Hitting the High Notes: Behind the Scenes with a New Generation of Tenors - 92Y, New York
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School of Music

Hitting the High Notes: Behind the Scenes with a New Generation of Tenors

Naomi Lewin with Miles Mykkanen, Andrew Stenson and Levy Sekgapane
Naomi Lewin, Miles Mykkanen, Andrew Stenson and Levy Sekgapane

Former WQXR announcer Naomi Lewin hosts another fascinating session examining the craft behind the art, this time with three outstanding members of the new generation of tenors: Americans Miles Mykkanen and Andrew Stenson, and South African Levy Sekgapane.

Since Mykkanen won the 2019 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, he has joined the Met roster; Stenson, winner of numerous competitions, has performed with opera companies around the country. Sekgapane’s career has mostly been in Europe so far, but he has 2021 debuts scheduled in both San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Love opera? Don’t miss this spotlight on tenors—what it takes to perform in the world’s great houses, the state of the art in a time of crisis, and how they hit the high notes, both on stage and in their careers.

Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions via chat during the program.

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Instructor

Naomi Lewin

Naomi Lewin is the former host of weekday afternoon music on WQXR, and of the podcast Conducting Business. Before that, she was midday host at WGUC in Cincinnati, where she created the award-winning weekly program Classics for Kids, which airs on radio stations across the country. She has produced music programs and arts reports for NPR; intermission features for Metropolitan Opera broadcasts; and podcasts on subjects ranging from the Yale Glee Club, to Tippet Rise Art Center, to the bicentennial of St. George's Choral Society. Südwestrundfunk in Stuttgart recently com ...

Naomi Lewin

Naomi Lewin is the former host of weekday afternoon music on WQXR, and of the podcast Conducting Business. Before that, she was midday host at WGUC in Cincinnati, where she created the award-winning weekly program Classics for Kids, which airs on radio stations across the country. She has produced music programs and arts reports for NPR; intermission features for Metropolitan Opera broadcasts; and podcasts on subjects ranging from the Yale Glee Club, to Tippet Rise Art Center, to the bicentennial of St. George's Choral Society. Südwestrundfunk in Stuttgart recently commissioned her to create a two-hour program – in German – celebrating Itzhak Perlman's 75th birthday. Naomi is also a speaker, emcee, and media coach, and the radio voice of Arizona Opera.

Given her previous lifetime as a singer and actress, Naomi has continued to appear onstage, narrating Peter and the Wolf, Carnival of the Animals, King David, Façade, A Visit from the White Rabbit, and Four Seasons of Italian Futurist Cuisine by Aaron Jay Kernis. She can be seen as J.S. Bach in the Sunday Baroque 30th Anniversary video, and as a spitball-shooting professor in La Folía, from Filmelodic. Naomi has hosted a Classics for Kids Live show around the country, and has given talks on operas from Aida to Zauberflöte.

Naomi was born in Princeton, New Jersey, but received both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Yale.

Miles Mykkanen

A winner of the 2019 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Miles Mykkanen has garnered recognition on the world's concert and operatic stages …

Miles Mykkanen

A winner of the 2019 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Miles Mykkanen has garnered recognition on the world's concert and operatic stages for his "focused, full-voiced tenor" (The New York Times). Of his performance in the title role of Candide at Tanglewood, it was reported in Opera, "Mykkanen sang and spoke feelingly and superbly, with crystalline diction, a powerful lyric sound seemingly capable of infinite dynamic gradations.”

In the 2020-21 season, Miles Mykkanen was engaged for performances at the Festival d’Aix en Provence and with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra. His calendar anticipates his debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper as Chevalier de la Fore in a production by Dmitri Tcherniakov of Dialogues des Carmélites under the baton of Bertrand de Billy, the title role of Candide with the Lithuanian National Opera, a Seattle Opera debut as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni directed by Brenna Corner with conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya, and a return to the Metropolitan Opera to sing Novice in Billy Budd under the baton of Simone Young. The tenor also joins Musicians from Marlboro on a domestic tour performing Schubert's Auf dem Strom and Britten's Canticle III with Radovan Vlatkovic (horn) and Lydia Brown (piano).

Miles Mykkanen made a Metropolitan Opera debut last season in the company’s new William Kentridge production of Wozzeck led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and other highlights included the title role of Candide at the Opéra de Lausanne, Der fliegende Holländer at the Canadian Opera Company, and Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Columbus. The tenor’s vibrant concert schedule included performances of Bruckner’s Te Deum with Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony, a world premiere of Mohammed Fairouz’ Another Time with Leonard Slatkin and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Mozart Requiem with David Danzmayr and the San Antonio Symphony.

Highlights of the recent past include a Minnesota Opera debut in the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Silent Night by Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell, a debut at the Canadian Opera Company in Robert Lepage’s The Nightingale and Other Short Fables, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Opera Philadelphia in Robert Carsen’s production conducted by Corrado Rovaris, and Ariadne auf Naxos with Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra. One of his signature roles, Candide has been given at Arizona Opera, Palm Beach Opera, and at the Ravinia and Tanglewood festivals in performances with The Knights.

Miles Mykkanen made his New York Philharmonic debut in a program of excerpts from West Side Story conducted by Leonard Slatkin and joined the Bard Music Festival for Moniuszko’s Halka and Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette with Leon Botstein conducting the American Symphony Orchestra. He has sung Handel’s Messiah with the symphonies of Atlanta, Indianapolis, and New Jersey, with the National Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center, and at the University of Michigan’s Hill Auditorium under the auspices of the University Musical Society.

He spent the past three summers at the Marlboro Music Festival where his performances have spanned from art songs of Brahms and Britten to chamber music of Brett Dean with distinguished guest artists Mitsuko Uchida, Malcolm Martineau, Roger Vignoles, and many others. He frequently appears with Steven Blier, Michael Barrett, and the New York Festival of Song and also has collaborated with Juilliard415, the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, New World Symphony, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Miles Mykkanen is a champion of new music and has given the world premieres of Ricky Ian Gordon's Twenty-Seven, Jack Perla's Shalimar the Clown, and of Matthew Aucoin's Crossing at the American Repertory Theatre directed by Diane Paulus. Opera News wrote, "Miles Mykkanen’s work was especially distinctive: his burnished high tenor seemed like the organizing principle around which the other voices cohered."

The tenor is a 2019 Sara Tucker Study Grant winner, youngARTS Gold winner and the recipient of prizes from the Sullivan Foundation, Toulmin Foundation, Novick Career Advancement Grant, and Juilliard’s Joseph W. Polisi Award. Miles Mykkanen is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy and earned his Artist Diploma in Opera Studies, along with his Bachelor's and Master's degrees, from The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Cynthia Hoffmann.

Andrew Stenson

Andrew Stenson is quickly building a reputation as one of the United States’ most exciting young tenors …

Andrew Stenson

Andrew Stenson is quickly building a reputation as one of the United States’ most exciting young tenors, with a brilliant tone, artistic intellect, and superb portrayals of a variety of roles. He is the first prize winner in both the 2015 Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition and 2016 Gerda Lissner Foundation Competition. He is also the recipient of a 2011 Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation.

During the 2019-2020 season, Mr. Stenson will make his debut with Opera Colorado as Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia. He will return to Utah Opera as Sprink in their production of Silent Night, and appear with St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in Mozart’s Requiem.

Mr. Stenson’s 2018-2019 season began with his Dallas Opera debut as the Steersman in Der Fliegende Holländer. He joined the Minnesota Opera as Fadinard in The Italian Straw Hat, as well as Utah Opera as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. He appeared with Mostly Mozart Festival for Mozart’s Requiem, the Cincinnati Symphony for St. Matthew Passion, and the Philadelphia Orchestra as King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors.

The 2017-2018 season included the tenor’s role and company debut with Wexford Festival Opera as Ernesto in Foroni’s Margherita. He also returned to the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte, sang the title role of Candide with the San Francisco Symphony, and made his company debut with Opera Theatre of St. Louis in the world premiere of the two-act version of An American Soldier, singing the role of Danny Chen.

Mr. Stenson’s 2016-2017 season included appearances as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with Seattle Opera, Frederic in Pirates of Penzance with Palm Beach Opera, the title role of Candide with Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse, and Opéra National de Bordeaux, and a company debut with Washington National Opera as Tonio in La fille du Régiment. He also appeared in concert with the Kansas City Symphony for Mozart’s Requiem. He concluded the season with a return to Glyndebourne Festival Opera to sing Ernesto in Don Pasquale.

During the 2015-2016 season, Andrew Stenson made his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut, singing Gen in the world premiere of Bel Canto. He also debuted with Arizona Opera as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, and with Fort Worth Opera as Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia. In concert, he sang the Messiah with the Cincinnati Symphony and Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with the Rochester Philharmonic.

In the 2014-2015 season, the tenor finished as a member of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Amongst his assignments, he performed Beppe in Pagliacci, in a new production conducted by Fabio Luisi. In the summer he returned to the Glimmerglass Festival, as the title role in Candide.

Andrew Stenson was a 2nd year member of the Lindemann Program during the 2013-2014 season. He performed Demetrius in The Enchanted Island at the Metropolitan Opera, and also made a return to Seattle Opera as Tonio in La fille du régiment, and his role debut as Belmonte in Die entführung aus dem Serail with Utah Opera. Additionally, Mr. Stenson appeared on the concert stage with the Seattle Symphony and Nashville Symphony, for Handel’s Messiah, and sang Mozart’s Requiem with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. In June 2014, he made his Washington National Opera debut as Danny Chen in Huang Ruo’s An American Soldier.

The summer of 2012 found him with San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program for Argento’s Postcard from Morocco. During the 2012-2013 season, Mr. Stenson joined the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. His assignments at the Metropolitan Opera that season included Esquire #3 in the company’s new production of Parsifal. The season also found his debuts with the San Francisco Symphony, for Handel’s Messiah, and with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, as Brighella in a new production of Ariadne auf Naxos.

Mr. Stenson began the 2011-2012 season with the Seattle Opera as Le Remendado in the mainstage production of Carmen. Continuing the season, he performed Orphée in Orphée et Euridice, replacing an indisposed colleague on short nice, and performed both the title role in Werther and Ernesto in Don Pasquale in the company’s Young Artist Productions. Also in 2011-2012, Mr. Stenson made his Metropolitan Opera as a Rameau Quartet Member in The Enchanted Island, and made his role debut as Cassio in Knoxville Opera’s production of Otello. The summer of 2012 found him with San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program for Argento’s Postcard from Morocco.

The tenor joined the Seattle Opera as a member of its Young Artist Program for the 2010-2011 season, where his roles included Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor on the mainstage, and Don Ottavio in the Young Artist production of Don Giovanni. In the summer of 2011, he returned to the Glimmerglass Festival, performing Jimmy O’Keefe in John Musto’s Later the Same Evening.

In previous seasons, the tenor appeared as Martin in The Tender Land with Glimmerglass Opera. Mr. Stenson was a Young Artist with the Santa Fe Opera in 2009, where he covered Head Man in The Letter and received the D. Gramm Memorial Award. He was a Regional Finalist in the 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Mr. Stenson is the 2015 recipient of the Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation (Lindemann Program), a Major Award Winner from Opera Index (2015), Second Prize winner from the Queen Sonja International Vocal Competition (2013), and Second Prize winner from the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation (2015).

Andrew Stenson completed his Master’s Degree in Music at Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Luther College.

Levy Sekgapane

The young, South-African tenor Levy Sekgapane studied under Kamal Khan and Hanna van Niekerk at the South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town …

Levy Sekgapane

The young, South-African tenor Levy Sekgapane studied under Kamal Khan and Hanna van Niekerk at the South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town. Already during this time, he participated in different opera productions in South Africa. Winning the 1st price at the International Belvedere singing competition as well as the 1st price at the Monserrat Caballé singing competition in 2015, he became known in the international opera scene. In the summer of 2017, he won the 1st price at Placido Domingo’s OPERALIA, whereupon many debuts at major opera houses, like Paris National Opera, Bavarian State Opera Munich or Liceu Barcelona, followed.

In this season (2019/20) Levy will return for IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA to Teatro Massimo di Palermo and for ADINA to Wexford Opera. At Opéra Royal de Wallonie Liège he will give his house debut singing LA CENERENTOLA. For IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA and LA CENERENTOLA he will return to Bavarian State Opera Munich. At National Theatre Mannheim he will sing a gala show of DON PASQUALE. Besides that, he will return to Liceu Barcelona to sing IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA and to give his role debut as Idreno in Rossini’s SEMIRAMIDE.

In the last season he gave with ADINA his debut at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro. With IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA he gave his South America debut in Santiago di Chile and sung for the first time at the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo. As Conte d’Almaviva he gave his house debut at National Opera Bordeaux and he returned to State Opera Hamburg to sing IL TURCO IN ITALIA. In the new production of IL BABRIERE DI SIVIGLIA in Glyndebourne Levy gave a wonderful Conte d’Almaviva. Besides that, he gave his house and role debut as Ernesto in Donizetti’s DON PASQUALE at Latvian National Opera Riga. With his debut as Arbace in Mozart’s IDOMENEO at the Salzburg Festival he finished the season.

Other highlights of his young career include his debut as Conte d’Almaviva at National Opera Paris and at German Opera Berlin. At the Royal Opera Copenhagen, he sung the Conte di Libenskof in a new production of IL VIAGGIO A REIMS. He debuted as Ramiro in LA CENERENTOLA at Bavarian State Opera and Hamburg State Opera. During the Whitsun Festival at State Theatre Wiesbaden, he debuted as Nemorino in Donizettis L’ELISIR D’AMORE. On the concert stage he gave his debut at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg singing the first New-Years-Eve-Gala concert together with Olga Peretyatko under the baton of James Conlon.

In August 2019, his first solo CD with Rossini arias was released by Prima Classic—recorded with the Munich Radio Orchestra conducted by Giacomo Sagripanti.

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