Karen Frankenstein, who made her debut here on May 25, as Antonia in West
Bay Opera's production of "The Tales of Hoffmann," received the Grand Prix
Opera of the 23rd Concours International de Chant de Paris.  Frankenstein,
30, the granddaughter of the late San Francisco Chronicle music and art
critic Alfred Frankenstein, was selected by an international jury, led by
Mady Mesple, over 54 candidates from 21 countries.  The competition took
place in six days, the awards presented following Friday's finale concert
in the Basilica of Saint Maximum de Sainte Baume, accompanied by the
Orchestre Nationale de Montepellier-Languedoc-Roussillon.

Frankenstein received the Grand Prix of 50,000 francs, given in memory of
Raymond Roulllet, founder of the competition, after singing Juliet's aria
"Quel frisson court dans mes veins" from Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette." The
second prize for a female singer went to Kaoli Isshiki, 30, of Japan, and
for a male singer to Byung-Woo Kong, 16, of Korea.  In addition to the
prizes, the winners will be given engagements to sing in several
international sites.  Previous Grand Prix winners have included Barbara
Hendricks (1972) and Denyse Graves (1990).

Heather Hadlock's review in San Francisco Classical Voice said of her
performance at West Bay Opera, that Frankenstein had the "most beautiful
voice and nuanced interpretation.  She made this doomed heroine compelling.
Through her expressions and gestures, Frankenstein conveyed Antonia's
frustration and resentment at being forbidden to sing.  These rebellious
emotions are not quite expressed in the character's gentle music, but
are nonetheless essential for making sense of her susceptibility to Dr.
Miracle' s fatal urgings." An alumna of the young artists program at
Virginia Opera and the Tanglewood Music Center, Frankenstein had been a
finalist in the Joy in Singing Song Competition in New York and the Chicago
Lyric Opera Center for American Artists last year.

Janos Gereben/SF
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