La traviata, one of opera's most cherished works, is returning to our stage here at the Academy of Vocal Arts once again. This beloved tale of love and tragedy has delighted audiences around the world, but it has equally impacted the careers and personal lives of many of its performers. The role of Violetta Valéry... Continue Reading →
Welcome to a brand new season of beautiful singing and gorgeous opera here at the Academy of Vocal Arts! In its forty-three years as part of our opera season, the Giargiari Bel Canto Competition has presented hundreds of phenomenal voices singing opera's most powerful, impressive, and touching arias. It is tradition that this competition kicks off our season every year, and it stands out as one of our audience's favorite annual events. As it promises in its name, the Giargiari Bel Canto Competition is a night of "beautiful singing", but at AVA, it is more than that. This is the night where our Resident Artists put their best foot forward to not only show you what that upcoming season holds in store but what exactly they are capable of as the future of opera.
Thomas Petrushka is from Johnstown, Ohio and entered the Curtis Institute of Music in 2019, where he studied with Bill Schuman. Mr. Petrushka has performed the roles of Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Spt. Budd (Albert Herring), and performed Publio in a feature length film titled Mercy based on La... Continue Reading →
Cumhur Görgün was born in Istanbul, Turkey. While he was studying physiotherapy and rehabilitation at Yeditepe University, he started his vocal studies with Prof. Güzin Gürel at Istanbul University State Conservatory. He graduated with an honors degree in physiotherapy and rehabilitation and completed his opera and singing program in 2018. In the same year, he... Continue Reading →
Yue We was born in Tianjin, China. Mr. Wu holds a B.M. in Voice Performance from Tianjin Conservatory of Music and a M.M. degree in Voice Performance from Mannes School of Music, where he studied with Diana Soviero. He has performed a variety of different roles, such as Mandarino in Turandot, Bartolo in Le nozze di... Continue Reading →
Dylan Gregg hails from Salisbury, Maryland. This past spring, Dylan graduated with his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Mr. Gregg graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from Boston University in the spring of 2019. In April, Dylan performed the role of Leporello in... Continue Reading →
Eleomar Cuello Calles is a graduate of the Academy of the National Lyric Theater of Cuba. He has sung as a soloist in operas and zarzuelas such as Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, La traviata, La bohème, Madama Butterfly, La Serva Padrona, Cecilia Valdés, La Verbena de la Paloma, La Corte del Faraón, Las Leandras of... Continue Reading →
Matthew Goodheart is from Binghamton, New York. This spring, Matthew graduated with his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. In the summer, he will take part in Houston Grand Opera’s YAVA program and participate as a Studio Artist with Wolf Trap Opera. While in Wolf Trap, he will perform... Continue Reading →
Ukrainian-born mezzo-soprano, Alla Yarosh, has known from a young age that communicating the essence of the human condition through song will become her life-long commitment. In November 2021, Ms. Yarosh was presented with a Bachelor of Music in operatic performance from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. There, she practiced under the tutelage of... Continue Reading →
Jenny Anne Flory is from Harrisonburg, Virginia. She graduated with her M.M. in Opera Performance, as a member of the University of Maryland Opera Studio (May 2017). She holds a B.M. in Vocal Performance from James Madison University (May 2015). Ms. Flory has a contract to sing Siebel in Detroit Opera's 2022 production of Faust... Continue Reading →
Academy of Vocal Arts Opera Blog 