|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
||
Daniel Paget Receives Premiere Young Artist Award from Cleveland Opera
Story and photo by Michael Chipman
Daniel Paget, a senior from New York City recently won the
Belle O. Morse Young Artist Award from Cleveland Opera.
Paget is the first recipient of this award, which was
established this year to honor and help young opera singers
on their way towards a professional operatic career.
The late Belle O. Morse, who endowed the fund, was a patron of Cleveland Opera and a friend of Cleveland Opera general director David Bamberger.
Paget says the award paves the way for further involvement with Cleveland Opera. "Most of the mainstage singers at Cleveland Opera are hired from outside of Cleveland," he says, "so they usually fill smaller roles in the operas with local singers. This award allows them to help aspiring local singers like myself to have a professional-level performing experience and get paid to do it."
The award includes Paget's recent performance as the Ballad Singer in Cleveland Opera's production of Carlyle Floyd's opera, Of Mice and Men, a unique experience, says Paget for several reasons. "It was my first real professional experience in opera, so I was very excited. Also Carlyle Floyd came to see the production, and Anton Coppolla, who conducted the work's premiere performance, conducted our production. It was amazing to be on the stage with both of them in attendance."
Currently, Paget sings the role of Romeo in a distilled, English-translation version of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette for Cleveland Opera Outreach, which takes opera to school children in the Cleveland area. He says he was pessimistic about how the young children would receive the show, but was pleasantly surprised. "I am really impressed with the kids' positive response to the show. I'm sure part of the reason is that they know the story, but I also think the music speaks to everyone, regardless of social or economic conditions. We sang for an inner city school yesterday and the kids loved it."
A double-major in biochemistry and vocal performance, Paget has sung several roles for Oberlin Opera Theatre. Most recently he performed the role of Ferrando in Così fan tutte and Roméo in the fall production of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette.
Back to the Backstage Pass
|
|
