USD Opera Wins First Place in National Opera Competition
The USD Opera was awarded the top prize in division VII, with the remaining prizes going to the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, the University of Texas at Austin and Michigan State University.
The USD Opera production was one of 84 entries in the 2023-24 season cycle.
The divisions in the competition were determined by undergraduate and graduate level, as well as by size of budget. Each production was adjudicated blindly with the judges unaware of the name of the institution or of the creative teams.
This year’s distinguished panel of judges includes representatives of the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, San Francisco Opera, Covent Garden, Zürich Opera and other renowned institutions.
"Notes on Viardot" was commissioned by USD Opera based on an idea of Tracelyn Gesteland, DMA, professor of voice/opera and the Walter A. and Lucy Yoshioka Buhler Endowed Chair. Gesteland was the stage director, music director and producer of the production and worked closely with composer and conductor Michael Ching to premiere the work in April 2024.
“The success of 'Notes on Viardot' is a milestone achievement in the history of USD Opera,” said Gesteland. “For a program of our size to be able to commission a significant new work and premiere it to national acclaim among some of the most exceptional large collegiate opera programs in the nation, is practically unprecedented. The first place win in this competition is testament to the talent, commitment and investment exhibited by everyone involved, including the cast and orchestra, the artistic and technical team, the administration, as well as the opera guild, our patrons, and our supportive community. USD Opera has been winning national awards since 2012, but this is by far the biggest accolade and a huge honor.”
Based on the intriguing life of opera diva and composer Pauline Viardot, "Notes on Viardot" takes a behind-the-scenes look at her fascinating professional and personal life, including her rumored affair with Russian poet Ivan Turgenev all the while married to Louis Viardot, a man 21 years her senior. Along the journey of her life story told through flashbacks, audiences meet an array of Pauline’s famous friends and family, including Georges Sand, Charles Dickens, Maria Malibran and more.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL OPERA ASSOCIATION (NOA)
The National Opera Association was founded in 1955, under the auspices of the National Music Council chartered by the US Congress.
The National Opera Association promotes excellence in opera education and pedagogy through its support of a diverse community of opera educators and professionals. The organization’s stated goals are to “seek to promote a greater appreciation of opera and music theatre, to enhance pedagogy and performing activities, and to increase performance opportunities by supporting projects that improve the scope and quality of opera.”
The goal of the NOA Opera Production Competition is to further the organization’s mission by encouraging and rewarding creative, high quality opera productions at academic institutions and music conservatories.
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