Saddleback College vocal student Lauren Lugo received a first-place award at the American Protégé International Vocal Competition 2012 in New York.
Lauren, age 20, is from Laguna Niguel and began piano lessons at the age of 7.
She participated in various musical theatre productions and as a choir member, she was in the advanced traveling chamber ensembles in school and in church. Lauren’s accomplishments include being the first female in high school to be a two time recipient of the Macy Award for acting and singing performance.
In 2012, she placed first in the Baroque Festival of Orange Coastal cities in the state of California. Currently, Lauren is a student at Saddleback College.
For the past year, she has been learning the technique of singing both Classical and Broadway pieces under the guidance of Saddleback faculty member Dubravka Zubovic.
Lauren will be performing at Carnegie Hall on March 3, 2013 along with fellow Saddleback student Jon Korbonski, who received an honorable mention in the competition.
Bart McHenry, Dean of Fine Arts and Media Technology, stated “I am thrilled to hear about the success of Lauren Lugo and her first-place award at the International Vocal Competition in New York. It is such an honor to have her represent Saddleback College. Additionally, we are so fortunate to have outstanding teacher Dubravka Zubovic mentor students at Saddleback College. I look forward to following Lauren’s vocal career.”
The American Protégé International Vocal Competition is designed for singers who would like to challenge themselves in a very competitive environment. The 2012 Competition was open to solo vocalists and vocal groups of all ages, nationalities and countries. Participants were required to submit video recording materials for the audition.
With a long tradition of excellence in music, the Saddleback College Vocal Program continues building on that tradition with the very finest in both standard vocal repertoire and the music of the cutting edge. The three primary choirs on campus include the Community Chorale, Concert Choir, and the Women’s Camerata, which perform many concerts around the area throughout the school year. Membership is open in all three ensembles with the successful completion of a vocal placement interview at the beginning of each semester.
In addition to beginning, intermediate and advanced level vocal classes, Saddleback College offers private voice lessons to a select few vocalists who are planning on pursuing degrees in vocal performance at the university or conservatory level. Past students in the Applied Music program have been accepted to prestigious music schools across the country. In addition, Saddleback College is proud to be one of a handful of community colleges in the state which offer its students the opportunity to perform in operas and opera scenes each semester. Past performances include The Old maid and the Thief, The Medium, Goose Girl, Suor Angelica and Mozart’s Mitradate. For more information about singing at Saddleback College, please contact Dr. Farthing at sfarthing@saddleback.edu.
Located in Mission Viejo, Saddleback College provides quality higher education and training to the greater south Orange County community. Having served more than 500,000 students since 1968, Saddleback College offers over 300 degree and certificate programs to help students reach their personal, career, and educational goals. For more information, please visit www.saddleback.edu and for Fine Arts information, please visit www.saddleback.edu/arts.
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Nina Welch
Fine Arts Public Information Officer
Saddleback College
www.saddleback.edu/arts
