Kyle Tingzon, countertenor, wins first prize in the 2021 Handel Aria Competition
The Handel Aria Competition is an annual event dedicated to promoting the performance of Handel’s extensive vocal repertoire. This year’s event was viewed via livestream. The finalists were chosen from a field of 150 applications from around the world.
The judges for the final round of the 8th annual Handel Aria Competition were be countertenor John Holiday, opera director David Ronis, and Italian diction expert Alessandra Visconti.
Daigdig Pinoy (DP): How did you prepare yourself for the competition?
Kyle Tingzon: I prepared for this competition the same way I do for any performance. I worked closely with my voice teacher and had him listen to my pieces and critique on them. I made sure that my voice is always in shape: I warm-up slowly and carefully every day until the competition day. To further inform the authenticity of my performance, I would consult trusted musical mentors and colleagues and ask for their input. I also took every opportunity to sing my competition repertoire in front of audiences, so that I will be more confident in performing them once I arrive at the competition.
DP: Was the piece that you performed given to you or you chose it personally? (if so, why that piece?) – what challenges did you encounter with these pieces?
Kyle: The pieces had to conform to the competition’s requirements. The requirements for the final round were two (2) Handel arias; one aria with a short recitative, and one without. Also, at least one of the arias must be in English. I chose “Combattono il mio core… Furibondo spira il vento” from the opera Partenope, and “O sacred oracles of Truth” from the oratorio Belshazzar. I chose these arias because they showcase my current strengths: a good hold of singing coloratura (running, florid) passages, and good vocal color on my low-middle range. I felt the most confident singing my very first piece. I know that I have a voice that can easily move and can sing coloratura passages. I was most anxious about my second piece. This piece is more delicate, solemn, and slow – definitely a strong contrast from my first piece, which is a strategy I intended. However, I know that singing pieces like this is my weakness. I am still learning (until now) how to sing these delicate pieces with stability of line and evenness of tone. I worked the most on this piece.
DP: What brings you to the stage in the US given that you have accomplished and finished school here in Manila?
Kyle: I have always loved singing. I was active as a choir member in my grade school and high school years in Don Bosco Makati. I was a member of the Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club (ACGC) during my undergraduate years in Ateneo. I tried to get my feet wet in the corporate world, but the idea of music as merely a hobby did not make sense to me. I was blessed to have musical figures and mentors in my life who have encouraged me to pursue this path: Mr. Alvin Paulin, Prof. Ma. Lourdes Hermo, Dr. Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng, Prof. Eudenice Palaruan, and my very first voice teacher, Mr. Christopher Arceo, who discovered that I can be a countertenor.
DP: Who are the people that encourage or supported you during the competition? -Who are the artists or composers that you look up to?
Kyle: All of my musical mentors in the Philippines supported me (mentioned above). Of course, my immediate support here in the US is my wonderful voice teacher, César Ulloa. I enjoy singing the music of Baroque composers like Händel, Vivaldi, and Bach; I feel that this is where my voice flourishes the most. However, I also love singing art songs by Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms, as well as the melodies of Henri Duparc. My singing inspirations include singers from various generations like Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne, Joyce DiDonato, Lisette Oropesa, and Nadine Sierra.
DP: Where do you see yourself headed after winning this competition?
Kyle: I can’t think of anything in particular; but what I am sure of is that I would like to continue singing. I would like to further improve my craft, bring it to more people, and communicate more effectively. Ultimately, I want to bring in a little more good in the world through my art.
Among the winners are: Sophie Michaux,mezzo soprano, second prize and Maya Kherani,soprano, third prize
ABOUT KYLE SANCHEZ TINGZON
Kyle Sanchez Tingzon is a newcomer to the Bay Area music scene. Recent performances include a role debut of Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea (as Ottone), scenes from Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress (as Baba the Turk), Handel’s Xerxes (as Arsamenes), and Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice (as Orfeo) at San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2020-2021.
In 2020, Kyle won third prize at the Rochester International Vocal Competition in New York, organized by the Rochester Oratorio Society. Kyle’s past performances in the Philippines include J. Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis, Händel’s Messiah and Dixit Dominus. He has also performed Vivaldi’s Gloria in D at the Svenska Kyrkans Gosskörsförening, a festival of male choirs in 16 Rättvik, Sweden.
Kyle was also featured as a soloist at the annual International Bamboo Organ Festival in Las Piñas City, Philippines, a festival dedicated to the performance of early music. Kyle is currently pursuing his postgraduate studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying under César Ulloa.
In 2021, he graduated with a Master of Music degree in Voice, with a Historical Performance emphasis, from the same institution. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Management, minor in Economics, from Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. He also studied voice privately under Christopher Arceo.