The Nordica Memorial Association has announced the winners of this year’s Nordica scholarship. It is awarded to a student of singing in Maine who aspires to a career in singing. This year’s contest resulted in a tie, however, with Kaleigh Hunter of Saco and Emma Jones of South Portland as winners, according to a news release from the Farmington-based organization.
Kaleigh Hunter Photo courtesy of Nordica Memorial Association
In normal times Hunter and Jones would perform in Farmington’s annual Nordica Day Concert on Aug. 17. It was on that date in 1911 when Farmington native and celebrated opera diva, Lillian Nordica, performed for the last time in her home town in what’s now called Nordica Auditorium. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s concert will be postponed until August 2021.
Hunter is a first-year vocal performance major at the University of Southern Maine where she studies voice with Melinda Haslett. She was in numerous musical theater productions in high school and was recently cast in the role of Pamina in “The Magic Flute.”
Emma Jones Photo courtesy of Nordica Memorial Association
Jones is a junior at Lawrence Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin. However, she was taking a gap year and studying with Mary Johnston Letellier while at home in Maine. Some performance highlights for her have been “Bernstein’s Mass,” and the role of Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.”
Samples of Hunter’s and Jone’s singing can been viewed at lilliannordica.com. These recordings are their audition submissions on which they were judged.
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