Four CSU Voice alums were finalists in the 2021 Denver Lyric Opera Guild annual competition. Places were selected in March 2021. Congrats to our outstanding alumni on your continued success!
Third Place: $4500 Myrle F. Hoffman Memorial Award
Schyler Vargas, baritone, received his B.M. in Vocal Performance from Colorado State University and his MM from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Schyler was a Young Artist at the Glimmerglass Festival in 2018 and 2019 and was a member of the Houston Grand Opera Young Artist Vocal Academy in 2017. Schyler was a 2020 winner of the Colorado/Wyoming District MONC Auditions and took first place in the 2020 TriCities Opera Competition.
Fourth Place: $4000 Galen & Ada Belle Spencer Foundation Award
Lauren Bumgarner, soprano, received her B.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of California – Santa Cruz and is working on her M.M. in Vocal Performance at Colorado State University. Lauren was the 2020 Emerging Artist for MIOpera and was selected as a 2020 Apprentice Artist at Opera Fort Collins. Roles for MIOpera include Micheala in Carmen and Juliette in Romeo et Juliette.
Honorable Mention $500 DLOG Members & Dr. Frank Sargent
Emily Anderson, 27, Mezzo
Angela Lamar, 23, Soprano
Angela Lamar said about her time at CSU, "First and foremost, CSU truly sparked my love for opera and performance. I did not know about opera before attending CSU, and now, I am pursuing a career in opera performance. I grew so much as a vocalist, musician, and artist there. Every teacher I had (especially my fantastic voice teacher, Dr. John Carlo Pierce) loved what they did; it showed in their work and students' progress. Because of my experiences at CSU, I am fully prepared to succeed in this industry. I cannot express my gratitude enough."