Finalist: Amanda Hall, Soprano

The young American soprano Amanda Hall has earned recognition for her performances of demanding roles on both the operatic and concert stages. In 2010-11 she sings Violetta in La traviata with Western Plains Opera Company, joins the roster of New York City Opera for its production of A Quiet Place, sings the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni as a guest artist with Yale Opera, appears as soloist in Verdi's Requiem with Lynn University, and in Haydn's The Creation with the Idaho State Civic Symphony. She sings her first performances as Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte in her debut with Lyric Opera of Kansas City in season 2011-12.

Her 2009-10 season included the title role in Rusalka and the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor for an opera scenes performance with Yale Opera, Countess in Le nozze di Figaro and Micaëla in La Tragédie de Carmen, also with Yale Opera; singing as soloist in Verdi's Requiem with Yale Symphony Orchestra; Dvořák's Stabat Mater with Connecticut's Cappella Cantorum, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra; and Aaron Jay Kernis' Symphony of Meditations with the Yale Camerata.

Among Ms. Hall's recent successes are family performances of the title role in Susannah and the role of Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, both as an apprentice artist at Central City Opera, and performances of Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte with Yale Opera. She appeared as Giulietta in I Capuleti e I Montecchi with the University of Southern California Opera and has performed several roles with La Sierra University Opera Theater including the title roles in both Thaïs and Cendrillon, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Yum-Yum in The Mikado, and Aldonza in Man of La Mancha. As a member of the Jarvis Conservatory's Zarzuela Workshop she appeared in a production of Luis Alonso.

Equally comfortable on the concert stage, Ms. Hall has performed both Mozart's Alleluia and Handel's Messiah with the Crystal Cathedral Chorus and Orchestra, Mozart's Requiem and Rutter's Requiem with the Loma Linda Chorus and Orchestra, Fauré's Requiem with the Tustin Presbyterian Church, Orff's Carmina Burana with Opera de Tijuana, and Bach's Christmas Oratorio with Riverside Little Opera.

Amanda Hall is a graduate of the Opera Program at the Yale School of Music and has earned a Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California and Bachelor of Arts in Music from La Sierra University. She has twice been a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and has been the recipient of Opera Buff's Performance Scholarship, AEIOU Opera Scholarship, Thornton Merit Scholarship, Leni Fe Bland Vocal Scholarship. She was also the winner of the La Sierra Sinfonia Concerto Competition and a finalist in the Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition