My trip was an enormous success in as much as I performed superbly in multiple auditions and was received enthusiastically. I went on to be a finalist in the XIII Altamura / Enrico Caruso International Voice Competition. At the preliminary round I sang the Prologo from I Pagliacci and Ravel’s Chanson épique from Don Quichotte et Dulcinée. Comments from the judges included, “Perfect diction” and “I understood every word” and “You did not need to reach for anything.” A conductor friend of mine, who saw the video of the preliminary round audition, took the last comment to mean, “There was no struggle, just command.” The Finals Concert was a terrific affair with so many fine artists participating. It was an honor to be included as a finalist. And once again I got fabulous comments from the dudges and from several notables in the audience including my wonderful agent, John Miller, and the legendary pianist Horacio Gutierrez.