Press
"This award is given to seven young singers who are showing great promise at the start of their respective careers. Each recipient earns $5,000 apiece. The winners this year are countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, tenor Alexander McKissick, bass-baritone Christian Pursell, bass-baritone Cody Quattlebaum, mezzo-soprano Taylor Raven, tenor Jack Swanson, and soprano Vanessa Vasquez."
"Christian Pursell’s hale-and-hearty baritone helped construction worker Tom come across as a regular guy."
"Among the worthy supporting singers were Devon Guthrie as Mary Johnson, Hawkins' sharp-eyed office assistant; baritone and Ryan Opera Center alumnus Paul Scholten as Tommy McIntyre, a reporter; baritone Marcus DeLoach as the grandstanding McCarthy; bass-baritone Christian Pursell and baritone Vernon Hartman, both taking multiple roles."
"Other cast members made fine contributions, sometimes in multiple roles, including Christian Pursell (notably as the priest who takes Tim’s confession), Paul Scholten as Tommy McIntyre and Talya Lieberman as Lucy, who marries Hawk."
"Twenty-three young opera singers who have won regional auditions around the United States arrived at the Met this week to compete in the semi-final round of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. The closed semi-final competition, held on the Met stage before a panel of judges, will determine the select group of finalists who will advance to the final round of the competition. Eleven of the 23 semi-finalists are baritones, bass-baritones or basses!"
