Meet our 2017 Finals Judges
The Jensen Foundation is pleased to announce the prestigious slate of Finals Judges for its 2017 Vocal Competition, to be held at 1 PM on Saturday, May 20 2017 in Engelman Recital Hall at New York City's Baruch Performing Arts Center.
F. Paul Driscoll
F. Paul Driscoll has been Editor-in-Chief of OPERA NEWS since 2003. He has served as a lecturer and interviewer at such institutions as Cooper Union, Hunter College’s Kaye Playhouse, the Museum of the City of New York, CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan, the Art Song Festival at Baldwin-Wallace College, the Metropolitan Opera Club, the Wagner Society of New York, and the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s “Singers Studio” interview series. Mr. Driscoll has been interviewed on opera by COZI TV, Thirteen/WNET, Classic Talk, CNN International, WQXR radio, WCBS radio, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Houston Public Media’s “Opera Cheat Sheet,” NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “Deceptive Cadence” and WNYC’s “Soundcheck.” Mr. Driscoll has been a competition judge for Plácido Domingo’s Operalia, the Alan M. and Joan Taub Ades Competition, the Liederkranz Foundation, the Gerda Lissner Foundation, and the Metropolitan Opera National Council. In 2016, he received an honorary doctorate from Manhattan School of Music.
Rosalind Elias
One of the finest singing-actresses of our time, Rosalind Elias has reached living-legend status. She has performed leading roles with distinction with premier opera companies throughout the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Hamburg State Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, Santa Fe Opera, the Liceo in Barcelona, and the Teatro San Carlo in Lisbon. She has recorded extensively, and three of her recordings won "Best of the Year" Grammys from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. As a director, she has staged productions with numerous companies, including Hansel for Opera Memphis, Carmen, Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Cosi fan tutte for the Cincinnati Opera, La Boheme and Barbiere for the Baltimore Opera, and most notably, a new production of Regina for the New York City Opera. Ms. Elias is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music with an Honorary Doctorate of Music.
Michael Heaston
Michael Heaston is a respected artistic administrator, collaborative pianist, and vocal coach. He was recently named Executive Director of the prestigious Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera. Prior to this appointment, he was the Director of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, American Opera Initiative, and Advisor to the Artistic Director at Washington National Opera at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He was also the Associate Artistic Director of The Glimmerglass Festival, where he oversaw the Young Artists Program and all matters of musical administration. He was named one of Musical America’s top 30 Professionals of the Year for 2015. He spent six seasons at The Dallas Opera, where he was Head of Music Staff and Assistant Conductor for over 25 productions. Mr. Heaston has presented master classes at numerous conservatories and universities, including The Juilliard School, University of Michigan, University of Maryland, University of North Texas, and Miami Summer Music Festival. He also serves on the Singer Training and New Works Forums for Opera America.
