Imani was the Second place female winner of the Donald W. Wood, Sr. Vocal Competition (2015-2016). She was also the 2019 Fall/Winter recipient of the Wood Operatic Advancement Grant.
Lindsey received honorable mention at the Donald W. Wood, Sr. Vocal Competition (2015-2016) and was also the recipient of the 2020 Spring/Summer Wood Operatic Grant.
Imani Sarai Francis, B. M. , Boston Conservatory at Berklee School of Music.
Imani is a proud 2020 graduate of Boston Conservatory at Berklee School of Music. Recently Imani was accepted to the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Music where she will pursue a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance. Her plans include studying under the very capable tutelage of Dr. Loraine Sims. Imani requests financial assistance for this upcoming school year of 2020-2021 and is very grateful to the Wood Foundation through the New Orleans Opera Association for their continuous support of her career goals and aspirations. Imani graciously writes: “This organization is truly God sent and I have been blessed by your genuine concern and generosity for me and other aspiring young artists.”
Lindsey Reynolds, a graduate student pursuing a Masters of Music degree at the Curtis Institute of Music.
Lindsey is studying under the tutelage of Julia Falkner at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She also holds a Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music. She is a versatile young artist and her favorite roles include Zerlina Don Giovanni, Adina L’elisir d’amore, Giulietta I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Miss Wordsworth Albert Herring, and Monica The Medium. She is the recipient of many awards and accolades, including first place in the Camille Coloratura Awards: Student Division, James Toland Vocal Arts Competition: Tier 2, Junior Division of the Young Patronesses of the Opera/Florida Grand Opera National Voice Competition, Hal Leonard Vocal Competition, and the National Association of Negro Musicians Vocal Competition.
Last summer, Ms. Reynolds was a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre Saint Louis where she was to premiere the role of Lily in Awakenings written by Tobias Picker and Aryeh Lev Stollman (Canceled due to Covid-19). This October, Lindsey is very excited to be a featured artist in Lawrence Brownlee with Friends presented by Opera Philadelphia. It is her desire to have the funds to purchase equipment needed to accommodate performing and recording in this new COVID-19 world inside her one-bedroom apartment in Philadelphia and to purchase a camera, to rent professional space to make recordings, and to hire an accompanist. She needs this equipment to create the strongest videos possible for online auditions and competitions. All Young Artist Auditions are taking place online this fall, as are competitions. The Curtis Institute of Music, the Conservatory in which she is studying online as a first-year student in their Master’s Program, is not open to students or staff. No one can access their buildings. Such a strange new world in which we are residing. Lindsey confidently writes: “I hope to come out of this a stronger singer and performer!”
Congratulations to Imani and Lindsey!
Donations to the Wood Operatic Advancement Grant help finance and cultivate young vocal talent like Imani and Lindsey, please contact Gina Klein at the New Orleans Opera Office at (504) 267-9527 or write gklein@neworleansopera.org.
LINDSEY REYNOLDS Honorable mention (2015-2016) at the Donald W. Wood Sr. Vocal Competition as well as the recipient of the 2020 Spring/Summer Wood Operatic Grant provided by the New Orleans Opera Association. Lindsey currently is a Senior at the Curtis Institute of Music where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance under the tutelage of Julia Falkner. As a versatile young artist, Lindsey’s favorite roles include Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Giulietta (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), Miss Wordsworth (Albert Herring) and Monica (The Medium). Lindsey is the recipient of many awards and accolades, including first place in the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition: Tier 2, Junior Division of the Young Patronesses of the Opera/Florida Grand Opera National Voice Competition, Hal Leonard Vocal Competition, and the National Association of Negro Musicians Vocal Competition. This summer, Lindsey has been selected as a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre Saint Louis where she will be debuting the role of Lily in the world premiere of Awakenings by Tobias Picker and Aryeh Lev Stollman. She is also planning on competing in the Pendine International Voice of the Future Competition in Wales, United Kingdom, and, in doing so, she will work directly with the Royal Opera House coaching staff. Lindsey’s looking forward to making European connections in the world of opera.
EMILY TREIGLE First place female winner at the very first Donald W. Wood Sr. Vocal Competition (2015-2016) as well as the recipient of the 2020 Spring/Summer Wood Operatic Advancement Grant provided by the New Orleans Opera Association. With a 3.5 grade point average, Emily is a Senior at Rice University in Houston, Texas where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance. She will graduate from Rice University in May, 2020. She is currently auditioning at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as Rice University. She has been chosen as the Studio Artist with the Wolf Trap Opera in Vienna, Virginia where she will perform in the summer of 2020 the role of Filippyevna in Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky.
2019 FALL/WINTER
DADE DUFRENE First male place winner (2018-2019) at the Donald W. Wood Sr. Vocal Competition as well as the 2019 Fall/Winter recipient of the Wood Operatic Advancement Grant provided by the New Orleans Opera Association. He is a Freshman at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge in vocal performance under the vocal coaching of Ms. Karen Bradshaw in an effort to expand his vocal talents in classical and modern music genres. Dade hopes to raise enough money to go to THROGA in Las Vegas in July of 2020, for a week-long vocal training retreat. At THROGA, Dade will be taught by professionals, have the use of a top-of-the-line recording studio, and is looking forward to the release of his first music video.
IMANI FRANCIS Second place female winner of the Donald W. Wood Sr. Vocal Competition (2015-2016) also the 2019 Fall/Winter recipient of the Wood Operatic Advancement Grant provided by the New Orleans Opera Association. Imani is currently a Senior at Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music graduating with a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance in May of 2020. Imani has been very active in recitals and performances in New Orleans, Boston, and New York, as well at Boston Conservatory. She has performed and attended workshops and masterclasses with internationally renowned artists such as Robert Sims, Curtis Rayam, George Shirley, and Roderick Dixon while at the National Association of Negro Musicians conventions in New Orleans, and recently for the Centennial Convention held in Chicago, Illinois. In the summer of 2019, Imani made her operatic debut as Gloria Davenport, with MassOpera in their premier production of Freedom Ride by Dan Shore in Dorchester, Massachusetts. She also had the opportunity to sing for the National Baptist Convention held in New Orleans in July of 2019. In 2017, she was a guest recitalist with Canto Lirico International Competition in Trujillo, Peru, and guest vocalist in the B–Sharp Concert Series, as well as First “Singer Spotlight” duo-performance with her mother, Dr. Valerie Anne Jones Francis on the Harry Connick, Jr. TV Show in New York. Imani is a Life member of the Patriotic Project Statewide Youth Chorus, Boston Conservatory Opera Ensemble in Dialogues of the Carmelites; Co-Founder of the Robert Honeysucker Negro Spiritual Concert Series, Boston Conservatory at Berklee; Black Student Alliance, Boston Conservatory at Berklee; recording secretary and vice president, soloist and member of Boston Conservatory at Berklee Concert Choir; recitalist, Boston Conservatory at Berklee Voice Department and is the vocal student of Ms. Patty Thom. Imani will apply to several universities for graduate school as well as numerous 2020 summer music programs.
SARAH KATHERINE McCALLUM Second place female winner twice (2016-2017 and 2018-2019) at the Donald W. Wood Sr. Vocal Competition as well as the 2019 Fall/Winter recipient of the Wood Operatic Advancement Grant provided by the New Orleans Opera Association. Sarah is currently a Freshman at LSU and is a vocal performance student of Dr. Loraine Sims. Sarah sings with the LSU A Cappella Choir but outside of the practice room, she is a sorority member of Delta Delta Delta, is a Greek Ambassador, is an active member of the LSU Student Government, and is involved in The Refuge campus ministry.
The competition is presented by the New Orleans Opera
Association, a collaborative effort with Loyola University New Orleans College
of Music and Fine Arts and Preparatory Program, Tulane University, Newcomb
Department of Music, and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts in honor of Donald
W. Wood, Sr.
Special thanks to Sponsors Lily and Brian Monk, and Wood
Competition Director Debby Hirsch Wood and to patrons Nina and Larry Pugh,
Penny and Al Baumer, and Susan and Vern Raburn.
The Wood Competition is open to all Louisiana high school sophomores,
juniors, and seniors.
2019 Winners
FIRST PLACE FEMALE WINNER: JULIA ERNST, Senior, Archbishop Hannan High School, Covington, Louisiana, Instructor: Dr. Maryanne Kyle
FIRST PLACE MALE WINNER: SEBASTIEN SHAYS, Senior, Lusher Charter School, New Orleans, Louisiana, Instructors: Dr. Beth Rota and Dr. William Mouat
SECOND PLACE FEMALE WINNER: LAUREN ALBANO, Junior, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, New Orleans, Louisiana, Instructor: Phyllis Treigle
SECOND PLACE MALE WINNER: KADIN GAUBERT, Senior, Hahnville High School, Boutte, Louisiana, Instructor: Craig Matherne
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
ABIGAIL ROQUES, Senior, Pensacola Christian Academy, Slidell, Louisiana; Instructor: Joy Greene Meade
A’FARRAH WALLACE; Senior, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, New Orleans, Louisiana, Instructor: Phyllis Treigle
A’FARRAH WALLACE; Senior, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, New Orleans, Louisiana, Instructor: Phyllis Treigle
2018 Winners
FIRST PLACE FEMALE: Olivia Belle Gray, a Junior at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (New Orleans, Louisiana), Teacher: Phyllis Treigle
FIRST PLACE MALE: Dade Michael Dufrene, a Senior at Hahnville High School (Boutte, Louisiana), Teacher: Craig Matherne
SECOND PLACE FEMALE: Sarah-Katherine McCallum, a Senior at Cedar School (Ruston, Louisiana), Teacher: Claire Vangelisti
SECOND PLACE MALE: Julian Maccrea Revell, Senior at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (New Orleans, Louisiana), Teacher: Phyllis Treigle
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Kieva Ja’Lisa Banks, a Junior at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (New Orleans, Louisiana), Teacher: Phyllis Treigle
Lauren A. Albano, a Sophomore at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (New Orleans, Louisiana), Teacher: Phyllis Treigle
Andrew David Aceves, a Senior at St. Paul’s High School (Covington, Louisiana), Teacher: Gail Adams 4. Ashton Louis Stephens, a Senior at Holy Cross High School (New Orleans, Louisiana), Teacher: Meredith Hotard
2017 Winners
FIRST PLACE FEMALE: Abigail Victoria Roques, Sophomore, Pensacola Christian School (Slidell, Louisiana), Teacher: Joy Meade
SECOND PLACE FEMALE: Olivia Belle Gray, Junior, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (New Orleans, Louisiana), Teacher: Phyllis Treigle
FIRST PLACE MALE: Rafael Jose Rovelo, Senior, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (New Orleans, Louisiana), Teacher: Phyllis Treigle
SECOND PLACE MALE: William Nicholas Dopp, Senior, Loranger High (Loranger, Louisiana), Teacher: Steven Rushing
HONORABLE MENTIONs:
Madeleine Eugenie Cucullu, Junior, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (New Orleans, Louisiana), Teacher: Phyllis Treigle
Conrad J. Alleman, IISenior, Hahnville High School, (Boutte, Louisiana), Teacher
Craig Matherne
2016 Winners
FIRST PLACE FEMALE: Victoria Elizabeth Richard, Senior, Magnet Academy for Cultural Arts, Opelousas, Louisiana, Teacher: Corliss Smith
SECOND PLACE FEMALE: Sarah-Katherine McCallum, Sophomore, Cedar Creek School, Ruston, Louisiana, Teachers: Claire Vangelisti, Cindy Hockenjos
FIRST PLACE MALE: William Nicholas Dopp, Junior, Loranger High School, Loranger, Louisiana, Teacher: Brent Goodrich Smith
SECOND PLACE MALE: Andrew David Aceves, Sophomore, St. Paul’s School, Covington, Louisiana, Teacher: Gail Adams
HONORABLE MENTION: Madeleine Eugenie Cucullu, Sophomore, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Teacher: Phyllis Treigle
2015 Winners
FIRST PLACE FEMALE: Emily Sheets, Senior, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. Teacher: Phyllis Treigle
FIRST PLACE MALE: Ryan Reynolds, Senior, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Teacher: Phyllis Treigle
SECOND PLACE FEMALE: Imani Sarai Francis, Senior, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Teacher: Phyllis Treigle
SECOND PLACE MALE: Eddie Falshaw, Junior, Holy Cross/New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Teacher: Lauren Gisclair
HONORABLE MENTION: Lindsey Reynolds, Senior, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Teacher: Phyllis Treigle
