Bridge Worldwide's Margaret Russo Wins Cincinnati Opera Idol

Bridge Worldwide Copywriter Margaret Russo was announced as the winner of the Cincinnati Opera’s inaugural Opera Idol competition.

The competition began in June with 160 aspiring singers vying for a $3,500 contract with the country’s second-oldest opera company. After making it to the semifinals, Russo performed a Puccini aria live before a panel of judges. Videos of the six top-judged performances were posted online for voting.

More than 10,000 people logged on to vote. The results were announced before the opening performance of Carmen at Music Hall. Russo, who was informed a few days prior, performed in front of the sold-out crowd following the announcement.

“Performing at Music Hall was incredible,” Russo says. “The crowd was so enthusiastic and supportive! Their energy helped me give a performance I’ll never forget. I’m still reeling from winning this competition; it’s been an extraordinary experience.”

Russo is no stranger to vocal performances, both in her personal and professional life. She majored in English and vocal performance at Xavier University. At Bridge Worldwide, she recently sang the lead vocals for her work band, The Dandy Lions, in a company-wide battle-of-the-bands sing-off. Not surprisingly, her band won that competition as well.

Read more about Russo’s achievement.

See her winning performance.