Recognizing and Honoring Philadelphia's own Karen Slack who on March 17, 2006 made her Metropolitan Opera debut.

WHEREAS, Karen Slack grew up in North Philadelphia and attended Baldi Middle School and the High School for Creative and Performing Arts and currently lives in Northern Liberties with her father Leonard and calico cat Nassie; and

WHEREAS, Karen has never forgotten the city of her birth, as she continues performing at the Bright Hope Baptist Church located at 12TH and Cecil B. Moore; and

WHEREAS, Karen grew up wanting to be a veterinarian but was encouraged by her teachers from Baldi Middle School who recognized at an early age her soprano talent; and

WHEREAS, Karen won the Rosa Ponselle International Competition for Vocal Arts which helped her land a position in the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program; and

WHEREAS, Through her work at the San Francisco Opera Merola Program, Karen was invited to audition at the Curtis Institute of Music where she earned her bachelor and master degrees; and

WHEREAS, After earning her degrees, Karen sang minor roles at the Opera Company of Philadelphia and helped push the sale of opera recordings at the now-defunct HMV records in Center City; and

WHEREAS, Having made the finals in the 2004 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she went back to sing for scholarship money offered for audition tours of Europe which led to a “house audition” for roles at the Metropolitan Opera in February 2005; and

WHEREAS, Karen was the third soprano scheduled for the title role of the broadcast of

Verdi’s Luisa Miller

but because of circumstances she was elevated to lead; and

WHEREAS, On March 17, 2006, Karen Slack made her Metropolitan Opera debut; now therefore

RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby recognize and honor Philadelphia’s own Karen Slack who on March 17, 2006 made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the title role of

Verdi’s, Luisa Miller

.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Karen Slack as an expression of the sincere sentiments and admiration of this legislative body.

End