Ars Lyrica Gala A STAR IS BORN Honors Local Opera Treasure 

Ars Lyrica Houston will hold its 2020 Spring Gala, A Star is Born, on Saturday, April 25th, 2020 at the sophisticated Hotel Alessandra in downtown Houston. This event, chaired by Robin Angly and Miles Smith, founding members of Ars Lyrica's Opera Circle, principally supports the organization's biennial Baroque opera productions, including a new production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas announced for May 2021.

World-class performers and performances are the visible portion of a vast support network, one that involves substantial investment and years of dedicated work behind the scenes. A Star is Born celebrates that vital foundation by honoring legendary opera singer and teacher Lois Alba and by featuring her star pupil, soprano Michelle Bradley. "Lois put in my mind that I could be at the Metropolitan Opera," Bradley notes. "From the first moment, she said I had a world-class voice. I remember her telling me to come and see her every day I could, and that 'we'll get you to the Met because that's where you belong'." Bradley, who just completed a multi-year residency in the Lindemann Young Artist program at the Metropolitan Opera, is now singing Aida (among other major roles) in opera houses around the world. A master teacher, Alba teaches the skills necessary for success in a very competitive field while instilling the self-confidence necessary to realize that dream. Philanthropists Robin Angly and Miles Smith, who have long been dedicated to furthering the careers of young singers, provided the means to make Bradley's dream a reality.

Alba combines her vast experience and enthusiasm in more than just her teaching. She co-founded Opera in the Heights, a Houston company dedicated to providing emerging opera singers with opportunities to perform, and she established the Lois Alba Aria Competition, which occurs annually in Houston in May. "Our mission," as Alba comments, "is to inspire, encourage and help young singers who dream of a career in opera." She has championed generations of singers for the last half century. Additionally, Alba authored a book that combines her formidable experience, vocal insight, and philosophical wisdom about the creative nature of singing. In Vocal Rescue: Rediscover the Beauty, Power and Freedom in Your Singing, she details an approach to singing that retains the spontaneity and the natural beauty of the voice.