O.C. Soprano Places 2nd in Zachary Trial

All 10 finalists in the 22nd annual Loren L. Zachary Society National Vocal Competition for Young Opera Singers, held Sunday at Ambassador Auditorium, took home cash prizes.

The top finisher from Southern California was soprano Kristi Peterson of Irvine, who finished second and was awarded $8,000, plus a round-trip flight to Austria for auditions.

First place went to tenor Jon Villars from New York City, who took home $10,000.

Bass-baritone Chester Patton of Daly City, Calif., took the $5,000 third prize, and mezzo-soprano Eleni Matos of New York City won $2,550.

Each of the remaining six finalists, including sopranos Megan Weston of Buena Park and Laurel Boyd of Laguna Beach, was awarded $1,000.

The five judges selecting these winners were veteran Metropolitan Opera soprano Licia Albanese; artists agent Franz Hainzl from Vienna; William Wiemhoff, booking director of Ambassador Performing Arts in Pasadena; classical record producer Robert W. Smith, and Loren L. Zachary, founder of the Society and the competition.