Jenny Lind was an opera singer from the 19th century known as “The Swedish Nightingale.” The soprano became famous in America after a wildly successful U.S. tour that began in 1850. Since 1948, the legacy of Jenny Lind has been honored nationally by the Barnum Festival, which takes place each June and July in Bridgeport, Conn. And this year’s winner – Poughquag’s petite and powerful JeanMarie Garofolo – is thrilled with the honor, especially after coming close to the title one year ago.
“Jenny Lind was one of the first sopranos to succeed in America,” said Garofolo, whose prize package includes a $2,000 scholarship for graduate school and a musical tour of Sweden with the winner of the Swedish Jenny Lind competition. “Without her, who knows if sopranos would ever have been well-received in this country?”
Now, with the help of her big win, Garofolo is hoping to mimic Lind’s success and launch a career as a classical vocalist. And after receiving a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from SUNY Purchase last month, she’ll head off to Chicago College of Performing Arts, where Garofolo will spend two years pursuing her master’s degree. From there, she hopes to land an apprenticeship with one of the country’s more prestigious opera companies before eventually becoming a full-fledged member.
Garofolo, who won the contest in April, will perform at a number of Jenny Lind events in Bridgeport at the end of this month before going overseas.
“She’s a ‘Jenny Lind’ in many respects,” said professor Sherry Overholt, who taught JeanMarie for four years at Purchase. “She has a wonderful voice and a fabulous personality. She really reaches out and engages people. And she’s got this short, adorable curly hair. I kept saying to her that she’d win and my dream came true.”
Overholt knows all about the Jenny Lind dream. Back in the late ’70s, Overholt herself won the competition. The prize helped pay for her tuition at Yale, but Overholt was even more enthralled with the opportunity to travel and sing in a different part of the world.
“I was blown away by the experience,” she said. “I got to go to Sweden. The competition is just an amazing event for me. This is the first student I’ve had who has won. She’s been almost like a daughter to me, so it’s really special that she’s the one who did it.”
The relationship between Overholt and Garofolo – the old and the new, so to speak – is one of mutual respect and admiration.
“She’s an amazing teacher,” said Garofolo. “I learned so much from her.”
A student of the form
Despite this quick burst of success, Garofolo is working hard to make sure she’s no one-aria-wonder. First hooked on opera through her grandfather and her eighth grade performance in Taconic Opera Company’s production of “La Boheme,” the young singer is obviously in this field for the long-term.
“There are so many things about opera and art music that I love,” she said. “First of all, just being able to perform in front of a live audience is a blessing. And there are also so many aspects to the music. It would take a lifetime to analyze and understand everything. I just love that process of exploring (the work).”
“When she auditioned for (CCPA), the (panel) started clapping before she finished the aria,” said Overholt. “That’s how much they loved her. This whole thing has been a treat for me. Her winning this competition after I won so many years ago is really the passing on of the dynasty. It’s really neat for both of us.”