First Prize Winner

Amy Yekel, Tempe, Arizona

Second Place

Rebecca Sjowall, Los Angeles, California

Third Place

Daniel Montenegro, Los Angeles, California

Fourth Place

Ariel Pisturino, Los Angeles, California

Fifth Place

Tracy Cox, Los Angeles, California

Runners Up

Craig Colclough, Peabody Southwell, Katherine Giaquinto,
Lisa Algozzini and Clarissa Lecce

Amy Louise Yekel (Soprano), from Canton, Ohio, received a Bachelor's degree from The University of Akron in Music Performance (2004), a Master's degree in Music Performance at Arizona State University (2006), and is currently a doctoral candidate at Arizona State University in Voice Performance. Ms. Yekel is also one of four Graduate Teaching Assistants at ASU.

Ms. Yekel has won numerous awards and Scholarships including: The Palm Springs Opera Scholarship, The Arizona Lyric Opera Scholarship, The Canton Civic Opera Scholarship, The Akron Symphony Chorus Scholarship, Tuesday Musical Club Scholarship, The McDowell Scholarship, The Mary S. Bower's Scholarship, The John Macdonald Scholarship, The Fairlawn United Church of Christ Scholarship, Tuesday Musical Club Finalists Scholarship, The First Grace United Church of Christ Scholarship, and The University of Akron's Vocal Performance Scholarship.

Other honors and awards include: The University of Akron's Most Outstanding Student Award, and First place in the Advanced Woman's Division, Sophomore Division, and Freshman division at NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing). Ms. Yekel has performed as the guest soloist for Canton Civic Opera's Viva Italia, and in Gammage auditorium for "A Night at the Opera" with conductor Jacob Harrison. She has also sung at the Spoleto Festival in Spoleto Italy, and for Akron's "First Night" program. She has also been featured in several other productions.

Apollo Wong is currently a graduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles studying vocal performance under professor Juliana Gondek. Mr. Wong has collaborated with many music organizations such as Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera Hong Kong, De Anza Symphony, UCLA Philharmonia and Opera UCLA.

He has participated in Opera UCLA productions of L'Enfant et les Sortileges and L'heure Espagnole, led him to be single-casted as the Superintendent Budd in Britten's Albert Herring, and as Barone Trombonok in Rossini's Il Viaggio a Reims in the following year. His frequent stage appearances in Hong Kong since 2005 included the roles of Dr. Grenvil in Verdi's La Traviata, Mandarino in Puccini's Turandot, Zuniga in Bizet's Carmen and Antonio in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, produced by Opera Hong Kong.

He also participated in the opera production in The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts of Händel's Serse, as Ariodate. His oratorio repertoire includes Brahms' Requiem, Mozart's Requiem, Händel's Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Bach's Cantata BWV 80 and 140 and Puccini's Messa di Gloria, among others.

Amber L. Wagner, 25, is a senior, completing her degree in May at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. This fall, Amber performed the title role of Vanessa with Ethington Memorial Theatre. Other roles include the title role of Turandot and Countess Almaviva from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, both with Ethington Memorial Theatre.

Miss Wagner is a two-time 3^rd place regional winner of the Metropolitan National Council Auditions. Aside from other competitive winnings, such as first place at NATS, Amber is the recipient of the competitive President's Singers scholarship, awarded at Grand Canyon University. This full tuition scholarship allows Amber to travel with a group of sixteen singers representing the school throughout the Western United States.

Miss Wagner will be a featured soloist at Grand Canyon's rendition of Händel's Messiah as well as a special guest artist at the Herberger Competition in downtown Phoenix in January. Upon completion of her degree, Amber intends to further her studies with graduate work.