Amelia Rieman Vocal Competition
Saturday, March 22, 11:00 a.m.
Holsclaw Hall, $Free
Livestream: music.arizona.edu/live
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!
