The Margaret Kimball Operatic Competition

Rimrock Opera of Billings, Montana

This biennial operatic competition is open to all amateur singers who are United States citizens, and residents or students of the states of Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, or Utah. Contestants between the ages of 18-35 must submit two arias on cassette or CD. Ten finalists are invited to Billings to compete for cash awards totaling $2,000.00. The winners are invited to remain in Billings one additional day and sing in a Rimrock Opera summer concert event.

(about Margaret Kimball)

Application deadline:  March 19, 2007

Competition Judges

Finalists:

Sarah Kim  | Betany Coffland  |  Christopher Johnson  |  Bradley Thompson
Christie Hageman  |  Catherine Viscardi

Final Notification: April 27, 2007

Final Competition: Friday, July 6, 2007
Winner:  Betaney Coffland  (story)

Winners invited to sing in the “Magic City Stars” Concert: Saturday, July 7, 2007
Tickets are available at the door for the Margaret Kimball Operatic Competition July 6, 2007 at 7 PM at MSU-B Petro Theater for $15
Click here for rules and application:  html  |  pdf

This event is sponsored by:
Henrietta Johnstone
MSU-B
Billings Gazette
YPR
 

Story:

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/06/entertainment/enjoy/63-roc.txt

Story:

Johnstone's opera passion leads to ROC patronage

In five decades of enjoying opera, Henrietta Johnstone has met some fine opera stars, including Franco Carelli, Richard Tucker and Anna Moffo. Framed, signed programs and pictures of international stars adorn a wall in her home at Mission Ridge. Johnstone - Hank, to her friends - has seen more than 250 live opera productions, and she's developed a well-defined aesthetic for opera. When she met Rimrock Opera Company's charismatic artistic director Doug Nagel several years back, she was struck not only with his vocal talent and knowledge but his passion for opera because it mirrored her own. For more of this story, click on or type the URL below: http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/07/06/entertainment/enjoy/25-johnstone.txt Rimrock Opera Company members, from left, Doug Nagel, Heidi Rae Kalina, Alissa Rose, Lisa Lombardy, Kerry Grulzenga, Amy Logan, Carolyn Coefield, Brianne Roney and Dennis Rupp serenade opera benefactor Henrietta Johnstone, center, outside her home at Mission Ridge in Billings.

BOB ZELLAR/Gazette Staff Above:  Henrietta Johnstone stands in front of a wall containing autographed pictures of world-famous opera singers at her Mission Ridge residence. Johnstone, who grew up listening to opera on the Victrola, has moved from fan to benefactor with her launching of the Magaret Kimball Operatic Competition in conjunction with the Rimrock Opera Company.

Story:
Opera competition takes top priority for Hageman

Somewhere in the middle of Ennis Lake, the former Miss Montana Christie Hageman
may be singing a Mozart aria.

After finding out just three weeks ago that her status as alternate in the
Margaret Kimball Operatic Competition was upgraded to finalist, Hageman needed
to squeeze in some quality time with her voice. Since she and her family were
spending the week of July 4 at Ennis Lake, her mother suggested she try rehearsing from a boat. Hageman objected because the water would carry her voice throughout the area. Isn't that the idea when you're singing an aria?

Gazette Photo by James Woodcock
For more of this story, click on or type the URL below:

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/07/06/entertainment/enjoy/27-hageman.txt