Christine Amon recipient of Betty Van Andel Scholarship

Christine Amon, a Jenison native and student at Grand Valley State University, has been awarded the third annual Betty Van Andel Scholarship from Opera Grand Rapids. The $2,500 award was announced at the Opera Grand Rapids spring gala, where Amon performed Aaron Copland’s “Laurie’s Song.”

During the spring of each year, Opera Grand Rapids awards a cash grant for study in the arts to a student or educator in music or the arts in the Greater Grand Rapids area. Criteria for recipients includes demonstration of exceptional ability as a performer or teacher, proven academic ability, and the intention to pursue music or the arts as a career, or as one who strives to inspire others to do so.

“Chrissy is a talented young performer who shows a lot of promise and has the confidence from her professors,” said John Peter Jeffries Opera Grand Rapids executive director. “We are delighted to make this award.”

Amon has completed her second year at Grand Valley as a voice performance major and is in the Honors College. She was chosen twice for lead roles in the university’s Opera Theatre productions, including the characters Lily in The Secret Garden and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance.

“I come from a musical family and did some singing in my church,” said Amon. “I originally planned to go to med school, but have received so much encouragement with my musical performance and now look forward to future possibilities, including grad school, performance and teaching.”

During the summer Amon remains committed to improving her performance by taking private lessons from Kathryn Stieler, an assistant professor of voice at Grand Valley. At age 20, Amon finds it challenging to emulate the more mature voices in opera recordings of women in their thirties or older.

“Chrissy is incredibly poised and represents herself very well as a person and a performer,” said Stieler. “She is uniquely expressive and very self aware. I can show her new things about a character and she will integrate it into a fresh, new performance.”