Othalie Graham


On January 31st, 2010, the Young Musicians Foundation will be staging Act II of Richard Wagner's opera, Tristan und Isolde. The Debut Orchestra, led by Maestro Case Scaglione, will be showcasing the talents of 5 rising wagnerian stars.

For one night only, concert goers will be treated to each singer’s debut performances in their roles as the Young Musicians Foundation continues its dedication to providing world class training and opportunities for tomorrow’s classical music professionals. Starring in the role of Isolde, Othalie Graham was recently awarded both a grant from the New York Wagner Society and top prize in the Liederkranz Society’s Wagner Division competition. She has also been added to the prestigious roster of the “Emerging Singers Program” sponsored by the Wagner Society of Washington D.C. who will sponsor her in learning and performing the works of Richard Wagner under the personal tutelage of Evelyn Lear. Opposite Ms. Graham, starring as Tristan, is tenor Jeffrey Springer, who was also honored as being one of this generation’s Emerging Wagner Artists by the famous duo, Thomas Stewart and Evelyn Lear, and the Washington DC Wagner Society. In addition, he is the winner of the Concours International de Chant de Festival Atlantique in Nantes, France, the José Carreras Prize in Pamplona, Spain, and the Third Prize in the Concours International de Chant in Toulouse, France. A recent operatic engagement includes Tristan in Tristan und Isolde at the Lyric Opera of Chicago under Sir Andrew Davis. The role of Brangaene is more than filled by mezzo-soprano Erica Brookhyser who is in residence with the Los Angeles Opera as a Domingo-Thornton Young Artist, where she will be performing in the up-coming productions of Die Gezeichneten and Die Walküre. Bassist Pawel Izdebski was recently praised by the German magazine Das Opernglas for his ‘noble Hagen sung with elegance – a singer on his way to a great career.’ Recently, he has covered all the bass roles in Valencia’s Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in the Fura dels Baus production of the RING with Placido Domingo as Sigmund, under the baton of Zubin Mehta. There, he undertook Hagen in Götterdämmerung; Fasolt and Fafner in Das Rheingold; Hunding in Die Walküre; and Fafner again in Siegfried.

This new production of Tristan will be directed by Stephanie Vlahos. Stephanie is also the theater and stage director for the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist’s Program and was among 30 other artists nationwide to be nominated for the prestigious United States Artists Grant in directing.

The story of Tristan und Isolde is a tale of longing. United only in death, the two lovers seek only to consummate their love.

Join YMF at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, CA on January 31st, 2010 at 4pm for this limited performance.

View Tristan Event Page