Eastman School of Music will host the final round of the Kurt Weill Foundation’s Lotte Lenya Competition, as well as its 25^th Anniversary Gala Concert, on Saturday, April 29, 2023 as part of a celebratory weekend of events at the Lenya Competition’s original home.

The Gala Concert invites past prizewinners of the Lenya Competition to perform musical theatre and operatic favorites in Eastman’s historic Kilbourn Hall. The concert will be headlined by international opera star Brian Mulligan, who studied at Eastman and was the top prizewinner of the first competition. Kim Kowalke, President of the Kurt Weill Foundation and Founder of the Lotte Lenya Competition, remarks: “It will be an extraordinary weekend celebrating the Lenya Competition at 25. We’re excited that this year’s jury will include newcomers Kyle Scatliffe, currently Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton on Broadway, and the distinguished British soprano, Dame Josephine Barstow.” 

Eastman’s Voice, Opera, and Vocal Coaching (VOVC) Department Chair, Katherine Ciesinski, shares “The VOVC Department is thrilled to be collaborating with the Kurt Weill Foundation to celebrate a quarter century of our ties to the Lenya Competition.” She continues, “This also gives us an opportunity to honor retiring professor, Steven Daigle, Artistic Director of Eastman Opera Theatre, with our alumni who are returning to campus. Steven’s innovative directing and outstanding teaching has directly resulted in a number of our students winning top prizes in the Lenya Competition.” To date, 69 Eastman alumni have won prizes in the Lenya Competition, more than any other institution. 

Saturday, April 29 in Kilbourn Hall

10:00 a.m. | In Conversation: Past Competition Winners

Katherine Ciesinski, Eastman’s VOVC Department Chair, moderates a panel of Lenya Competition alumni who will share experiences and insights about the competition, and how it intersected with their careers. Former Eastman students on the panel include Natalie Ballenger ’11E; Brian Mulligan, studied at Eastman; Reilly Nelson ’11E; and Laura Corina Sanders ’16E, ’18E (MM).

11:00 a.m. | Other Perspectives: Past and Present Judges

Kurt Weill Foundation President and University of Rochester Professor Emeritus Kim Kowalke leads this panel with a number of competition judges, including former President of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, Ted Chapin.

1:00 – 4:30 p.m. | The 2023 Lotte Lenya Competition Finals

Twelve finalists will each perform a continuous 15-minute program of four contrasting numbers, including one by Kurt Weill. The jury for the final round includes luminaries from the worlds of theatre and opera. 

8:00 p.m. | 25th Anniversary Gala Alumni Concert and Awards Presentation (ticketed, free)

Appearing will be 12 past prizewinners of the Lotte Lenya Competition, including six vocalists and four accompanists from the Eastman and University of Rochester community. The evening will also feature video messages from Eastman alumni who are currently performing on stages around the world, thus unable to attend in person. All are listed below:

Vocalists:

• Brian Mulligan, concert headliner, studied at Eastman
• Reilly Nelson ’11E
• Laura Corina Sanders ’16E, ’18E (MM)
• Natalie Ballenger ’11E
• Lauren Pastorek ’00E
• Andrew Polec ’12

Accompanists:

• Timothy Long, Music Director of Eastman Opera Theatre
• Thomas Rosenkranz ’01E (MM), ’06E (DMA)
• Zachary Peterson ’16E (MM), Eastman’s Associate Director of Graduate Advising and Services
• Lyndon Meyer ’10E (MM)

Video Appearances:

• Nicole Cabell ’01E, Assistant Professor of Voice at Eastman
• Lucas Meachem, studied at Eastman
• Jonathan Michie ’06E, ’08E (MM)
• Analisa Leaming ’07E
• Matt Grills ’12E (MM)
• Margaret Gawrysiak ’05E (MM)

Sunday, April 30 in Eastman’s Black Box Theatre (Annex 804)

1:30 & 4:00 p.m. | “Wholly Weill”: Scenes from Kurt Weill’s European and American Stage Works

Eastman Voice students present an afternoon of scenes and arias from Weill operas. The program will be directed by Octavio Cardenas with music direction by Wilson Southerland.

Monday, April 24 – Wednesday, May 31 in the Sibley Music Library

Exhibits of Lenya Competition Highlights and Kurt Weill Manuscripts

On display will be exhibits of Lenya Competition highlights as well as Weill’s original manuscripts, which have been housed at the Sibley Music Library since 1998, when the first Lenya Competition celebrated their arrival.

The 2023 Competition drew a pool of 271 applicants representing 20 countries and 36 US states. Twenty-four were selected as semifinalists — including Eastman alum Elise Noyes ’22E (MM) — who auditioned in-person and received immediate feedback and coaching from one of the two semifinal round judges: prominent music director Andy Einhorn and “Leading Lady of Crossover” Amy Justman. Additionally, six of this year’s applicants received Emerging Talent Awards, including Eastman alum Jenna Rose Cipolla ’22E.

To learn more about this milestone weekend for the Lotte Lenya Competition, visit Eastman’s Event Calendar. These celebratory events are free and open to the public and will be livestreamed via the Kurt Weill Foundation’s website. Please note that the Gala Concert on Saturday evening is free, but ticketed, ensuring that anyone who arrives before 7:50 p.m. will have a general admission seat in Kilbourn Hall. Tickets are available at Eastman’s Box Office website or by calling 585-274-3000.

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