Three young opera singers from three different regions of the country are the recipients of the 1997 Aria awards.
Aria stands for "Awards Recognizing Individual Artistry." The winners are two sopranos, Nicolle Foland and Juliana Rambaldi, and one mezzo-soprano, Vivica Genaux. Each will receive $15,000, which they may use as they wish to advance their careers.Foland, born in Des Moines, Iowa, is now based in San Francisco. Rambaldi, a native of Seattle, lives in Chicago; Genaux was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and makes her home in Pittsburgh.
None of the singers was aware that she was under consideration for an award. Candidates are nominated by Aria's advisory board and an anonymous recommending panel made up of a wide variety of opera-world professionals. The three finalists were chosen at a jury meeting with Seattle Opera General Director Speight Jenkins in the chair.
The awards program, now in its third year, was established to recognize talented young American opera singers. Awards to date total $135,000, distributed to nine singers.