Young Artists Return from Exciting Summer Adventures

Three of Seattle Opera's Young Artists this season are returning for a second year with our program, including soprano Amanda Opuszynski and baritone David Krohn (pictured, left, as Donna Elvira and Don Giovanni in last spring's YAP show, photo by Rozarii Lynch). It's always a bit like the first day of school when the program begins in the fall: everyone loves to share stories of what they did over the summer. We asked our three returning Young Artists to show us some photos from their adventures.

Amanda Opuszynski, who makes her Seattle Opera debut as Frasquita in our upcoming production of Carmen, began her summer with a trip to Spain--including several days in Seville, where the opera (along with Don Giovanni and so many others) takes place.

Photo by Amanda Opuszynski

She writes, "With Carmen on the brain, we made sure to tour the Plaza de Toros and try manzanilla!" Opuszynski spent the rest of the summer in Santa Fe, as an Apprentice Artist with Santa Fe Opera. Here she is as Tina in a scene from Jonathan Dove's Flight. She says of her costume, "Clearly, a girl can't go on a tropical second honeymoon without big blonde curls, a wildly patterned sundress, and bright yellow heels!

Photo by Ken Howard

David Krohn, who will debut as Dancaïre in Carmen, spent his summer in Italy, fine-tuning his Italian and immersing himself in the culture that gave birth to opera. We'll hear more about David's trip before long, but to whet your appetite here he is in Florence near the Ponte Vecchio, presumably humming "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi:

Photo by David Krohn

And following in the footsteps of Floria Tosca, to the top of Rome's Castel Sant'Angelo:

Photo by David Krohn

Krohn, whose all-time favorite singer is Franco Corelli, looked up his hero's only remaining relative, Marco Corelli, in Ancona:

Photo by David Krohn

Also returning to the Young Artists Program this season is tenor Andrew Stenson, who made his mainstage debut last fall as Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor and who returns to our stage as Remendado in Carmen. Here he is as Don Ottavio in last spring's YAP Don Giovanni:

Photo by Rozarii Lynch

And here's Stenson this summer, in Cooperstown, New York, taking a little time off from his duties at nearby Glimmerglass Opera to go with his parents Peter and Sharyl Stenson and watch Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven get inducted at the 2011 Baseball Hall of Fame!

Photo by Andrew Stenson