UMKC grad competes in Metropolitan Opera national auditions - Kansas City Star
14.02.09
Ben Gulley might just be the happiest man in America.</p><p>The Kansas City opera singer with the Pavarotti pipes is young, talented and engaged to a beautiful mezzo-soprano he met in Hawaii. He’s good friends with “American Idol” winner David Cook, who taught him how to play guitar and is invited to his wedding in October. He has lost 120 pounds in the past year and counts opera superstars Renée Fleming and Plácido Domingo among the 166 friends on his My Space page.</p><p>On Sunday the 24-year-old tenor will take center stage at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and stand in the spot where his heroes — Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras — were hailed as gods.</p><p>There he will close his eyes, take a deep breath and sing “La donna è mobile” from Verdi’s “Rigoletto” (and three other songs) in an effort to win one of five $15,000 grand prizes in what’s called the most prestigious opera competition in the country.</p><p>The 55th annual Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions started with more than 1,700 competitors. It’s down to 23 for Sunday’s semifinals, with the winners moving to the finals on Feb. 22, again at the Met’s center stage, this time in a public show.</p><p>You can’t wipe the smile off Gulley’s face.</p><p>“I can’t think of any reason to complain right now,” the 6-foot-3-inch, 340-pound Gulley said in a speaking voice every bit as sweet and gentle as his singing voice is imposing and powerful. “Some days when I’m cranky I just say, ‘Are you serious? What do you have to be cranky about?’ ”</p><p>Gulley graduated last year from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and is no stranger to singing competitions.</p><p>Last February he won $5,000 in the Hellam Young Artist Competition in Springfield, Mo. He won $5,000 at the Crescendo Competition in Tulsa last March. He has won more than $20,000 in the past four years.</p><p>By advancing to the semifinals he has given Blue Springs one more singer to boast about. He graduated from Blue Springs North High School while pal David Cook graduated from Blue Springs South. The two became friends while debating in forensics tournaments.</p><p>Gulley called Cook after his “Idol” victory. Now he’s hoping Cook gets the opportunity to return the favor.</p><p>Others are rooting for Gulley, too.</p><p>As a national semifinalist, he is entitled to invite several guests to hear him sing. Although his mother and father couldn’t get off work, he will be joined by three others. One is his voice coach, Dale Morehouse, associate professor of voice and opera at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Conservatory of Music. Gulley credits Morehouse for his success.</p><p>“I probably wouldn’t be singing opera if it wasn’t for him,” Gulley said. “I owe him everything. He’s been absolutely incredible!”</p><p>His two other guests?</p><p>John Kander, the Kansas City native who wrote the musicals “Cabaret,” “Chicago” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” and Stephen Schwartz, who adapted “Wicked” for the stage. Gulley received the Kander Scholarship at UMKC and met Schwartz when the tenor played Stromboli in the world premiere of Schwartz’s musical “Geppetto & Son” at the Coterie Theatre.</p><p>“I recently heard a recording he made, which absolutely bowled me over,” Kinder said. “The sound itself is quite beautiful and free. I’m very impressed with him and proud of him.
Source: Kansas City Star, MO
