OPERA IDOL FINALS AT NORTH SHORE HOTEL Grand Prize Winner To Be Crowned April 5 April 5, 2013

Evanston, IL— The singers have auditioned, selection for the final round contestants has been made, and now it’s time to choose the Grand Prize Winner of the North Shore Hotel’s annual Opera Idol Competition! On Friday, April 5th at 7 PM, the winners chosen from Preliminary Rounds will participate in the Finals, competing to win the Grand Prize and title of Opera Idol 2013! The Final Competition, to take place at the North Shore Retirement Hotel, located at 1611 Chicago Avenue in Evanston, will be conducted in a Master Class format, with Maestro Sherrill Milnes providing guidance and coaching to these aspiring singers as they compete for the Grand Prize Scholarship. The event is free and open to the public; reservations are recommended, as seating is limited.

North Shore Hotel’s residents and their guests in the audience will serve as judges for the Final Round. The finalists vie for the Grand Prize of full tuition scholarship ($2,750) and airfare to attend “The Sherrill Milnes Voice Studio” workshop in Savannah, GA, led by the world-renowned American baritone Milnes, soprano Maria Zouves, and other distinguished colleagues and coaches.

Milnes founded the non-profit V.O.I.C.Experience organization in 2001. As the organization’s Artistic Direction, Milnes works with Maria Zouves, Executive Director, “to provide performance and study opportunities for singers, while creating an outreach of opera and musical theatre to the communities of the world.” This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with Milnes, Zouves and other world-renowned coaches, theater and operatic personalities at V.O.I.C.Experience would provide the Opera Idol winner with coaching, lessons, master classes, outreach programs and a special “Mission: Audition” project.

After the Opera Idol winner completes the vocal workshop in Savannah, he or she will return to North Shore Hotel and perform a free concert in Autumn 2013 [date and time to be determined].