Vocal Artists Management Services (VAMS) presents Seventeenth Season Artist Showcase in Review
Vocal Artists Management Services
James Greening-Valenzuela, manager; Gretchen Greenfield, artistic consultant
Opera America National Opera Center, Marc A. Scorca Hall, New York, NY
October 16, 2025
Vocal Artists Management Services (VAMS) presented their Seventeenth Season Artist Showcase on October 16, 2025, in the Marc A. Scorca Hall at the Opera America National Opera Center. Sacred music from Bach (St. Matthew Passion and Mass in B minor) and Mozart (Mass in C minor), and arias from Gounod, Puccini, Donizetti, Weill, Lehar, and Verdi were the thirteen selections performed by eight artists. A brief synopsis of each selection was included in the program notes. The eight artists in order of appearance were Sarah Benzinger, Michael González, Andrew Egbuchiem, Tom Sitzler, Ann Folger, Stacey Stofferahn, Alexandria Crichlow, and Nelson Ebo. Eric Malson once again was the pianist tasked with accompanying these singers, which he did with his customary excellence as one has come to expect. VAMS founder and manager James Greening-Valenzuela greeted the audience and also lent his talents as a violinist in the Bach selections.
Six artists had multiple selections, while the remaining two had a single selection as a duet. In the interest of fairness, I will select a highlight for each artist. This is not to say that all selections were not worthy of attention, as they of course were.
Let’s start with the duet first, “O terra addio” from Aida, with tenor Nelson Ebo and soprano Alexandria Crichlow singing the tomb scene. As I have written previously about Mr. Ebo, he is a passionate performer who offers the maximum in both his singing and acting. Tonight was no exception. While it might have been a bit too much for the small confines of the hall, it brought much needed energy to the evening. Ms. Crichlow was much less animated, but still brought forth the emotions of Aida with a dignified expressiveness.
Soprano Sarah Benzinger is listed as an “Emerging Artist” on the VAMS roster. Her offering of “Regnava nel silenzio” from Lucia di Lammermoor convincingly captured the spooked/unsettled quality of Lucia. Ms. Benzinger particularly excelled in the extreme high register, with exquisite control and pure tone without a hint of strain. She is a fine addition to the VAMS roster and has great potential. Soprano Stacy Stofferahn’s “Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiß,” from Lehár’s operetta Giuditta, had the right amount of saucy naughtiness, dancing on the edges of burlesque without ever truly crossing over. It was delightful fun. Mezzo-soprano Ann Folger was playfully taunting in both voice and acting, in “Que fais-tu, blanche tourterelle?” in Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette.
I have been witness in past performances to the vocal gymnastics of countertenor Andrew Egbuchiem, but tonight he offered J.S. Bach’s “Erbarme dich” from the St. Matthew Passion with a child-like purity of tone that was simply angelic.
Tenor Michael González’s selection of “Where is the One Who Will Mourn Me When I’m Gone?” from Kurt Weill’s Down in the Valley was – surprisingly to me – my favorite of the evening. I’m not always fond of what I find to be the cynical underpinnings of Weill’s music, but this was something different! With the bluesy accompaniment and the heartbreaking despair projected by Mr. González, the emotional impact was undeniable. Last, but not least, baritone Tom Sitzler “brought the power” as the enraged Ford in “È sogno? O realtà?” from Falstaff. His is a strong voice, perfect for the fury this aria demands.
Congratulations to all the artists.
