By Lyn Bronson
[We are pleased to present a guest reviewer for this concert, Nancy Trethaway-Bennett. Ms Trethaway-Bennett, a soprano with a master's degree in vocal performance, was formerly on the faculties of California State University Los Angeles and Chaffey College. She maintains a busy vocal studio in Carmel where she currently resides.]
On Friday evening at Sunset Center in Carmel, the Mozart Society of California presented an exceptionally well-paced, crowd-pleasing evening of operatic selections featuring the San Francisco Opera Center Singers.
Soprano Suzanne Ramo, mezzos Elena Bocharova and Katia Escalera, tenor Brian Anderson and baritone Kwang Shik Pang, presented areas duets, quartets and ensemble pieces from Mozart to Blitzstein. These five aspiring young opera stars are part of the San Francisco Opera development program for young artists.
It is a pleasure to see and hear young singers trained primarily in the United States sing with marvelous technique, understanding and with the assurance and poise of older artists. Each singer sang arias well suited to their voice now, but with hints of coming “vocal events.” All showed well-trained voices of great carrying power necessary for opera, the technical ability and finesse that make singing truly outstanding.
