agnes varis

Solid gold

Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard has been named the recipient of the sixth annual Beverly Sills Artist Award for young singers at the Metropolitan Opera. She receives a $50,000 prize and is married to Teddy Tahu Rhodes, which frankly strikes La Cieca as overkill. (Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera)

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Free OONY

La Cieca is delighted to note that philanthropist Agnes Varis (not pictured, obviously) will subsidize 500 premium seats at Avery Fisher Hall for the Opera Orchestra of New York’s performance of Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine conducted by Music Director Eve Queler on March 2, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.  

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Old school

Of course opera fans all owe Agnes Varis a lot, what with the Met rush tickets and all that, plus La Cieca, being a lady of a certain age herself, should be the last one to talk. But she can’t help hearing this quote from Varis in the foghorn rasp of Miss Blankenship: “The opera’s […]

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