Amelia Rieman Vocal Competition – Fred Fox School of Music

Amelia Rieman Vocal Competition
March 25, Saturday, 3:00 p.m.
Holsclaw Hall, $Free

Both undergraduate and graduate students from the various UA voice studios will compete for the scholarships granted by the competition.

Amelia Tataronis (Rieman) was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts on November 26, 1906. An excellent student who loved to read, play the piano and sing, Amelia eventually became the co-valedictorian of her high school class and was given the highest award for her music activities. As a teenager she eventually secured a position accompanying a dance and exercise class at the YMCA, in order to save money for college. Here it was that a local doctor, who enjoyed the aerobics class befriended Amelia and, anonymously, paid for Amelia’s tuition at Radcliff College, where she had been accepted into the music program. Later in life, she discovered the name of her patron and endowed a scholarship at Harvard to honor this man. Amelia went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in 1929 and her master’s in 1932.

Her interest in the University of Arizona began in 1988 when she saw a newspaper article concerning the School of Music. She contacted the director (Dr. David Woods) and after informing him of her love of opera, Dr. Josef Knott (then director of the opera program) encouraged her to establish the Rieman Opera Competition with an endowment guaranteeing its perpetual existence. For many years she served as one of the judges.

It was in 2000 that Mrs. Rieman decided to establish the Rieman Chair in Opera with an endowment that also provides students with scholarships and supports master classes, opera performances, and aids in raising the quality of opera productions. In addition to her support of our opera activities, she left a considerable endowment to her alma mater and Lehigh University.

Amelia was a colorful character, she loved a good joke and especially loved listening to classical music and opera. It was on April 25, 2009 that we lost our beloved benefactor. She will be greatly missed!

Previous Winners of the Rieman Opera Competition:

2020 cancelled

2019

Group 1
1st place: Sarah Redlhammer
2nd place: Frannie Barrows
3rd place: Crystal Kachevas

Group 2
1st place: Yuchen Luo
2nd place: Diana Peralta
3rd place: Kaitlin Bertenshaw

2017

Group I

1st Place: Emma Petersen

2nd Place: TaylorTrolia- Giron

3rd Place: Emily Garcia

Group II

1st Place: Kyle DeGraff

2nd Place: Michelle Perrier

3rd Place: Ariana iniguez

2016

Group I

1st Michelle Perrier

2nd Tony Cruz

3rd Taylor Lewis

Group II

1st Samantha Luna

2nd Caroline Crawford

3rd Bryce Tomlin

2015

Group I

1st Caroline Crawford

2nd James Mendola

3rd Kehui Wu

Group II

1st Clare Demer

2nd Erin McMullen

3rd Jacqueline Black

2014

Group I

1st Ariana Iniguez

2nd Erin McMullen

3rd Laura Broscow

Group II

1st Jenina Gallaway and Humberto Borboa

2nd Dori Smith

3rd Ivette Ortiz

2013

Group I

1st Clare Demer

2nd Kendi Van De garaf

3rd (tie) Caroline Crawford and Brandon Dale

Group II

1st Kaitrin Cunningham

2nd Christy McClarty

3rd Jenina Gallawya

2012

Group I
1st Jovahnna Anderson
2nd Victoria McKean
3rd Emily Spirk
Group II
1st Sun Young Lee
2nd Christy McClarty
3rd Dori Smith

2011

Group I

1st Asleif Wilmer

2nd Gabriella Carillo

3rd Kyle Connor

Group II

1st Seth Kershisnik

2nd Dori Smith

3rd Cristy McClarty

Honorable Mention Yunnie Park

2010

Group I

1st Erika Burkhart

2nd Kyle Connor

3rd Asleif Willmer (tie)

3rd Gabriella Carillo (tie)

Group II

1st Jenny Beauregard

2nd Yunnie Park

3rd April Amante (tie)

3rd Seth Kershisnik (tie)

2009

Group I

1st Seth Kershisnik

2nd Erika Burkhart

3rd Kaitlin Burtenshaw

Group II

1st Brian Witkowski

2nd Greg Guenther

3rd Katherine Wells

2008

1st Christopher Hutchinson

2nd Nikki Douglas

3rd Ashleigh Guida

Group II

1st Adam Shelton

2nd Meray Boustani

3rd Dennis Tamblyn

2007

Group I

1st Meray Boustani

2nd Ashleigh Guida

3rd Jon Patton

Group II

1st Cynthia Ortiz

2nd Robb Harrison

3rd Nathan Krueger

2006

1st Chloe Hunter

2nd Kara Harris

3rd Maritza Martinez

Group II

1st Anishka Lee-Skorepa

2nd Tammi Huber

3rd Nathan Krueger

Comment on Facebook

One thing that needs to be considered in this time of major climate change concern is the carbon emissions of flying in artists from overseas. The carbon emissions of flying Stockholm-Tucson roundtrip come to about 3 tons per economy class passenger. That is comparable to the carbon emissions produced by the average American in 1 year of driving. Could a US-based organist have played this recital (shorter travel distance and lower emissions)? Or, is Hammarstrom already on tour in the US (thus consolidating multiple recitals into 1 overseas trip)? There is also the option of offsetting flight emissions. Saying this as a DMA grad of the UA organ program and as an astronomy educator who’s following the astronomy field’s efforts to mitigate climate impact.