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Stefanie Airey was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on November 30th, 1987. She is 15
years old, and her interest in serious music began just two years ago as she
acquired a profound interest in her
parents' collection of classical, choral and opera CDs. She began by simply singing along
with the music quietly in her room. As she gained more confidence and began to sing out, it
became apparent to her parents that she possessed a voice worthy of training. She began
her vocal journey by
joining two church choirs in September of 2001. This was followed by
formal voice lessons starting in January 2002. Stefanie's voice teacher
in Calgary is Donna
Faye Carr who sang soprano with the London Metropolitan Opera Company for many years.
This past April, Stefanie auditioned for the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede's Youth Talent
Showdown (an amateur talent contest) with little more than one week's preparation. She sang
Puccini's "O Mio Babbino Caro" and was accepted into the competition as one of 80 contestants from
the 200 that auditioned. The competition is in its 21st year, and all previous winners have
gone on to professional careers; two of them have reached international status: Paul Brandt,
the country and western singer, and Gordon Geitz, an operatic tenor. Gordon, a family
friend and Stefanie's idol,
has heard Stefanie sing and has taken a particular interest in her ability.
Despite her age, Stefanie was one of the 16 finalists chosen (most being in the 18-21 age
range). Although she did not place in the top four, Stefanie was encouraged by being
acknowledged for her professional performance, for being the youngest performer and for being the
youngest to ever make the finals on a first attempt. All of those who placed had been in the
contest over several years, and the eventual winner had placed five times in previous years--such
was the calibre of the contest.
Stefanie's confidence in performing is growing in leaps and bounds, as evidenced by her impromptu
performances at a hotel during a recent family holiday in Cuba (July 2002). She would walk
around the hotel grounds singing along to her Charlotte Church and Sarah Brightman CDs on her
Discman, and towards the end of the holiday she began performing
mini-concerts on the hotel rooftop and on the beach. Stefanie was overheard one day by a French-Canadian couple, who, upon
discovering the source of the singing, invited Stefanie to submit a demo CD to them in
Montreal.
A 17-minute demo CD has been produced at the Dark Matter Productions studio in Calgary by
recording engineer Jason Wright who recently worked with the Korean opera singer, Sumi Jo,
at the Abbey Road Studios in London, England. On this vocal demo, Stefanie sings a vocal
version of "Fantasy on Greensleeves" by Ralph Vaughn Williams for which Stefanie wrote most
of the words, "Finlandia" (Be Still My Soul) with the unique sound of Irish Bagpipes in
accompaniment, "Misukemen" (Cold Earth) an acapella piece for which she wrote both the music
and the words, "Summertime"
from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, "O Mio Babbino Caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicci and "The Phantom
of the Opera" from the Andrew Lloyd Webber production of the same name.
Stefanie exhibits a maturity in her singing that is years ahead of her actual age. We feel that
with the right training and direction, she certainly has the potential to eventually enjoy the
career, she would like to pursue, in opera or musical theatre. To quote Stefanie herself,
"Singing is my passion; music is my life."
For inquiries, please contact Mr. Tim Airey or Mrs. Carol Airey at 403-242-0854 or e-mail them
at the link below.
Updated March 16th, 2003
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