Artistic Excellence Award
The Olga Forrai Foundation created the “Artistic Excellence Award” to recognize and honor artists who exemplify the qualities we look for in singers and conductors, and have attained the highest levels of international recognition for their achievements. We believe these singers and conductors represent the gold standard for those who perform in the dramatic and verismo repertoire.
Ryan Speedo Green
2025 Recipient
With his towering stature, magnetic stage presence, and instantly recognizable mahogany-hued voice, it’s no wonder three-time Grammy Award-winning bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green is in demand at opera houses and concert halls worldwide. Add to that his humble demeanor, relentless drive to learn, impeccable musicianship, a kind, gracious, and supportive colleague, an artist who sings straight from the heart, and you have the 2025 Olga Forrai Foundation Award for Artistic Excellence honoree.
Mr. Green’s artistry is undeniable, tackling a wide array of repertoire, encompassing the title roles in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro, the swaggering toreador Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen, the complex characters in numerous Verdi operas, to the leading men in Terence Blanchard’s jazz-infused operas Fire Shut Up in My Bones and Champion. Richard Wagner takes up an increasingly large portion of his repertoire, including Hermann in Tannhäuser, Heinrich in Lohengrin, Klingsor in Parsifal, Wotan in Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, and his upcoming role debut as King Marke in a new production of Tristan und Isolde at The Metropolitan Opera.
The Olga Forrai Foundation proudly recognizes one of our Grantees, Ryan Speedo Green, for his outstanding talent and contribution to the operatic community. He exemplifies all of the vocal qualities and characteristics we look to encourage in emerging artists, and we are thrilled to honor him with the 2025 Olga Forrai Foundation Award for Artistic Excellence.
Christine Goerke
2024 Recipient
When The Olga Forrai Foundation decided to present an annual award for artists who exemplified our mission of supporting “exceptionally large, dramatic voices in opera and conductors in the field of classical music” our board of directors unanimous first choice was the internationally acclaimed, multi-Grammy Award-winning dramatic soprano, Christine Goerke. We were beyond thrilled that she accepted the invitation to honor her as the first recipient of our Award for Artistic Excellence, at the 2024 annual dinner.
The Olga Forrai Foundation’s application process states that: “Singing applicants must possess a large, dramatic voice suitable to the works of Wagner, Verdi, Strauss, Puccini, and similar verismo composers.” Ms. Goerke’s critically acclaimed performances of: Elektra, Ariadne auf Naxos, Brünnhilde in The Ring Cycle, Kundry in Parsifal, Ortrud in Lohengrin, Leonora in Fidelio, Eboli in Don Carlos, The Dyer’s Wife in Die Frau ohne Schatten, Marie in Wozzeck, Cassandre in Les Troyens, the title role in Turandot, among others, is a shining example of the type of voice The Olga Forrai Foundation supports with grants to emerging artists.
We are honored that Ms. Goerke accepted The Olga Forrai Foundation’s 2024 Award for Artistic Excellence. Some of Ms. Goerke’s other honors include: the 2001 Richard Tucker Award, the 2015 Musical American Vocalist of the Year Award, and the 2017 Opera News Award.
From left to right: Robert Walsh, Eugenie Grunewald, Hendrick Vandamme, Ira kushin, George Voorhis, Helga Kramer, Christine Goerke, Paula Liscio, Mark Corpron, Helene JF De Aguilar, and Craig Montgomery.
From left to right: Mark Corpron, Christine Goerke, and Hendrick Vandamme