Soprano Kelly Glyptis, a Jacobs alumna still studying with Andreas Poulimenos, and baritone Luiz Alejandro Orozco, an alumnus of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, were named the winners from a field of 10 competitors.
"The competition was a thrilling experience, and I was honored to share the stage with so many of my incredibly talented colleagues," said Glyptis.
The two winners will advance to the Central Region Auditions on Nov. 3 at the Music Institute of Chicago in Evanston, Ill. The winners of that round will compete in the National Semi-Finals on March 23 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The Grand Finals Concert will take place at the Met on March 30.
Encouragement awards went to two Jacobs School students – contralto Deniz Uzun, a student of Andreas Poulimenos, and soprano Julianne Grace Park, a student of Heidi Grant Murphy coaching with Kevin Murphy.
Judges for this year's competition were baritone John Hancock, in residence at the Bard Music Festival; conductor Mark Graf, who has administered various young artist programs; and John Wustman, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
IU First Lady Laurie Burns McRobbie served as honorary chairperson for the Bloomington event. Mezzo-soprano Mary Ann Hart, chair of the Jacobs Department of Voice, was faculty chair. Maria Levy, auditions and casting coordinator for IU Opera Theater, coordinated the event.
About the Winners
Kelly Glyptis
Kelly Glyptis, soprano, has recently been seen as the soprano soloist in Verdi's Requiem, Donna Elvira ("Don Giovanni"), Beatrice ("A View from the Bridge"), and Prince Orlofsky ("Die Fledermaus") at Indiana University, where she has performed numerous other roles. She has also performed roles and scenes with the Washington National Opera Institute, Operafestival di Roma, Canadian Operatic Arts Academy, Charley Creek Workshop and IU Opera Workshops. Professionally, Glyptis has performed with Gray Ghost Theater, Pied Piper Theatre and Dominion Stage, receiving leading roles with each company. She has been nominated and won several outstanding actress awards throughout the Washington, D.C., area and has received acclaim in Opera News for her performances as Donna Elvira and Orlofsky.
Glyptis was a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Indiana District last year and has won encouragement awards at both the Chicago Region and North Carolina District. She placed in the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition and is a winner of the Hellenic American Women's Council award. She was also a recipient of the IU Music Merit Award, Jacobs Access Grant, Friday Musicale Scholarship and the Christ-Marchant Friends of Music Award.
Glyptis holds her B.M. and M.M. degrees from Indiana University and currently studies with Andreas Poulimenos. Upcoming engagements include her professional debut with Atlanta Opera as Berta in Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia: in April.
She is currently directing and choreographing locally, teaching voice lessons and acting classes, and doing lighting design.
Luis Alejandro Orozco
Mexican American baritone Luis Alejandro Orozco was born in El Paso, Texas, but raised in Juarez Chihuahua Mexico for most of his life. He is a graduate of the artist diploma program at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, having studied with William McGraw. He has performed with such companies as Lake George Opera (Saratoga Opera), Des Moines Metro Opera, El Paso Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and Kentucky Opera as well as the Lexington Philharmonic.
Orozco appeared as the baritone soloist in Orff’s "Carmina Burana" at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. There, he has sung the roles of Don Giovanni, Giulio Cesare, Count Almaviva in "Le Nozze di Figaro," Collatinus in "The Rape of Lucretia," Harry Easter in "Street Scene" and Le Podestat in "Le Docteur Miracle." Professionally, he has performed the roles of Marcello in "La Bohème," Yamadori in "Madama Butterfly," Le Dancaïre in "Carmen" and El Payador in "Maria de Buenos Aires."
Orozco performed the role of Papageno in Mozart's "The Magic Flute" in the Seoul International Opera Festival in South Korea. Also overseas, he has performed with CCM Spoleto's summer festival in the role of Tarquinius in "The Rape of Lucretia" and in the title role in Rossini's "Il Signor Bruschino."
Orozco was part of the Gerdine Young Artist Program at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, where he was involved as the cover for the role of Young Emile in the premiere of Terrance Blanchard's "Champion." Upcoming credits include The Payador in "Maria de Buenos Aires" with Syracuse Opera.