Wonderlic Competition

Wonderlic 2013 Voice Competition Winners

1st Place: Daniel Moody, Countertenor

Daniel Moody is a rising star in early music, known for the unusual beauty of his voice and expressive phrasing. He has performed the title role in Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto with the Peabody Opera, and has appeared as a soloist with the Peabody Renaissance Ensemble, Peabody Consort, and renowned Baltimore Consort. He also regularly sings as a professional chorister with the National Cathedral and frequently with the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and Chantry.

Daniel made his Asian debut in January 2011 with Hong Kong Voice. Winner of the Cincinnati Overture Awards, he was a finalist in Cincinnati’s first Opera Idol competition, the Harold Haugh Light Opera Voice Competition, and the American Opera Idol competition presented by the Connecticut Concert Opera. He was a semifinalist in the 2013 Orpheus Vocal Competition, and will be a Fellow in the Vocal Arts Program at Tanglewood’s 2013 Summer Festival. He performs regularly with various ensembles and as a soloist in churches and with chamber groups in Cincinnati, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia.

Daniel studies with soprano Ah Hong at Peabody Conservatory. He has studied with mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick at the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices and coached with baroque soprano Dominique Labelle. Prior to his move to Baltimore, Daniel studied voice with Audrey Luna at Miami University of Ohio and with Lynne Miller of Cincinnati. He has sung under conductors Stephan Casurella, Patrick Hansen, Ken Lam, Michael McCarthy, Peter Latona, James Conlon, Robert Porco, Anthony DiCello, James Bagwell, and Mark Cudek, and worked with stage directors Roger Brunyate, David Gately, Nic Muni, and Timothy Nelson.

Daniel speaks German, and lived in Germany for 5 years. He has studied piano, recorder and played percussion in a community orchestra. He has taught music privately and in class settings to middle school and elementary children and is a proud founder of the vocal group Chapel Voices at Miami University.

2nd Place: JoAnna Ford, Soprano

JoAnna Marie Ford is an up and coming classical artist whose voice has moved audiences throughout the world. During her years at Morgan State University, she was a frequently featured soloist of the renowned University Choir and a leading singer for the Morgan Opera Workshop. As such, she sang in major venues such as the Kennedy Center, Baltimore Basilica, and National Theater of Ghana. As a Fulbright Scholar in Germany, JoAnna studied musicology at the Humboldt University of Berlin, received her certificate of fluency in the German language, performed in recitals and concerts throughout the country, and even recorded for an independent German gospel label. Her stay in Germany opened the doors for her operatic debut as Despina in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutti at the Weimar Lyric Opera Studio. Since her return to the U.S., JoAnna has brought charisma and grace to the roles of Treemonisha of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha, and Lucy of Gian-Carlo Menotti’s The Telephone, Drusilla and Amore of Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea. A recent graduate of the University of Michigan School of Music, JoAnna now holds a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance. Due to her radiant personality on stage, the University of Michigan faculty chose JoAnna to be a soloist among a small ensemble as the opening act in a concert featuring the legendary Jessye Norman. Since graduating from the University of Michigan, JoAnna has performed in concerts and recitals in the Maryland area, including Pamina’s aria in a concert of scenes from Mozart’s The Magic Flute with the Baltimore Summer Opera Program and the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra.

3rd Place: Annie Gill, Soprano

Praised for “astounding technical vocal ability, solid song interpretation and stage presence,” soprano Annie Gill continues to gain recognition as a promising young singer. Originally from Cincinnati, OH, Ms.Gill has performed professionally since the age of 13. Equally at home in grand opera, operetta, art song, oratorio, and musical theater, Ms. Gill has been commended for "a glorious voice - opulent from top to bottom,” and possesses an extensive variety of vocal colors in her expressive full lyric soprano.

Most recently, Ms. Gill was a First Prize Winner in the 2013 Barry Alexander International Vocal Competition, and made her Carnegie Hall debut in the Winners’ Recital on January 27th, 2013. In June 2012, Ms. Gill won First Place in the 2012 Singer Recital Competition for the Art Song Festival of Toledo, OH. As the Grand Prize Winner of the competition, Ms. Gill performed a recital featuring the art songs of Hahn, Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Ives, and Cipullo at the opening of the Festival on June 25th, 2012. As a Finalist in the 2012 Orpheus Vocal Competition, Ms. Gill received the prestigious Puccini Award. As District Winner at the 2012 Maryland/DC NATS Competition, Ms. Gill sang as a Regional Finalist at the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Region NATS Competition and placed 3rd in her category. Ms. Gill was also a Finalist in the 2013 Chicago Oratorio Awards (The American Prize), the 2012 MetroWest Opera Competition, and the 2012 Chicago Opera Awards (The American Prize competitions.)

In 2011, Ms. Gill won Second Place (Honorable Mention) in the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Young Artist Competition and was a Finalist in the American Prize Competition (Professional Women in Opera). In 2010, Ms. Gill won First Place in the 2010 Kentucky Opera Idol Competition, winning all three components of the competition (judges' decision, audience choice, and online votes). As a Finalist in the 2010 Opera New Hampshire Competition, Ms. Gill was chosen as Audience Favorite and was awarded a Performance Contract. Additionally, Ms. Gill has received awards and prizes from the 2011 Teaneck Opera Competition, the 2010 Rochester Oratorio Society Classical Idol Competition, the National Federation of Music Clubs, Opera in the Ozarks Performance Awards, and the Peabody Conservatory Career Development Grants.

With over twenty roles from opera, operetta, and musical theater in her repertoire, Ms. Gill continues to garner acclaim for her commanding dramatic interpretations and detailed characterizations. Past roles include the title role in Massenet’s Manon, Nedda (Pagliacci), Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus) Lady Billows (Albert Herring), Mimì and Musetta (La Bohème), Leïla (Les pêcheurs de perles), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Donna Anna and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Micaëla (Carmen), Noémie (Cendrillon), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Elvira (L’Italiana in Algeri), Kate Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Fairy/First Sister (BeautyBeast), Amy March (Little Women), First Lady (The Magic Flute), Phyllis (Iolanthe), Edith (The Pirates of Penzance), Pitti-Sing (The Mikado), Rapunzel (Into the Woods), and The Sandman (Hansel and Gretel). Ms. Gill has sung with several Young Artist Programs and professional companies, including Baltimore Opera Theatre, Repertory Opera Theater of Washington, Aurora Opera Theatre, Opera in the Ozarks, Emerald City Opera Artist Institute, Intermezzo Young Artist Program, Operafestival di Roma, the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute (BASOTI), the Janiec Opera Company of the Brevard Summer Music Festival, Center Stage Opera, Opera AACC, and the Washington Savoyards.

A champion of new music, Ms. Gill sang the lead role of Jezebel in The Name on the Door with the Silver Finch Arts Collective in July 2012, and received outstanding reviews for her performance. The world premiere of The Name on the Door, composed by Michael Oberhauser, was performed as part of the Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, DC.

In 2008, Ms. Gill received a Performance Diploma from The Peabody Conservatory. Ms. Gill also received a BM in Vocal Performance from Indiana University and an MM in Vocal Performance from Boston University.

Ms. Gill has been chosen as one of three Finalists in the 2013 Russell C. Wonderlic Voice Competition, and will sing in the Finalists’ Concert on Sunday, April 21st in Baltimore, MD. Ms. Gill was also chosen as a First Round Winner of the 2013 Classical Singer Vocal Competition, and will advance to the final rounds of the competition in May. In August, 2013, Ms. Gill will sing the role of Donna Anna in the Crescendo Summer Institute (Crescendo Nyári Akadémia) production of Don Giovanni. Ms. Gill has been granted a full-tuition scholarship for her studies in Sárospatak, Hungary. Please see Ms. Gill’s website, www.AnnieGill.com, for more information about all upcoming performances.

The distinguished judges were Barbara Dever and Dr. Phillip Collister.