Magyar News, 1999. szeptember-2000. augusztus (10. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1999-09-01 / 1. szám
The Jenny Lind carriage in the parade. In the back Marika Schönberg and Tamara Mesic. With the driver Hatalya Pasichnyk From now on the world might be going to refer to the Swedish Nightingale contest as the line-up of Hungarian “song singers” event. Well this year it started with Marika Schonberg, the singer chosen by the Royal Academy of Music in collaboration with the Swedish Folk Park Organization. She came to tour the United States and as a highlite to participate in the Bamum Festival in Greater Bridgeport. The 24 year old soprano took her exam at the Royal College of Music and is doing her second year at the Opera School, both in Stockholm. As the tradition goes, there has to be an American Jenny Lind. In 1999 she was Tamara Mesic, 27, of New Paltz, NY. Tamara graduated from the Julliard Opera Center and with all her successes now she can wear the title of the American Jenny Lind. Since 1949 every year, except 1991, there has been chosen a “song singef ’ from this side of the ocean. In this list we have two Hungarians: 1963, Roberta Wargo(Varga) and in 1965 Barbara Magyar. (Can’t beat this name for a Hungarian!) It took time to locate these Jenny Linds. Since their time, they got married, their name changed and they moved around. We dug in old files and we used the phonebook to get an answer. Outdated phone numbers gave us a hard time but we succeeded. Roberta Wargo Sammis practically lives a few blocks away from me. She was veiy excited remembering the contest of 1963. She has photographs, newspaper clips and she could talk without end about her experience. The contest started with 26 contestants, the second step was selecting eight, then from those the winners. Roberta was the first American Jenny Lind to go to Sweden where she gave several performances, including a TV show. Back in the States she participated in other contests as the Grand D’Angelo, Goodspeed Opera, Metropolitan Opera for scholarship, Junior Miss Bridgeport, then runner-up on the Miss Bridgeport. The scholarships helped her further her studies. She performed with several opera companies. She liked the Connecticut Grand Opera, sang in La Boheme and others. The Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra had her as a soloist. Marriage problems and family obligations interfered with her career at the most critical times. Today, as she says, opera is still her first love. Her last performance was at a concert at the late Sergio Franchi’s home in Southington, CT. Barbara Magyar Allan has a different story. The number of contestants really grew by 1965. She was competing with 54 others. She remembers the long process as the judges were sifting through the many talents. When they finished the auditions the panel called back three singers. With this Barbara thought that it was over and she packed up her belongings. Well she was mistaken the three girls were considered for second and third places. So barbára won the Jenny Lind contest for 1965. As she recalls:“The travel to Sweden and the performances there were the highlites of my life which will never fade from memory. I appreciate the gift of voice and what it has given to me personally.” Jenny Lind concert in the United States in 1850 Page 3
