MELANIE LONG
WINS 1ST ANNUAL LITTLE ITALY SOPRANOS VOCAL COMPETITION AT SORRENTO
CHEESE SUMMER IN LITTLE ITALY
JACQUELINE THOMPSON FINISHES SECOND IN CONTEST
HELD AUG. 12
A total of 13
multi-talented professional sopranos competed in 1st Annual
Sorrento Cheese Vocal Competition -- a Sorrento
Cheese Summer in Little Italy special event -- on
Saturday afternoon, August 12, 2006, with Melanie
Long, a graduate student at the Manhattan School of Music,
emerging as the winner. Jacqueline Thompson, a
graduate of Indiana University where she majored in music, finished
in the runner up position.
Each competitor sang two musical pieces of her own choice and was
supported on keyboard by renowned music director and conductor David
Maiullo. Noted soprano Victoria Casella, who served as
emcee, joined Patric B. Hale, who was the 1st runner
up in the 3rd Annual Sorrento Cheese Mario Lanza Vocal Competition
in Little Italy two weeks earlier, as special guest performers.
Ms. Long received a cash prize of $1,000 for finishing first, and
Ms. Thompson won $500 cash prize as runner up. Both singers returned
the following afternoon (Sunday, August 13) to perform a free outdoor
concert on Mulberry Street where they were joined by a third soprano
from the competition, Cheryl Warfield, who has
performed with the Metropolitan Opera Chorus.
Ms. Long sang two beautiful arias en route to her victory –
“Comme autre fois” by Bizet and “Padre, germani”
by Mozart. Ms. Thompson performed “Sempre libera” by
Verdi and “Chi’ll bel sogno” by Puccini as her
competition pieces.
The roster of 13 competitors included (in alphabetical order): Lauren
Bradley, Laura Zupa D’Avella, Jennifer Graf, Regina Kachkoff,
Jodi Keogan, Melanie Long, Christina Luna, Jennifer Piacenti, Christina
Rohm, Nicole Taylor, Jacqueline Thompson, Cheryl Warfield
and Jennifer Weingartner.
The judging panel was composed of James C. Harwood,
President of the Harwood Management Group, Inc., a diversified arts
management organization that builds and manages the careers of some
60 singers, conductors and stage directors; Jamie Beth Margolis,
a well-known actress and casting agent; Judith Natalucci,
a renowned opera singer and voice teacher; and Martha Wade,
founder and President of Wade Artist Management, who represents
top level classical music and jazz artists.
Sorrento Cheese Summer in Little Italy
is sponsored by Sorrento Cheese, Bolla
Wines, Peroni Beer, Tuttorosso,
De Nobili Cigars and the Italian Tribune.
