April 28, 2004
WSH makes noise at opera contest
West High School singers reach finals at state competition
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Embodying excellence and keeping West High School on the map, five singers will be in Warren, Mich. this Sunday to compete in the Tenth Annual Italian Songs and Arias Vocal Competition.
The Verdi Opera Theater of Michigan sponsors the event and provides cash prizes ranging from $50-1,000 for the ten finalists, who were chosen from 35 applicants from around the state.
Traverse City students in the competition are: Amy Baumann, who has competed in the event twice before and won it her sophomore year, Ashley Larimer, Sam Maxbauer, Khaki Pixley and Jennifer Smith. Maxbauer is a junior and the other singers are graduating seniors.
All students are members of the school's Choral-Aires program and the girls have been singing together for three years. All five have performed together in musicals, including last year's "Les Miserables" and this year's "West Side Story," as well as at competitive events around the state. The five finalists also sang with the school's Chorale at the prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales in 2003; the chorus received a second place finish in the mixed choirs category.
Delving into opera is just another way to expand their musical repertoire and test their talent. They will each present two songs, from memory, accompanied on piano. They will sing in Italian and include the dramatic gestures and expressions that are the hallmark of the art form.
"To me, it will be just getting up there and showing off your hard work and just doing your best," said Smith, who plans to study vocal performance at the DePauw University School of Music.
Students sent in a recording of their songs last November. Once chosen, they continued working with their private voice teachers on their pieces, which for the seniors also were their audition numbers for college.
Pixley is thrilled at being chosen for the competition because she is interested in pursuing opera singing professionally.
"I want to do opera because I've always been involved in theater and opera is an aspect where you can include classical voice and theater together," noted Pixley.
Having West High School taking up 50 percent of the slots, the school is dropping jaws among those who know choral music and opera around the state. West has fielded 18 finalists in the competition since it opened, taking home two first place finishes. By contrast, in ten years Interlochen Arts Academy has had eight finalists and Central High School has had five. The school with the next highest number of competitors, Haslett, has sent ten students over the years.
"It's a fantastic achievement, five out of ten in the finals, that's amazing," said John Zaretti, president of the Verdi Opera Theater of Michigan. "That's quite a school there, it's really remarkable."
The Italian Songs and Arias Vocal Competition will be judged by three professional opera singers, who will critique each singer's performance. Zaretti said the competition was founded to promote opera and inspire young singers to stretch their vocal and performing repertoire.
"The most important thing is that we really want to encourage the appreciation of opera and provide these remarkable young talents with an opportunity to test their mettle," he said.
The students all credited Russ Larimer, West's Choral director, their private voice teachers and the training they received in the Grand Traverse Choral programs at Northwestern Michigan College. Three of them chose West over another school because of the choral program and Larimer's direction.
They noted that the depth and breadth of arts programs both at West High School and in Traverse City in general have boosted their own drive and ambitions.
"It is really nice to come from a town that is so well known for their music," Smith noted. "Like when I went to DePauw and told them the roles I played in what musicals, they were really impressed."