Congratulations to all the singers who helped make this year’s Quest for the Best an outstanding success. Thanks to the generosity of donors and attendees we awarded $10,600 in prizes. The top awards for graduates and undergraduates are noted below, but all singers received prize money and all the arias are are available to view and download.

Graduate Student Singers

Undergraduate Singers

Undergraduate HD Videos

Go to Undergraduate Audio Files

1. Brianna Barnhart, soprano: Les oiseaux dans la charmille, from Les contes d’Hoffmann, by Jacques Offenbach (1819–1880)
   
   Olympia, a mechanical doll, sings an aria that enchants Hoffmann, despite her needing to be wound up along the way.
2. Dan Marino, tenor: A tenor, all singers above, from Utopia, Limited, by Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900)
   
   Captain Fitzbattleaxe tells his love, Zara, that his passion is adversely affecting his singing voice.
3. 

   Clare Demer, soprano: O quante volte, from I Capuleti ed i Montecchi, by Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835)

   Juliet expresses her longing for Romeo.

4. Joseph Gouge, tenor: Vainement ma bien-aimee, from Le roi d’Ys, by Edouard Lalo (1823–1892)
   
   Mylio, a young warrior, tries to convince his fiancée to join him in the wedding procession.
5. Emily Garcia, soprano: Ach ich fühl’s, from Die Zauberflöte, by W. A. Mozart (1756–1791)
   
   Pamina fears that the absent Tamino does not love her.
6. Kristen Fabry, mezzo-soprano: En vain pour éviter,from Carmen, by Georges Bizet (1838–1875)
   
   In the cards Carmen foresees death for both her and José.
7. 

   (tie) Antonio Cruz, baritone: Come Paride vezzoso, from L’elisir d’amore, by Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848).

   Sgt. Belcore is confident of success as he woos Adina, since no girl can resist the sight of a military uniform.

8. 

   (tie) Taylor Trolia-Giron, soprano: Mi chiamano Mimì, from La bohème, by Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924).

   Mimì describes her life as an embroidress in her tiny room overlooking the rooftops of Paris.

2017 Undergraduate Audio Files

Graduate HD Videos

Go to Graduate Audio Files

1. 

   Ariana Iniguez, soprano: Carceleras, from Las hijas del Zebedeo, by Ruperto Chapí (1851–1909).

   This lyric love song (romanza) has been a favorite of sopranos and mezzos, both Spanish and foreign.

2. Samantha Hornback, soprano : O luce di quest’anima, from Linda di Chamounix, by Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848).

   Linda sings of her love for Carlo, the “light of her soul.”

3. Piper Pack-Smith, mezzo-soprano : Re dell’abisso, affrettati, from Un ballo in maschera, by Giuseppi Verdi (1813–1901).

   The fortune-teller Ulrica calls upon the King of the Abyss to give her the power to see the future.

   Note: Video and audio recordings of this aria have been removed at the singer’s request.

4. 

   Michelle Perrier, soprano: Guilleaume Walzer, from Zehn Mädchen und kein Mann, by Franz von Suppé (1819–1895).

5. Jamey Wright, soprano : Ach, ich fühl’s, from Die Zauberflöte, by W. A. Mozart (1756–1791).

   Pamina fears that the absent Tamino does not love her.

6. 

   (tie) Mark Hockenberry, baritone: Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre, from Carmen, by Georges Bizet (1838–1875).

   In the famous Toreador Song, Escamillo conveys the excitement of the bull ring and the reward—love!

7. 

   (tie) Kristen Lucas, soprano: Glitter and Be Gay, from Candide, by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990).

   Cunegonde is surviving as a courtesan. She assuages her guilt and shame by reveling in her luxurious lifestyle.

8. Abigail Hart, soprano : Ah! Je veux vivre, from Roméo et Juliette, by Charles Gounod (1818–1893).

   When others speak of marriage, Juliet sings that she prefers to live inside her dream, in eternal spring.

9. Soleil Oliva, soprano: Klänge der Heimat, from Die Fledermaus, by Johann Strauss II (1825–1899).

   Rosalinda, disguised as a Hungarian countess, sings a rousing csárdás to prove her nationality.

2017 Graduate Audio Files