).
Release link:
http://www.metoperafamily.org/operanews/news/pressrelease.aspx?id=1512
|
|
