The 25 new Merolini were interviewed by San Francisco Opera Center Director Sheri Greenawald, Merola Opera Board of Directors Chairman Jayne Davis, and President Patrick Wilken yesterday evening, in the Green Room of the War Memorial Veterans Building. This year three of the participants are Canadian, three are Iowan, and three are Chinese. We learned that tenor Daniel Curran played French horn, baritone John Maynard the drums, and apprentice coach Clinton Smith the violin. We were told that baritone Guodong Feng would like to be called "Gordon." The best story of the evening was from mezzo-soprano Renée Rapier, whose mother was praised by soprano Christine Brewer as having a better voice than Brewer herself.
Schwabacher Summer Concert
Guodong Feng: Rodrigo (Don Carlo)
Marina Harris: Tatiana (Eugene Onegin)
Joo Wong Kang: Frate (Don Carlo), Enrico (Lucia di Lammermoor), Rigeletto (Rigoletto), Gremin (Eugene Onegin)
Suchan Kim: Lorenzo (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), Onegin (Eugene Onegin)
Laura Krumm: Romeo (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), Giovanna (Rigoletto)
Deborah Nansteel: Princess Eboli (Don Carlo))
Cooper Nolan: Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto)
Scott Quinn: Don Carlo (Don Carlo)
Xi Wang: Gilda (Rigoletto)
Elizabeth Zharoff: Giulietta (I Capuleti e i Montecchi)
Il barbiere di Siviglia
Rosina: Renée Rapier, Suzanne Rigden
Bartolo: John Maynard, Philippe Sly
Almaviva: Daniel Curran, Heath Huberg
Figaro: Mark Diamond, Jonathan Mitchie
Basilio: Peixin Chen, Adam Lau
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In the spirit of full-disclosure, I feel I should mention that I am the president of the Opera Standees Association, which sponsors Merolini each year. This summer we are one of the sponsors of John Maynard.
