MANNES TENOR WINS MAJOR AWARD FOR YOUNG OPERA SINGERS

Younghoon Lee ’06 Receives Highest Honor in
Loren L. Zachary Society National Vocal Competition

New York City, June 6, 2006 – Mannes College The New School for Music congratulates tenor Yonghoon Lee, who graduated in May with a Master of Music from Mannes, for receiving First Prize in the 2006 Loren L. Zachary Society for the Performing Arts 34th Annual National Vocal Competition for Young Opera Singers. His award, which includes a $10,000 cash prize and funding for an auditions trip to Europe, was announced on May 21 at the competition’s Grand Finals Concert and Awards Presentation in Los Angeles. Eleven finalists participated in the finals with the Los Angeles Performing Arts Orchestra conducted by Frank Fetta.

The Zachary Society for the Performing Arts was founded by the late Dr. Loren L. Zachary and Nedra Zachary in 1972. The Society’s vocal competition for young opera singers, which the organization has held every year since its founding, is one of the most prestigious in the opera world. Previous winners and finalists include Thomas Hampson, Deborah Voigt, Aprile Millo, Ruth Ann Swenson, Youngok Shin, Jon Villars, and Matthew Polenzani.

“Winning has become something of a habit for Yonghoon,” said Joel Lester, Dean of Mannes. “We’re thrilled to have witnessed and played a part in the development of this talented young singer, who also won First Prize in the 2005 Licia-Albanese Puccini Foundation International Competition and won Second Place in the 2005 Guilio Gari International Vocal Competition.”

Prior to winning First Prize in the Zachary Society’s competition, Mr. Lee gave a powerful and impassioned performance in the role of Luigi in The Mannes Opera’s production of Puccini’s Il Tabarro, with The Mannes Orchestra conducted by Joseph Colaneri, on May 6 and 7, 2006.

In 2005, Yonghoon Lee was singled out for special praise in a New York Times review of The Mannes Opera’s production of The Magic Flute. In that review, Anne Midgette declared that Mr. Lee had “a big ringing voice and top notes to burn” and also “people in the opera world often ask: Where are all the good, healthy young voices? Here's an answer: at Mannes College.”

Founded in 1916, Mannes College The New School for Music is one of the world’s leading conservatories. Mannes nurtures tomorrow’s musical leaders in an intimate, supportive community true to the values of classical music. Its eminent faculty and comprehensive curriculum teach musical artistry and impart deep knowledge of music and its structures. Mannes College’s connection to The New School and its location in New York City--just minutes from the world's great concert halls and museums--offer a unique setting for musicians to grow into great artists. For nearly 90 years, the artistic ideals of David and Clara Mannes, the college’s founders, have sustained a vibrant international community of musicians whose diversity stretches across races, cultures, and ethnicities. For more information, please visit www.mannes.newschool.edu.