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Nico Castel

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

Distinguished Concerts International New York

dciny concert

dciny concert

master singer

presented by the New York Opera Studio (NYOS) and
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY)

2012 COMPETITION RESULTS: Congratulations to Courtney Mills and LaMarcus Miller, winners of the 2012 Nico Castel International Master Singer Competition!

Courtney Mills
Courtney Mills
The other Female Finalists:
Amaya Arberas Navarro,
Sara Snider Schone,
and Maryann Mootos
LaMarcus Miller
LaMarcus Miller
The other Male Finalists:
Enrique Pina,
Eric Jurenas,
and Ivan Rivera De Beltran


Courtney Mills
Courtney Mills

Courtney Mills

Courtney Mills, Soprano - Ms Mills is one of those rare sopranos who possess all of the necessary qualities to define what it is to be a great artist in her generation. Ms. Mills is a native of Illinois and had the opportunity to study at the worldrenowned Interlochen Arts Academy. It was there that she discovered her lifelong love of opera and began a succession of prestigious training programs to further help her craft her vocal technique and musical sensibilities. After attending Indiana University, Ms. Mills continued her professional studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program, Verbier Music Festival Young Artist Program and Cardiff International Academy of Voice. Her time at these venerable institutions introduced her to the influence of such extraordinary stars of the operatic world as James Levine, Craig Rutenberg, Renata Scotto, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Tito Copobianco and Richard Bonynge.
LaMarcus Miller
LaMarcus Miller

LaMarcus Miller

LaMarcus Miller, Bass-Baritone - Mr. Miller recently graduated from Dallas Baptist University with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, where he studied with Wes Moore. He will begin his master’s degree work in the fall of 2011 at The Manhattan School of Music studying with Metropolitan Opera Baritone Mark Oswald. Mr. Miller has sung leading roles from La Boheme, Carmen, Don Giovanni and Gianni Schicchi, alongside many oratorio and sacred works such as; Zoltan Kodaly’s Te Deum, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s mass no.6 in G Missa Sancti Nicolai, Malcolm Archer’s Requiem and Mozart’s Requiem. Mr. Miller has also been a featured soloist with the Rockwall Philharmonic Orchestra in Rockwall Texas, and a 1st place winner of the vocal division at The 2009 Delta Symphony Concerto Competition at Arkansas State University and A 2nd place winner at the 2011 NANBPWC (African American Business and Professional Women’s Vocal Artist Competition) in Houston ,Texas.
Amaya Arberas Navarro
Amaya A. Navarro

Amaya Arberas Navarro

Amaya Arberas Navarro,Soprano - Born in San Sebastián (Spain), her teacher was José Ramón Arteta. Currently she studies voice with Diana Soviero. In 2009 she sang the zarzuelas “El Caserio” by Guridi and “El barberillo de Lavapies” by Barbieri; Haendel´s “ Messiah” in Washington, with the Cathedral Choral Socity conducted by J.R. Lewis. In 2010 she debuted at Carnegie Hall, New York; at Ellis Island in a tribute to the Basques who emigrated to the USA; a “Schubert Lieder recital” at the Queen Sofia institute; the Zarzuela “El Barberillo de Lavapiés” in la Rioja Spain; Suite Hispania at Repertorio Español Theater of New York; "The Creation” by Haydn in Spain with the Orquestra Concerto. In 2011 she debuts at Lincoln Center in New York with a “Zarzuela Gala” conducted by Maestro Pablo Zinger; she debuts in "Don Giovanni" at Symphony Space, NYC. Also she will offer a opera recital in the Festival Music of Tenafly. She will sing a Christmas Concert with music by the composer Estaban Salas, organized by the Cuban cultural Center of New York.
Sara Snider Schone
Sara Snider Schone

Sara Snider Schone

Sara Snider Schone, Mezzo-soprano - Sara is actively pursuing a career in opera, a passion discovered after joining the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Choruses in the 2005 season. She holds a music degree from Southern Adventist University, but with a concentration in bassoon. Her recent performances include solo and comprimario roles with Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Jo March in Little Women at The University of TN at Chattanooga, and soloist with Southern Adventist University Symphony Orchestra on their tour of Poland in May 2011. In the past year she has been a finalist in Kentucky Opera Idol Competition, won 3rd place at the International Franz Liszt Competition in Los Angeles and was awarded the Margaret Rosalie Cole Memorial Prize by the judges, a finalist in the American Traditions Competition, and a finalist at the Bauru-Atlanta Vocal Competition. Sara has a particular interest in chamber music and in 2011 was presented nine recitals, and the premier of a chamber opera Dekacophony at the New Dischord Music Festival. She studies voice with both University of Tennessee Professor Emeritus David Pennebaker and Operatic Tenor Reinaldo Macias in Chattanooga, and coaches with Gwendolyn Halstead in Atlanta.
Maryann Mootos
Maryann Mootos

Maryann Mootos

Maryann Mootos, Soprano - Ms Mootos recently interpreted the roles of Giorgetta in Il Tabarro and Tosca, as well as the title role in Madama Butterfly. Her versatile soprano spans many other roles, including, Antonia, Micaela, Donna Anna, Marguerite, Nedda, Tatyana, Violetta, Suor Angelica, and Rosalinda, among others. She has appeared with Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra, Bel Cantanti Opera, Regina Opera, Chelsea Opera, Long Island Opera, Miami Lyric Opera, Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Chorus pro Musica in Boston, and Reading Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania. Ms. Mootos holds a Master's degree in Opera Performance from Temple University and a Bachelor's degree in Voice from the Eastman School of Music. Upcoming engagements include Gilda with Delaware Valley Opera in January 2012 and Tatyana with Bel Cantanti Opera in April.
Enrique Pina
Enrique Pina

Enrique Pina

Enrique Pina, Tenor - Mr Pina has performed throughout Italy and Latin America with a robust, lyric tenor and exquisite phrasing in the Italian style that evokes memories of the great singers of an earlier generation. Mr. Pina began his career in his native Dominican Republic at the Teatro Nacional of Santo Domingo before he moved to Italy for musical studies, including six years under the tutelage of the legendary Franco Corelli. He appeared in Italy as Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore in Rome at the Teatro Argentina and the Fondazione Aletti. He performed in Santo Domingo as Nemorino at the Teatro Nacional, in Guatemala as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and Alfredo in La Traviata at the Municipal Theatre of Quetzaltenango, and in Ecuador as Alfredo at the Teatre Sucre. He has also performed the roles of Gustavo in Un Ballo in Maschera, Don Jose in Carmen, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor in various venues in the New York City area, in Michigan and Florida. Sacco in Anton Coppola’s Sacco e Vanzetti in Tampa, Florida and Malatestino in Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini at the National Theatre in Szeged, Hungary.
Eric Jurenas
Eric Jurenas

Eric Jurenas

Eric Jurenas, Counter Tenor - After a brief stint as a baritone, he made the successful switch to the opposite side of the musical spectrum. American countertenor Eric Jurenas has a growing reputation internationally on both the concert and opera stage. As a current student at the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) in Cincinnati, Ohio he a frequent performer of both baroque and newly written works. He was most currently seen in a highly dramatic, staged performance of JS Bach’s monumental St. Matthew Passion - as the alto soloist - with CCM ensembles. He has worked with several groups as featured soloist, including American Bach Soloists, Kentucky (Lexington) Bach Choir, Bel Canto Chorus of Milwaukee, UC Davis Ensembles, St. Andrews Arts Council, and several Cincinnati-area groups. Within the last several months he has won several competitions and awards, including 1st place in the Dayton Opera Guild Competition, 1st place in the Lexington Bach Choir Competition, 1st place in the Bel Canto Chorus of Milwaukee Competition, and was a recipient of the Bev Sellers Memorial Scholarship and the Homer Wickline and Conrad Seamen Memorial Grant. He is a student of William McGraw and George Gibson.
Rivera
Ivan Rivera

Ivan Rivera De Beltran

Ivan Rivera, Tenor - Born in Yauco, Puerto Rico, Ivan Rivera was most recently seen as Ferrando in Opera Manhatttan’s concert version of Cosi fan tutte, Don Basilio in the Marriage of Figaro with OperaMission at the Bryant Park Festival, Don Almaviva in Atlantic Opera’s production of Barber of Seville and Ferrando in the Underworld Productions' mounting of Cosi fan tutte at Symphony Space. Opera News applauded Mr. Rivera as “tight, deft tenor who handled Ferrando’s music well.” Other roles include Tony (West Side Story), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Il Duca (Rigoletto), Ralph (HMS Pinafore), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Tybalt (Romeo et Juliette), Nathanael (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), and Nermorino (L’elisir D’amore). He’s performed as Tenor Soloist in Bruckner‘s Te Deum and Schubert’s Mass in G for the Masterwork Chorale Summer Sing Program and sang in Assisi, Italy as part of the 2011 Assisi Music Festival.

These eight finalists competed for the title (one winner in each male and female categories) on the Weill Recital Hall stage in Carnegie Hall on Saturday, February 18, 2012 8:00 pm. Congratulations to all of the finalists on this, the inaugural year of this prestigious competition! To learn more details visit the DCINY website.

A competition like no other offered in New York City to aspiring singers who wish to advance their careers to the next level, this competition rewards and acknowledges excellent vocal technique and artistry in opera and oratorio.

PRIZES:
1. Each winner is featured as a soloist in a major choral master work with orchestra on the 2011 DCINY Concert Season. DCINY produces high quality concerts in major, world-class venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Disney Hall in New York and others.
2. Each winner is awarded a $1,000 cash prize.

The competition is specifically devoted to oratorio and opera, and requires that each applicant prepare and submit two (2) oratorio pieces in varying styles and languages and two (2) opera arias in varying styles and languages.