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ARIA
was a program underwritten by The Thomas Foundation.
Established in 1994 by Douglas and Wilmer Thomas of Salisbury, CT. and
New York, and James S. Marcus of New York, ARIA's mission is to identify,
enrich, and encourage the promising careers of exceptionally talented
native-born or naturalized American opera singers. The ARIA program annually
granted three $15,000 awards to vocal artists of exceptional ability and
undeniable promise for important careers. The first awards were given
in 1995 and the twenty four artists recognized have made their mark on
the operatic scene.
Unlike other programs, ARIA was not a competition. The artists did not
know they were being considered; rather, they were selected from a list
of candidates submitted by some of the opera world's most illustrious
professionals who made up both the Advisory Board and the Recommending
Panel, the latter being a group of opera professionals who remained anonymous
even as they were involved in every phase of the awards program. The singers
did not audition. The Board and Panel members nominated singers of proven
ability based on past achievement and who they felt had unusual promise:
Is the singer one they would engage,
whose recordings they would buy,
whom they have worked with
and would wish to do so again?
Thus,
the ARIA candidates were artists who had gone beyond the formative stages
of apprenticeship and training and had launched their operatic careers.
The awardees were then invited to serve as Recommenders for the succeeding
years. ARIA winners were announced in the spring of each year from 1995-2004.
Meet the winners
The Chairman of ARIA's Advisory Board wass Speight Jenkins, General Director
of the Seattle Opera. Karen Kriendler Nelson of KKN Enterprises and formerly
long-time Executive Director of the Richard Tucker Music Foundation was
ARIA's Program Director. Mrs. Douglas Thomas who served for 10 years as
Gulf Coast Regional Chairman of the Metropolitan Opera National Council's
Auditions Program was the Chairman of the ARIA Board.
List of ARIA Officers and Advisory Board Members
2004
Press Release
Note: The ARIA Awards program
was terminated in 2005.
