By Konstantine Fekos, The Meadville Tribune
Diane Kalinowski’s road to the inaugural Elizabeth Connell Prize, an international singing competition culminating this fall in Sydney, Australia, has been a joyous one despite the considerable effort and near-hectic time management required to advance.
The Cochranton native and voice instructor at Allegheny College has not allowed herself to crumble under pressure, however.
Instead, she has prepared diligently for her first trip overseas, where she will compete on Sept. 13 with four other sopranos worldwide for a monetary prize and an operatic audition in London.
“At this point, it’s mostly about keeping myself healthy while earning a living so I can still afford to go,” she said. “I’m recording myself and practicing as much as I can without exhausting my voice.”
Kalinowski rode the success of her performance in the semifinals, held at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City last month, right back into her full-time position as a paralegal/legal secretary at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC in Meadville, juggling her work and practice along with an exercise regimen and giving her regular private music lessons.
“Performing at the Metro Opera was like going to Valhalla or something,” she said. “It was just surreal being there.”
Making breakthroughs with her music students and acting as somewhat of a visual advocate for the operatic arts has kept her spirits high throughout her difficult endeavor.
“People love to say opera isn’t accessible to the average person, but it is,” she said. “It’s fun to see that lightswitch go on. I love making that happen for people.”
While she prides herself as being harder than most to rattle, Kalinowski has admittedly found parts of the overall competition overwhelming and has concentrated on taking the challenge one step at a time.
“I’ve been more focused on trying to be as prepared as possible,” she said. “It’s the only thing you can control.”
Most of what helps keep Kalinowski cool under pressure involves her team of expert coaches as well as her familiarity and level of comfort with the material she performs.
Giving her both vocal and orchestral viewpoints of direction have been Vicki and Ward Jamison, music instructor and longtime conductor for Allegheny College, respectively.
“They’re an impeccable team,” Kalinowski said. “As a soprano, Vicki gives me the view of the singer, which provides aspects I need to perform, and Ward brings a conductor’s background. We (singers) don’t normally think the way that conductors do sometimes, so their combined expertise has been invaluable.”
Kalinowski has also worked with Allegheny dance instructor Betsy Sumerfield, who has helped her maintain natural poise and physical expression when performing her material.
“She makes me tell the story in a way I would in real life, rather than play a stiff character on stage,” Kalinowski said. “We just have fun.”
As per the competition’s requirements, Kalinowski has prepared four arias, expressive pieces of operatic music, and one orchestral piece, which have held special meaning or familiarity for her.
“I can’t really nail down a favorite, because it changes about every five minutes,” she said with a laugh. “I’m keeping the material fresh in my mind at this point. I’ve been singing some of these for about 10 years.”
One piece in particular that resonates with her Czech heritage is translated as “Song to the Moon” from the opera “Rusalka,” by Antonin Dvorak, the concept of which has provided a loose basis for elements that appear in the fairy tale “The Little Mermaid,” Kalinowski said.
She will perform this and other competition pieces at an open dress rehearsal today at 3:15 p.m. in Allegheny College’s Shafer Auditorium.
“These pieces hit home for me,” she said. “They’re natural for my voice and some of my favorites.”
While looking ahead at the final hours of her latest competition can be rather daunting, Kalinowski has considered a future in operatic competitions and hopefully auditions after she returns from Sydney.
“I’m just elated to have gotten the boost of confidence from being chosen as a finalist,” she said. “I’m taking the criticism and advice from my coaches and past judges and trying to build on that.”
Ultimately, her placement under the Elizabeth Connell Prize competition will have been more about improving her skills and competing with herself than other contestants, she said.
If she takes home the prize, she will put greater thought into otherwise expensive plans, including future trips and auditions, while she still feels her voice is technically sound.
Konstantine Fekos can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at kfekos@meadvilletribune.com.