T h e M a b e l Do r n Re e d e r Fo u n d a t i o n Yo u n g A r t i s t Ed u c a t i o n & De v e l o p m e n t Pro g r a m s SUPPORTING CAREERS IN THE ARTS
“One reason OTSL has become a not-to-be-missed festival on the summer circuit is its sure-fire method of staying supplied with energetic young singing actors: nurture them in supporting roles as they train, inside and out, in a young-artist development program, then entrust them with major assignments… It is a delight to follow the progress of these singers.” OPERA NEWS THE GERDINE YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM
This program honors OTSL’s founding board chairman Leigh Gerdine and his wife Alice, who saw that an important part of the company’s mission was to nurture and showcase the best young American singers. Gerdine Young Artists are chosen for their potential as future principal artists. They appear in supporting roles, understudy featured roles in main season productions, and sing in the chorus. They learn and coach repertoire with OTSL’s music staff and appear as soloists in master classes, recitals, and concerts. This year, 352 candidates were heard in nationwide auditions from a group of more than 1,000 applicants, from which 29 singers were engaged.
S O P R A N O A N U S H AV E T I SYA N A N D T E N O R J O S H U A B L U E P E R F O R M A S C E N E F R O M L A T R AV I ATA D U R I N G C E N T E R STAG E ( 2 0 1 7 ) . P H OTO © K E N H OWA R D
THE RICHARD GADDES FESTIVAL ARTIST PROGRAM
The Richard Gaddes Fund for Young Singers was established in 1986 to honor the contributions of Richard Gaddes, Opera Theatre’s founding General Director, and his legacy of identifying and developing the careers of young singers through innovative programming and professional experience. Richard Gaddes Festival Artists are chosen from among the most outstanding participants in The Gerdine Young Artist Program to perform specially selected featured roles that represent a natural progression on their path toward solo careers, while they continue to benefit from coaching and mentoring opportunities. This year, one singer was selected for this program. In the case of young artists showing exceptional promise, Richard Gaddes Career Awards are awarded to support the advancement of early career activities. The Gerdine Young Artist Program is supported in part by the Charles MacKay Career Development Fund. The Richard Gaddes Festival Artist Program and Gaddes Career Awards are supported by the Richard Gaddes Fund for Young Singers and funds established in memory of OTSL founding board members Elihu Hyndman and Barbara & Stanley Richman. A major gift from The Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation – Mabel L. Purkerson, M.D., Trustee in 2010 helped endow OTSL’s professional development programs and established the Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation Prize. 47