Conservatory Singer Receives Third Prize at Mario Lanza Competition   by Charity Johnson ’99
			Kevin Moreno Photo by Liz Fox Making a very successful return to his home town of Philadelphia, senior Kevin Moreno took third prize in the junior division of the Mario Lanza National Vocal Competition held November 4. Moreno was the only undergraduate student to place in the division, which includes singers ages 20 to 24. Moreno joined 120 international competitors at the semi-finals round, held October 25 at the Settlement Music School. "I had never done a competition of this caliber," says Moreno, who studies with Associate Professor of Singing Marlene Rosen. "To hear voices of professional quality and realize I was competing with them was really amazing. Just to make it to the finals was such an honor." As a finalist, Moreno was invited to sing at the Mario Lanza Opera Ball held November 4, which was also the finals round of the competition. The panel of judges included retired and established opera performers, as well as renowned teachers. Each contestant was required to sing two contrasting works--Moreno sang Largo Al Factotum from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Let Beauty Awake from Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Songs of Travel. Moreno has performed in many Oberlin Opera Theatre productions, including the roles of El Dancairo in Bizet’s Carmen, Don Giovanni in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Pavayoykiasi in Henry Mollicone’s Coyote Tales. He is portraying Don Magnifico in the upcoming Oberlin Opera Theatre production of Rossini’s La Cenerentola March 15-18.
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