Music Senior Wins First Prize With Arias

School of Music senior Paul Corona of Elk Grove Village won first prize in the Metropolitan Opera Midwest regional finals that were held on the Evanston campus of the Music Institute of Chicago. He sang two arias --  “La Calunnia” from Rossini’s  “Il barbiere di siviglia” (“The Barber of Seville”) and “Vi Ravviso” from Bellini’s “La Sonnambula”  (“The Sleepwalker”).

The 22-year-old bass will proceed to the 2006 semifinals, which will be held March 16 on the stage of The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City where he will compete against 15 other regional winners in the country.

Corona is pursuing a bachelor of music in vocal performance degree. He is studying with School of Music voice faculty member Bruce Hall. Corona has performed extensively while at Northwestern, appearing in the operas “The Wise Woman,” “Savitri” and “Le nozze di Figaro” as well as in the musical theatre production s “Oliver,” “Oklahoma” and in “Lil’ Abner.” He also is a member of the University Chorus.

He has appeared as a soloist with the Apollo Choir at Orchestra Hall and in Haydn’s “Creation” and “Lord Nelson’s Mass” at the Music Institute of Chicago.

Corona was a semi-finalist in the Bel Canto competition in 2004 and received a BRAVO Award in 2005.

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