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"(def. Master Singer: one with virtuosic skill, stylistic superiority and artistic brilliance in the art of singing.) "

MEET THE JUDGES

NICO CASTEL
There are few careers in opera that inspire excellence and raise the bar for the achievement of the complete operatic artist -- one is certainly Nico Castel. Nico Castel has received international acclaim for his scholarship, his teaching and his artistic work as one of the world's most highly regarded character tenors. His extraordinary talents and skills allowed him to rise to the top of not only one career but three different careers within the world of opera: operatic character tenor, educator and published translator of opera libretti.

Born in Lisbon, Portugal he moved to Caracas, Venezuela and in 1948 immigrated to the United States. In 1958 he became the first winner of the Joy In Singing competition and received his first contract with the Santa Fe Opera Company in its second year to sing Fenton in Verdi's Falstaff, the Italian Tenor in Capriccio by R. Strauss, and Joseph, the old retainer in Wuthering Heights by Carlisle Floyd. He had his debut at the New York City Opera Company in 1965 and the Metropolitan Opera Company in 1969 where he remained a member of that company for forty years until his retirement in 2009.

A wizard of languages, with a native proficiency in Portuguese, German, Spanish, French, Italian and English and superb artistry and musicianship, Mr. Castel has become the ultimate of language and style coaches for singers. His language and diction work has taken him to opera companies, music schools, conservatories and summer programs throughout the world. He is currently on the faculty of The Juilliard School of Music.

Through Leyerle Publications he has published A Singers' Manual of Spanish Lyric Diction and 24 volumes (including over 129 operas) of Opera Libretti translations with I.P.A transcriptions.

In 1999 he was one of the founders of the OperaNUOVA program in Edmonton, Canada and in 2004 he co-founded the New York Opera Studio and the NYOS Summer Intensive Program for Singers at Vassar College. The NYOS offers classes in New York City in diction, role-study and the creative process for singers. The Summer Program at Vassar is an intensive 10-day program for singers to focusing on bringing opera from the score to the stage.

For more information visit his web site at www.castelopera.com.

CAROL CASTEL
Carol Castel's career has taken her through the theater world from American Musical Theater to Opera; from actress and singer to singing actress; from arts administrator to opera stage director. Her directing career includes over 56 opera productions in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Ms. Castel is co-founder and General Manager of the New York Opera Studio and the NYOS Summer Intensive Program for Singers at Vassar College. In 1999 as teacher and stage director of the Opera NUOVA program in Edmonton, Canada Ms. Castel created a series of classes teaching the "Creative Process for Singers -- From Acting to Artistry". Since its creation she has taken this work to schools and opera companies throughout the world. The NYOS offers these classes at its Summer Program at Vassar as well as in New York City throughout the year.

She is currently on the faculty of OperaNUOVA in Edmonton, Canada and the New York Opera Studio. In addition, she has a studio of private voice students in New York.

Ms. Castel received her BM Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Delaware and her MM Degree in Opera from Temple University in Philadelphia.

For more information visit her web site at www.castelopera.com.

E-mail: carol@newyorkoperastudio.org

Who is DCINY?

Founded by Iris Derke (General Director) and Jonathan Griffith (Artistic Director and Principal Conductor) Distinguished Concerts International is driven by passion, innovative vision, a total belief in its artists, and unwavering commitment to bringing forth unforgettable audience experiences. With over 20 combined years of experience, DCINY is a creative producing entity with unmatched integrity that is a talent incubator, a star-maker, and a presenter of broadly accessible, world-class musical entertainment.

IRIS DERKE
Musician, manager, and administrator, Iris Derke has enjoyed a diverse career as a performer and producer of the arts for more than 20 years. As the co-founder of Distinguished Concerts International New York, she now adds another important capability to her growing resume—General Director. In her capacities as manager and producer, she has worked with talented artists and musicians from across the globe, from New York and throughout the U.S., to the Middle East and Europe. She has facilitated successful performances by talented choral and instrumental ensembles as well as noted soloists, composers, and guest conductors at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Disney Hall and at numerous other venues. An active flautist in the New York area, she made her Carnegie Hall performance debut at Weill Recital Hall in 1994, and her Lincoln Center debut with the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra International in 2009. Additional solo appearances were made in France, Poland, and across the U.S. She can be heard on numerous studio recordings for film, television, and educational music software. A native of Santa Monica, California, Ms. Derke received her B.A. from UCLA, with continued graduate and postgraduate studies at the Manhattan School of Music, New York, NY, and an ARCM (Associate of the Royal College of Music) from the Royal College of Music in London, England.