Baritone Wins Met’s Western Regional Auditions

Baritone Kevin Bell, 28, of San Bernardino was awarded first place at the Western Regional Auditions of the Metropolitan Opera National Council, last weekend in Bovard Auditorium at USC. As the top winner, Bell will receive $3,900 and will represent the region in national semifinal auditions in New York in March.

Second place and a prize of $2,800 went to soprano Michele Lyn Patzakis, 26, of San Marino; soprano Cynthia Clayton, 24, of Los Angeles, won third place and $1,700. Baritone Richard Woods, 29, of Fresno was recognized with an encouragement award of $1,000.

Finalists in the competition receiving awards of $500 were: baritone Yu Chen, 29, of Los Angeles; tenor Jose Medina, 26, of San Diego; soprano Patricia Prunty, 30, of La Puente; soprano Anne-Marie Boche, 30, of Orange; baritone Donald Christiansen, 30, of Orange; soprano Sylvia Wen, 30, of San Diego, and soprano Jennifer Trost, 32, of Los Angeles.

Lawrence Stayer, executive director of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and director of the Young Artists Development Program, judged the competition in consultation with Richard Gaddes, founder of Opera Theatre of St. Louis; soprano Kathleen Kaun of Northwestern University, and former Met baritone Theodor Uppman, a member of the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music.