FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (4/02)
Contact:  Lynn Stewart, Centenary News Service, 318-869-5120
   

Centenary Alumna to Compete in Met's Grand Finals in New York on April 21

Twyla Robinson

SHREVEPORT, LA -- Centenary alumna Twyla Robinson is one of ten finalists for the Metropolitan Opera's National Council Auditions and will compete in the grand finals round on Sunday, April 21.  For the finals, she will sing "To this we've come" from The Consul by Gian-Carlo Menotti and "Das wahr sehr gut" from Arabella by Richard Strauss.

A 1993 graduate of Centenary College, Ms. Robinson earlier was the
winner from Pacific region of the Metropolitan Opera auditions.There are
20 regions in the Metropolitan Opera competition.  All regions send
winners to the national competition in New York City.  The first round of the New York competition was on April 14, and was closed to the public.  From that round, ten singers were chosen to perform and compete in a public concert, called the Grand Finals, on the MET stage on April 21.  This competition will be broadcast on public radio. 

The top five winners will receive $15,000 each, and remaining finalists win $5,000 awards.  Some winners may be invited to join the Metropolitan Opera's apprentice program. While at Centenary, Ms. Robinson, who is a native of Denham Springs, La., studied with Dr. Horace English and Dr. Gale Odom. She is currently a student of Constanza Cuccaro, who is a professor of music at Indiana University.

As a 1999 Merola Opera Program participant, Ms. Robinson was seen at San Jose's Villa Montalvo as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. Later reprising
Donna Anna and adding the role of Donna Elvira, she went on to visit 31
cities with the 1999 Western Opera Theater National Tour. In April of
2000, Ms. Robinson was the San Francisco Opera Center's overbearing Lady Billows in Britten's comedy Albert Herring, and later that month
performed in the prestigious Schwabacher Debut Recital Series for an
afternoon of all Brahms--both performances meeting with critical
acclaim. 

Ms. Robinson has earned notices in several competitions, including the
Eleanor McCollum Concert of Arias competition at Houston Grand Opera,
the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards, and the
San Francisco Opera Center's National Auditions. She has received
invitations to participate in the Tucker Foundation Awards and the
inaugural year of the Wigmore Hall International Song Competition in
London. She has just completed a residency with the San Francisco Opera
on a Samuel Adler fellowship.

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