Six young singers share $83k George London awards
mainThe 2018 awards for US and Canadian singers have just concluded.
The big winners are:
GEORGE LONDON AWARDS ($10,000 each):
Lawson Anderson, bass-baritone (31, Atlanta, GA) – George London Award in memory of Kirsten Flagstad, sponsored by the New York Community Trust
Raehann Bryce-Davis, mezzo-soprano (31, Keene, TX) – George London Award
Rihab Chaieb, mezzo-soprano (30, Montreal, Quebec) – George London Award for a Canadian singer, sponsored by Marjorie Laughery
Emily D’Angelo, mezzo-soprano (23, Toronto, Ontario) – George London Award in memory of Leonie Rysanek
Lauren Margison, soprano (25, Toronto, Ontario) – George London Award sponsored by Lloyd E. Rigler – Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation
Benjamin Taylor, baritone (29, Waldorf, MD) – George London Award
Lauren Margison comes from a good stable — her father, Richard Margison, is one of Canada’s finest tenors.
All North America and where there is both money and philanthropy. At least they won’t have to work in bars and restaurants to.pay for lessons! A familiar thing here in Britain and Ireland! Best to them all – a great start out.!
Believe me, a lot of musicians have to work in bars and restaurants. These guys were lucky, of course based on their talent.
When I was a very young undergraduate, I had been dazzled by a soprano in a leading role at the opera one night. I could not believe my eyes when a few days later she was serving in a restaurant I was in. I commented to my (older) companions, who told me it was quite a usual thing.
Lawson Anderson stopped working as a business consultant to do what he loved. It’s a good story. His dad, a prominent Atlanta attorney, has been a lifelong opera fan.