GWENDOLYN ROBERTS 2023

YOUNG ARTIST OF THE YEAR

We are very proud to announce the winners of the 2023

Gwendolyn Roberts Young Artist Award

Please join us as we enjoy all three of these wonderful singers working with

Elizabeth Hynes in a Masterclass on May 20, 2023 at Concordia University. FREE Admission

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First Place, Winner of $1500 Scholarship Award

Veronica Robinson

(Student of Katharin Rundus)

Soprano and Los Angeles native Veronica Robinson has been praised for her “beautiful color” and “poise” on the stage. Most recently, she was an Apprentice Artist for the 2023 season at Sarasota Opera, where she sang in the opera choruses for Madama Butterfly, Don Giovanni, Ernani, and Thérèse, as well as in scenes as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Oscar in Un Ballo in Maschera, and Imogene in Il Pirata. She is looking forward to making her role debut this summer as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte at The Alexandria Summer Nights Festival.

Ms. Robinson earned her Master of Music in Opera Performance from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach, where she performed the role of Contessa Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro. Here, Veronica won the 2022 “Concerto Competition” for voice with “Ah, Perfido” by Beethoven, sung with full orchestra.

Veronica has sung with many ensembles as both a soloist and a chorister. Her repertoire as a Soprano Soloist includes Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, and Rutter’s Gloria as well as his Requiem. She has sung in ensembles with many different orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and New West Symphony.

In 2019, Veronica sang in the opera chorus for Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress under direction of Barbara Hannigan at the Ojai Music Festival. She has recorded as a Soprano for several liturgical albums, including four with Tony Alonso, and is heard in the chorus of the soundtrack for the film, Dark Encounter, which was featured at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019.

When she is not working on her craft as a singer, Ms. Robinson enjoys working as a bridal makeup artist. Ms. Robinson is currently a student of Dr. Katharin Rundus.

Second Place, Winner of $500 Scholarship Award

Agnese Gallenzi

(Student of Diane Ketchie)

Agnese Gallenzi is an Italian soprano who, after completing her degree with high honors and winning the I Solisti e l’Orchestra competition at the Conservatorio Pergolesi di Fermo, Italy, moved to the Los Angeles area to further her studies as a graduate student at California State University Northridge. While still residing in Italy, she was selected as a finalist at the Voce d’Angelo International Competition (Parma, Italy) in 2017 and as semifinalist of the IX Anita Cerquetti International Competition (Montecosaro, Italy) in 2019. She also performed a variety of operatic roles including Susanna ( Le Nozze di Figaro), Berta (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Micaela (Carmen) Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Clarina (La cambiale di matrimonio) , Lesbina (Il Filosofo di Campagna), Musetta (La Boheme) and Fiordiligi (Cosi’ Fan Tutte.) She has performed in many of the most renowned theaters in central Italy such as Teatro dell’Aquila di Fermo, Teatro Comunale di Porto San Giorgio, and Arena Sferisterio. Ms. Gallenzi has also had the opportunity of performing with famous conductors and directors such as Pier Giorgio Morandi, Riccardo Frizza, Francesco Micheli, and Graham Vick.

At CSUN, she has performed the roles La Princesse in L’Enfant et les sortileges as well as well as the role of Anna Maurrant in Street Scene and will be portraying Mimi in La Boheme with CSUN Opera Theatre this March. At CSUN, where she will earn a Master of Vocal Arts this spring, Agnese is a vocal student of soprano, Diane Ketchie. Agnese has also attended master classes and studied with international renowned sopranos Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz (2018- 2019), and Stefania Donzelli (2017-2018). In the summer of 2020, Agnese was selected to participate at the Bologna International Opera Academy where she worked with acclaimed coaches and voice teachers such as Guenko Guenchev, Luis Ledesma, Danielle Orlando, Nicoletta Conti, soprano Svetla Vassileva and Pavarotti-Freni coach, Leone Magiera.

In January 2021 she was awarded the Encouragement Award at the Laffont Competition held by the Metropolitan Opera in San Diego, California. Just four months later in May 2022, Agnese made her official European debut in the role of Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore with State Opera Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. She recently won the Medici International Competition and the Euterpe Music Awards - 1st place in the professional division. She was also recently a winner of the San Diego District at the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition 2022 and, as a result, she competed in the regional auditions this March in Los Angeles. Agnese has received many accolades and much critical acclaim for her beautiful and warm sound, her crystalline clear coloratura, her soaring high notes and her exquisite phrasing. She recently performed the role of Mimi’ at California State University Northridge receiving exceptional recognition for the rendition of the character. She presented her graduate Recital on May 6th 2023 and she is looking forward to debut the role of Agrippina in Handel’s Agrippina in the Chicago Summer Opera Program next July 2023.

Third Place, Winner of $300 Scholarship Award

Emily Border

(Student of Susan Ali)

American mezzo-soprano Emily Border enjoys an active career as a chorister and soloist. Equally at home in a concert hall or the musical theatre stage, her versatility of vocal styles and compelling dramatic communication have endeared her to audiences and directors throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe.

Onstage, her sweetness and joy radiate from ingénue characters such as Nellie from South Pacific, a performance noted by LA Times as played with “innocence and conviction,” and that “her strong acting infuses many of her well known songs with a touch of extra character.” Other favorite roles include Cinderella in Into the Woods, Cosette in Les Miserables, and Marian in The Music Man. No stranger to the opera stage, Ms. Border has had the honor of performing as Jo in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, and others.

Since 2018, Emily has had the great honor of singing with the Los Angeles Master Chorale under the batons of Grant Gershon and Gustavo Dudamel at Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. Through her affiliation with LAMC, Ms. Border has been offered a range of unique vocal opportunities, from singing backup for Chris Martin of Coldplay, to performing Messaien in a small women’s choir with orchestra under the direction of the incomparable Michael Tilson Thomas. Emily has had the joy of singing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the LA Phil at both the concert hall and the Hollywood Bowl, along with many contemporary and traditional works.

In 2020, Ms. Border was invited to join the staff roster and chamber group for Pacific Chorale, under the baton of Dr. Rob Istad, frequently collaborating with Carl St. Clair and the Pacific Symphony. She has previously been featured as a soloist on Montverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine and Hildegaard’s O Virdissima Virga. Pacific Chorale’s creative programming creates a consistent variety of musical and artistic opportunities, including the award-winning multimedia The Wayfaring Project, a concert film featured on PBS.

Emily’s voice has been featured on various recording projects, including Aaron’s Animals, the band Terrestria’s upcoming album, and a trio of Iranian protest songs written in the collaboration of Iranian musicians and recorded at Fox studios, among others. This summer she will join Pacific Symphony’s Family Music Mornings for their production of Hansel and Gretel (cover, Hansel and Witch), and travel abroad with the Pacific Chorale on their European tour.

Ms. Border holds a Bachelor’s Degree in music from the Biola University Conservatory of Music. Currently, she resides in Orange County and studies with Dr. Susan Ali.