Singers To Be Featured on Sunday, July 29th Broadcast of "Great Songs" on KHPR

Semifinalists of the 10th Annual Art Song Contest

Great Songs with co-hosts Gary Hickling and Amy Healey

7 to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 29

KHPR 81.1 Honolulu; KKUA 90.7 Wailuku; KANO 91.1 Hilo

Hawaii Public Radio

Gary Hickling and the Art Song Committee for HPR's 10th Annual Art Song Contest have announced the names of this year's semifinalists. They will be featured on the July 29 broadcast of Hickling's Great Songs program on KHPR 88.1 Honolulu, KKUA 90.7 Wailuku and 91.1 Hilo, from 7 to 8 p.m.

Hickling's co-host is Amy Healey, and the two will introduce each of the 12 semifinalists' winning audition recordings.

The names of the five finalists will be revealed at the end of that program, and those finalists will be presented at the Winners' Recital in HPR's Atherton Performing Arts Studio on Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m.

This year, the contestants numbered over 50, many of whom were from Neighbor Islands.

The semifinalists are, in alphabetical order: Myong Barger (Maui); Sarah Oppenheim-Beggs (Maui); Bambi Noelani Brock (Oahu); Natalie Capino (Oahu); Leighanna Edwards (Maui); Jason Healey (Oahu); Janet Justin (Oahu); Margit Messner (Oahu); Stephanie Shade (Oahu); Margaret Simpson (Oahu); Karen Stavash (Oahu); and Kristin Stone (Oahu).

The semifinalists include:

Myong Barger of Haiku, Maui, who performs the Baroque song "Amarilli, mia bella" by Caccini. She describes herself as "a simple farm girl from South Korea. I sang in the rice fields as a child. I chose "Amarilla, mia bella" because it's a sweet, simple love so, so clear, so pure. I feel that way when I sing it. That's who I am." Myong studies with Debra Lynn on Maui, where her 17-year-old son Kai is a champion surfer. Her accompanist was Anne Durlam.

Sarah Oppenheim-Beggs, also of Maui, is both a singer and a voice teacher who recently moved from the Bay Area. She's taught voice for more than 25 years and has a particular interest in contemporary Art Song. Her song, "The Filling Station," is part of a cycle of three songs by Lee Hoivy called "The Three Ages of Woman," set to the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop. Her pianist is Lotus Danar.

Bambi Noelani Brock performs "Here is peaceful" by Rachmaninoff. She's sung in professional musical theatre, appearing as Christine in the Off-Broadway version of "The Phantom of the Opera," Marion in "The Music Man," Maggie in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," and Lynne in "A Grand Night for Singing." She's also performed the Queen of the Night in "The Magic Flute." She completed her Bachelor's at Chapman University.

Natalie Capino performs Copland's "Why do they shut me out of heaven?" Her pianist is Marilyn Kim, with whom she studies at Leeward Community College.

Leighanna Edwards, also of Maui, sings "Over the Fence" by Lori Laitman. Leighanna, an actress and lyric soprano, comes from Point Reyes Station in California. She received her Bachelors in Fine Arts and Musical Theatre from Notre Dame de Namur University. Her accompanist is Ruth Murata.

Jason Healey performs Paul Bowle's "Heavenly Grass." Originally from Crystal Lake, Illinois, he followed his wife Amy (a former winner of the Art Song Contest, co-host of Great Songs, and coincidentally Jason's wife) to Hawaii in 2004. He has a Bachelors of Music from the University of Illinois, where he studied with Ronald Hedlund, and a Masters of Music in voice from the Peabody Conservatory, where he studied with John Shirley-Quirk. He continued with Mr. Shirley-Quirk at Carnegie-Mellon in Pittsburgh, earning an Artist Diploma. He's performed with numerous distinguished ensembles and festivals both in the U.S. and abroad. He also holds a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh and works with the Hawaii State Department of Taxation in the rules office. He sings with the choir of St. Clement's Episcopal Church.

Janet Justin lives on Oahu and is originally from New York City. She studied voice at Rutgers, the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, the University of Hawaii, and the Mae Z. Orvis Hawaii Opera Studio. She chose to perform Grieg's "Der veschwiegne Nachtigall," accompanied by Beebe Freitas.

Margit Messner performs "Vergebliches Standchen" by Brahms, accompanied by Beebe Freitas. She grew up in the Eastern Tyrol in Austria with an American mother who taught piano. Her father, who is Austrian, sang in choirs, and she also learned the violin, playing chamber music with her siblings and parents. She has a Masters in Music Education from the Academy of Music and Arts in Vienna and the University of Vienna. She's been teaching German, Chorus and Music History at Honolulu's Waldorf School for the past 8 years, and studies voice with Vicki Gorman.

Stephanie Shade, a native of Maryland, performs Schubert's "Nacht und Traume," accompanied by Beebe Freitas. She studies with Cheryl Bartlett. She grew up playing piano, double bass and alto saxophone, sang in school choirs, and participated in the Maryland All-State Choir in 1999. She moved to Hawaii in 2005, joined the Honolulu Chorale, and was a featured soloist in their 2006 Holiday Concert. That same year, she sang with the Hawaii Vocal Arts Ensemble, joining them as a soloist for Haydn's "Harmoniemesse" in the 2007 Masterworks Festival. She made her stage debut as Mabel in Chaminade's 2007 production of "The Pirates of Penzance."

Margaret Simpson performs Renaldo Hahn's "Paysage" accompanied by Beebe Freitas. She began her operatic career while completing her Master's at Boise State. She sang in Opera Idaho's outreach program, making her debut as Yum Yum in "The Mikado." She's a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions for the state of Florida, and was also a finalist and an award winner in the Colorado/Wyoming Region. She's sung The Queen of the Night, among other roles. She was named "Best Female Performer of the 2003-04 Season" for her portrayal of Marie in Donizetti's "La Fille du Regiment." She was one of six young artists picked for the San Diego Opera Resident Artist Program for the 2005 season, singing both outreach and tour performances of many operas.

Karen Stavash performs Patrick Doyle's "The Dream." The Ohio native moved to Maui nine years ago, where she studies with Debra Lynn and performs with Maui's Song and Dance company. A massage therapist who also holds a degree in English Literature, she is attracted to poetry.

Kristin Stone performs "La Fioraia Fiorentina" by Rossini accompanied by Tyson Deaton. She received her music training at Boston University and the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music, earning both a Bachelors and Masters of Music degrees. She was recently heard on the soundtrack of the award-winning short film "Lily." She enjoys performing with her husband, Honolulu Symphony Orchestra double bassist Jeffrey Stone.