Musa Ngqungwana, bass-baritone and ’14 AVA alumnus has had an eventful couple of months. Not only has Musa been vigorously preparing for his now-ended and successful run as Colline in Washington National Opera’s La bohème, but he has also been busy publishing his autobiography, Odyssey of an African Opera Singer: From Zwinde Township to the World…

This evening, AVA alumna, Kansas City native and celebrated mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato will perform the National Anthem during Game 7 of the World Series. DiDonato was selected by Major League Baseball to sing after an online voting campaign #letjoycesing went viral. The…

History of competition

Based on the love of Bel Canto, “beautiful singing” in Italian, opera devotee Raymond F. Giargiari created a live-audience based competition that would explore the unlimited wonders of the human voice. The competition was fashioned in memory of his late father and brother, both opera fans and AVA supporters. Thus, AVA’s Giargiari Bel Canto Competition was born.  This annual aria competition features Academy of Vocal Arts’ Resident Artists as they…