"America's Got Talent" Opera Contestants Show Full Spectrum

Soave sia il vento: A photo of Maggie Lane from her website promoting personal fitness training.

"Eleven-year-old Grace Ann Gregorio and 31-year-old hottie personal trainer Maggie Lane are both very different opera singers who are moving on. Grace is sweet, while Maggie strips down to a bikini and gets a standing ovation from the guys in the audience and hot-body compliments from Heidi and Mel B. Shockingly, Howard wishes she kept her clothes on, but Howie thinks it opens opera to a whole new audience." [Source] Watch the video performances after the jump.

Classically-Trained Elly Oh Rocks Rendition On "The Voice Australia"

Full-bodied voice sensation Elly Oh

"She's the timid Sydney woman who teaches opera singing out of her garage - at least that was before The Voice. Now Elly Oh has completed her transformation into a stage queen, wowing the judges with her racy rendition of Jessie J's Mamma Knows Best as the Showdown rounds continued on Monday night. The classically trained Team Ricky singer stepped out onto the stage in a skimpy outfit reminiscent of pop queen Lady Gaga, unleashing her powerful voice as she performed in a sequined bra. She paired the sexy piece with a black blazer, tiny shorts and a pair of thigh-high black boots. After belting out the track the 29-year-old earned a standing ovation from the audience and the coaches, and despite strong performances from her fellow Team Ricky contenders Fely Irvine and Thando Sikwila, it was Elly who mentor Ricky Martin chose to take to New York where she will prepare for the finals. It was one raunchy round of the Showdowns as former Hi-5 children's group singer Fely showed off her slim physique in a black bra under a white blazer." [Source]

Judges of The Voice Australia (left to right): Ricky Martin, Joel Madden, Kylie Minogue, and will.i.am

"South Korean born music teacher Elly Oh has recently branched out into R’n’B, pop and rock after eight years of professional opera singing and extensive classical and opera training in Sydney, Korea and Italy. A little lady with a big voice, it’s hard to believe that this bold 29-year-old was once an extremely shy child. Elly misses her family in Korea but has found a surrogate family in her much loved students to whom she teaches pop music. She likens her newfound musical style to that of Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone and Adele but has turned to The Voice to broaden her experience across all musical genres and pave the way for her first album." [Source]

Watch a video of the "Mama Knows Best" rendition, as well as an operatic sing-off with fellow contestant Jess Berney of "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi that took place last month, after the jump.

Gabby Young Cites Maria Callas As Vocal Idol To Inspire Emotion

Her band, Gabby Young and Other Animals,
are launching their third album, One Foot
In Front Of The Other, on Tuesday, June 3.

"The theatrical side of music has always appealed to Young since an early age. Five years ago, she moved to Kentish Town with her boyfriend, but as a child she grew up Wiltshire, where her operatic voice saw her become the youngest member of the National Youth Choir at the age of 12. Idolising soprano Maria Callas, she longed to become a performer capable of inspiring great emotion; one who could make people laugh, smile and cry. However, one day a friend handed her a tape of Jeff Buckley and she realised this could be done with her own songs. 'I was told to listen to it because my friend saw resemblances between the two of us, which I thought was strange seeing as he was a guy. It did completely change my life though because it showed you can be really operatic, emotional and theatrical but also write your own music.' Young’s latest album is undoubtedly her most personal yet – a self-described 'grower' that flits between moments of jazz, opera, folk and cabaret with natural ease. It marks a mature step for the musician, and it is one that she owes to her fans, who impressively funded the entire project through a Kickstarter funding campaign." [Source] An acoustic video of Gabby Young is after the jump.

Miguel Lerín Laments Current State Of Vocal Preparedness

A small collection of singers whom Miguel Lerín counts as friends in the opera world.

"Miguel Lerín, promotor del Concurso Internacional de Canto Francisco Viñas y biznieto del célebre tenor, recibió el relevo al frente de esta responsabilidad de su madre, María Vilardell -gran pianista- aunque fuera su abuelo y yerno del Tenor Viñas, Jacint Vilardell, quien fundara el concurso -que ha cumplido ya su 50 aniversario- en el año 1963. Ganar el primer premio del Concurso Internacional de Canto Francisco Viñas, asociado al Teatro del Liceo, no garantiza, sin embargo y a priori, una plaza de excepción en piezas operísticas de postín. 'Los artistas jóvenes ahora van muy deprisa', se lamenta Miguel Lerín, argumentando que el estudio insistente y sintetizado de la técnica vocal, será lo que les permitirá afrontar con éxito los 'roles' destinados a sus diferentes 'tesituras' de voz. Así, finalmente, gana el que más depura la técnica apoyado por profesores adecuados y no el que tiene, solamente, el privilegio de poseer las facultades vocales fisiológicas para el Canto. Tanto insiste Lerín

Señor Lerín

en 'la técnica' que, durante el recorrido que realizamos por su estudio -un amplísimo piso de carácter modernista repleto de alusiones a la Opera, piezas de 'atrezzo' pertenecientes a diferentes interpretaciones del Tenor Viñas y varios pianos- hace que me detenga ante una colección de fotografías de los artistas contemporáneos más relevantes, que ocupan toda una pared de la amplia estancia. Lo que a cierta distancia parecía una dedicatoria con firma sobre el retrato, es algo mucho más relevante. Miguel Lerín les pidió que definieran -en ese espacio limitado- lo que significa, según sus diferentes criterios, 'la técnica'; y el resultado es sorprendente. Digna de mención, por gráfica, es la de Montserrat Caballé, que insiste, con extraordinario sentido del humor, en aprender a “dominar bien la propia anatomía” como estrategia de técnica vocal." [Source] Watch a video interview with Miguel Lerín after the jump.

Zola Jesus is Nika Roza Danilova

Zola Jesus is the moniker of 22-year-old Nika Danilova. "From age 10, Danilova studied opera. It was that training that gave her voice its muscle, but it’s the vocal imperfections that training was unable to cure that give it its color and bite. 'Those imperfections are something that I’ve always struggled with....I’d have to teach myself to get a brighter sound to take those away. It’s very scientific when you’re singing opera—that’s why I