13 finalists to perform at Sinfonietta Bel Canto Voice Competition Concert
The Sinfonietta Bel Canto is hosting the Finalists Concert of its 13th annual SBC Voice Competition. It will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Downers Grove.
In addition, Sinfonietta Bel Canto will feature Chicago area native John Alden Carpenter’s orchestral suite “Adventures in a Perambulator,” in honor of its season theme of saluting America’s 250th anniversary.
Ticket information can be found through the SBC website: sinfoniettabelcanto.org or by calling (630) 384-5007. Recent concerts have been sold out, so audience members are encouraged to purchase their tickets early.
The SBC Voice Finalists Concert is filled with an array of vocal musical selections ranging from Broadway to classical operatic aria and song. Singers will compete for cash prizes ranging from $50 to $200 in four age categories.
They were impressed with the high quality of singing and artistry at this year's auditions and received a record number of talented applicants, making it very difficult to choose just a few for each category.
The youngest category (age 13 or under) introduces 4 Little Stars: soprano Alice Dumas of Oak Park, Anastasia’s “In My Dreams” by Flaherty; soprano Sophie Januszczyk of Algonquin, Schubert’s “Ave Maria”; soprano Margaret Shcherbakova of Buffalo Grove, Caccini’s “Ave Maria”; and soprano Joellen Wang of Hinsdale, Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” by Schwartz.
In Teen Stars (age 14-18) three finalists are featured: soprano Alexandra Galyavina of Winnetka, Così fan tutte’s “Una donna” by Mozart; soprano Mia Shepel of Wilmette Villanelle’s “Dell'Acqua”; and soprano Audrey Tromp of Brookfield Bellini’s “Per pieta, bell'idol mio.”
In the Collegiate Artists (age 18-24 ): soprano Marguerite DiMarco of Evanston, Manon’s “Adieu, notre petite table” by Massenet; baritone Leo Mondschain of Mundelein, La Cenerentola’s “Come un'ape ne giorni d'aprile” by Rossini; and soprano Viveka Saravanan of Elk Grove Village, Die Fledermaus’ “Spiel ich die Unschuld vom Lande” by J. Strauss Jr.
In the Emerging Artists (age 25 and up): tenor Charles Anderson of Chicago, L'Elisir d'Amore’s “Una Furtiva Lagrima” by Donizetti; bass-baritone Timothy Krueger of Tinley Park, Ernani’s “Infelice!” by Verdi; and soprano Eva Wilhelm of Bloomington, Indiana, Rigoletto’s “Caro nome che il mio cor” by Verdi.
“Adventures in a Perambulator” is a suite for orchestra composed by John Alden Carpenter in 1914.
The suite is a whimsical and playful reflection of Carpenter’s childhood experiences inspired by his baby daughter Ginny as she rides in her perambulator (baby carriage).
His program notes for each of the six movements are written like a cartoon, as he carries us through a world of a child’s perception.
ALL Aboard: The morning starts with the Baby in her perambulator, guided by her nurse, as she winds through the wind and the sun. The nurse then chats with The Policeman, an unprecedented Man, round like a ball and taller that the baby’s father. Next, we hear the sounds of The Hurdy-Gurdy, an amazing hand cranked instrument that performs the favorite music of the day. Then inspired by Wisconsin’s Lake Geneva, the Perambulator continues its journey to The Lake. The adventure then passes to the superfluous world of The Dogs. The work concludes with Dreams, as the baby lies still with closed my eyes, listening to the wheels of the Perambulator.
“Adventures in a Perambulator” was composed for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and has remained one of the most familiar of Carpenter’s works. This suite was one of the works that Walt Disney chose to be part of the 1941 edition of “Fantasia,” but because of the war and the disappointing reception of the original “Fantasia,” those plans never came to fruition.
Carpenter was born in Park Ridge, Illinois, and lived most of his life in the Chicago area. Carpenter was among the best known and most respected living composers of his time. His orchestral music was regularly conducted by all the major symphony orchestras in America. Carpenter was the only American composer ever to be commissioned by Serge Diaghilev (1872-1929) and his Ballets Russes.
Sinfonietta Bel Canto is under the baton of Maestro Dan Pasquale D’Andrea. This program is partially supported by a grant from Arts DuPage (DuPage Foundation), the Illinois Arts Council Agency and National Endowment for the Arts.