Denison: Vail Series presents the Metropolitan Opera Rising Stars Concert

The Vail Series presents the Metropolitan Opera Rising Stars Concert, featuring the next generation of leading men and women at the renowned and beloved "Met" at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, at Denison University?s Swasey Chapel (200 Chapel Drive). Depending upon demand, a limited number of tickets for the Vail Series event may be released at $15 for sale. Visit vailseries.org for details. For more information, contact Michael Morris at 740-587-6539. "Metropolitan Opera Rising Stars Concert Series" offers fans across North America a rare opportunity to experience remarkable young artists on the cusp of extraordinary careers. In 2009. the Vail Series hosted soprano and Metropolitan favorite Reneé Fleming to an enchanted audience. In the same vein, this concert promises to deliver outstanding performances from the rising stars of the Metropolitan Opera. "We're thrilled to bring this coterie of amazingly talented men and women to Denison," says Vail Director Michael Morris. "The program will consist of true opera arias by Mozart, Puccini and Rossini, with a few Broadway selections thrown in for good measure. Opera lovers and those who simply enjoy listening to superb singers will appreciate this concert." For more than 125 years, the Metropolitan Opera has been the artistic home of the greatest singers in the world. But the Met is also the launching pad for the opera stars of the future. Some of today's leading artists got their first big break by winning the company's national auditions, as members of the young artist program, or by catching the attention of Met talent scouts. Stephanie Blythe, Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Deborah Voigt, Thomas Hampson, and Mariusz Kwiecien are just a few of the major artists to have come through the Met ranks. Each concert features young singers, accompanied by piano, in popular arias, duets, and ensembles by opera's greatest composers.