Indy.com
Today:
IU soprano sang her way to Met grand finals
Carolina Castells, a soprano and graduate student at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, was among nine finalists who performed in New York City on Sunday during the Metropolitan Opera National Council's latest Grand Finals concert.
The grand finals winners of the 2008 Met National Council Auditions were Rene Barbera of San Antonio, Texas; Jennifer Johnson of St. Louis; Daveda Karanas of Mandeville, La.; Simone Osborne of Vancouver, B.C. and Edward Parks of Indiana, Pa. Each took home $15,000.
Castells, 25, won $5,000, as did Dominic Armstrong of Kirksville, Mo.; Christopher Magiera of Lake Forest, Ill. and Stephen A. Ray of Sherwood, Ark.
A native of Miami, Fla., Castells won the Florida District audition in Orlando and a regional tryout in Atlanta before advancing to the finals in New York. She was among more than 1,500 competitors in this year's auditions. The purpose of the contest is to discover new talent for the Met and help singers build careers.
Carolina Castells is a rising star - already soaring remarkably high given her relatively young age. First hearing her perform on short-notice with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in the 06-07 concert season, her vocal prowess was the fitting accompaniment to a genuine personality. Certainly well wishes to Ms. Castells on a stellar journey.
Well said, Michael. Carolina Castells is absolutely an up-and-coming singer. For those who'd like to hear her in Indianapolis, she will be one of four soloists in the Verdi "Requiem" at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 1 at Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian St. More than 200 musicians will take part in this free performance by the Indiana University Philharmonic Orchestra and Oratorio Chorus, led by William Jon Gray. Other soloists are mezzo-soprano Lindsay Amman, tenor John Rodger and bass Cody Medina.