Tenor’s blissful tunes win him a top award at Placido Domingo competition

Tenor Ben Bliss ’09 won the male Zarzuela category of the annual
Placido Domingo International Operalia Competition in Verona
, Italy, on Aug. 25. 
Zarzuela
is a Spanish genre of opera. Bliss performed “Flor roja” from
Los Gavilanes
for his competition piece. Bliss receives an award of $10,000 with the prize.

There were 14 international finalists in the competition, with 10 winners of the various categories. The finalists were chosen from 40 contestants.

Bliss just completed two years as a young artist with the
Los Angeles Opera
, where he sang comprimario roles as well as major roles in special young artist opera performances. Last fall he placed second in the Western Regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions. This summer he sang Alfredo in
La Traviata
at Wolf Trap in the Washington D.C. area. He will now move to New York City, where he begins his contract with the Lindeman Training Program of the
Metropolitan Opera
.

While at Chapman, Bliss studied with adjunct faculty member
Patrick Goeser
at Chapman University’s Conservatory of Music and continues to do so regularly. As a Chapman student he sang the title role in Britten’s
Albert Herring
and Tamino in Mozart’s
The Magic Flute
. He also sang Schubert’s “Die Schöne Müllerin” and “Les Nuits d’ete” by Berlioz, conducted by Daniel Wachs, associate professor.