Nathaniel Peake One of Five Top 2010 Winners at NY Metropolitan Opera - March 15, 2010
Submitted by Debbie Leggett

The Metropolitan Opera today announced the winners of the 2010 National Council Auditions. They are: Leah Crocetto of Oxford, Connecticut; Lori Guilbeau of Golden Meadow, Lousiana; Elliot Madore of Toronto, Canada; Nathaniel Peake of Humble, Texas; and Rachel Willis- Sørensen of Tri-Cities, Washington. The winners were selected from nine finalists who performed arias with the Met Orchestra, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Each winner receives a cash prize of $15,000 and even more importantly, the opportunity to launch a major operatic. Even more important than the cash prizes is the contestants' chance to perform with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra on the historic opera house stage before an audience that includes opera company executives, artist managers, music critics, and other opinion-makers of the music world. Some winners are invited to join the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, which assists talented young singers through training and performance opportunities at the Metareer.

This summer Nathaniel Peake joins the Wolf Trap Opera as a FileNe Young Artist. At Wolf Trap he is scheduled to sing Sultan Soliman in Zaïde, Albazar in Il Turco in Italia, and Snout/The Wall in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Recent performances include Nemorino in L'Elisir d'Amore with the Houston Grand Opera, Fritz in L'Amico Fritz with the San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program, and Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette and Don José in Marius Constant's Bizet adaptation La Tragédie de Carmen with the Syracuse Opera. He is currently a member with the Houston Grand Opera Studio, received the 2009 Audience Choice Prize from the Eleanor McCollum Voice Competition, and received his master of music degree from Michigan State University. (Mid-South Region). Nathaniel is the son of Harry and Pamela Peake,

Nathaniel Peake one of 10 Finalist in Metropolitain Opera National Council Auditions - March 11, 2010
Submitted by Debbie Leggett

Tenor Nathaniel Peake was one of the first Syracuse Opera resident artists in 2008 to 2009. While here, he sang roles as a priest in “The Magic Flute” and Don Jose in “La Tragedie de Carmen.”

Now Peake steps onto the Metropolitan Opera’s stage as one of 10 National Council Finalists who will perform at the Grand Finals Concert Sunday. The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra will accompany Peake, who is from Humble, Texas.

“The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions is a program designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers,” according to the Metropolitan Opera Web site. At the finals, opera company executives and artist managers are in audience scouting for new talent.

Five grand winners will be selected and each will receive $15,000. The remaining finalists will receive $5,000 each.

Nathaniel sang at Lydia Baptist Church a few years ago when he came to visit relatives in Joaquin. We see great things happening for Nathaniel. You may listen to him at the Grand Finals Concert this Sunday at 3:00PM as he sings at the New York Metropolitan Opera on 79 xm/siris radio.

Nathaniel Peake is the nephew of Debbie Leggett of Joaquin.