DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Cecile Cooper newspaper clippings, 1966-1987 | 1968-04-18 ""Concert Singer Finds 'Home' Here""

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Cecile Cooper newspaper clippings, 1966-1987

1968-04-18 ""Concert Singer Finds 'Home' Here""

The Billings Gazette
Thursday, April 18, 1968
Evening Edition

Concert Singer Finds 'Home' Here

By Addison Bragg
Gazette Staff Writer

When they last saw him he was a kid of six -- and still wide-eyed from the long trip from Centerville, Iowa, to visit an aunt in Trenton, Mo.
Both Mrs. Lura Belle Battles, 2617 7th Ave. S., and Mrs. Flossie Keller, 323 S. 27th St., agreed Wednesday that Cousin Simon had done a lot of growing up since then.
And a lot of traveling as well. Simon Estes, bass-baritone who was featured on Wednesday's Community Concert program, was both surprised and pleased to find his cousins here.
"I knew they were in Montana," said Estes, "but I wasn't sure where."
The three caught up on family and friends at a lunch and the Montanans were among those who applauded Estes' performance that night.

ESTES, WINNER of a silver medal in the First Tschaikowsky International Vocal Contest held in Moscow two years ago, had no idea singing would be his living when he was a student at the University of Iowa.
He majored in social psychology, spent two years in pre-medical study and threw in a year of religion for good measure.
"you might say," Estes said with his slow smile, "I was toying with careers."
He credits a roommate with encouraging him to study music -- and a private vocal teacher in New York, Charles Kellis, with his eventual enrollment at Julliard.
And his girl friend ("I'm not married yet, but we're talking about it," Estes grins) gets credit for a trip to Europe and Estes' subsequent successful audition with the Berlin Opera.
"I followed her over there," he said, "and she helped get me the audition."

SINCE THEN, Estes has gotten considerably farther away from Centerville than Trenton.
His concert appearances have included engagements in Moscow, Rome, London, Stuttgart and Munich as well as in major cities with major symphonies in this country. 
He'll be back in London before long and will spend enough time in his New York City home to pack for a series of concerts in Madrid.
All of which, the boy soprano whose voice didn't change until he got into college admits, isn't too bad for someone whose last thought was that one day he'd become a concert artist.
"I guess when I was little I wanted to be either a doctor or a minister," he said. "Singing -- outside of high school chorus or church choirs -- was farthest from my mind."

IN A WAY, Estes' lack of musical education had something to do with his present career.
His friend, Fred Duhart, who talked him into studying music, did so after hearing Estes as a soloist with the "Old gold Singers," a University of Iowa campus group.
There was one criterion for membership, according to Estes.
"They accepted only those who weren't music students," he said.

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The Billings Gazette Thursday, April 18, 1968 Evening Edition Concert Singer Finds 'Home' Here By Addison Bragg Gazette Staff Writer When they last saw him he was a kid of six -- and still wide-eyed from the long trip from Centerville, Iowa, to visit an aunt in Trenton, Mo. Both Mrs. Lura Belle Battles, 2617 7th Ave. S., and Mrs. Flossie Keller, 323 S. 27th St., agreed Wednesday that Cousin Simon had done a lot of growing up since then. And a lot of traveling as well. Simon Estes, bass-baritone who was featured on Wednesday's Community Concert program, was both surprised and pleased to find his cousins here. "I knew they were in Montana," said Estes, "but I wasn't sure where." The three caught up on family and friends at a lunch and the Montanans were among those who applauded Estes' performance that night. ESTES, WINNER of a silver medal in the First Tschaikowsky International Vocal Contest held in Moscow two years ago, had no idea singing would be his living when he was a student at the University of Iowa. He majored in social psychology, spent two years in pre-medical study and threw in a year of religion for good measure. "you might say," Estes said with his slow smile, "I was toying with careers." He credits a roommate with encouraging him to study music -- and a private vocal teacher in New York, Charles Kellis, with his eventual enrollment at Julliard. And his girl friend ("I'm not married yet, but we're talking about it," Estes grins) gets credit for a trip to Europe and Estes' subsequent successful audition with the Berlin Opera. "I followed her over there," he said, "and she helped get me the audition." SINCE THEN, Estes has gotten considerably farther away from Centerville than Trenton. His concert appearances have included engagements in Moscow, Rome, London, Stuttgart and Munich as well as in major cities with major symphonies in this country. He'll be back in London before long and will spend enough time in his New York City home to pack for a series of concerts in Madrid. All of which, the boy soprano whose voice didn't change until he got into college admits, isn't too bad for someone whose last thought was that one day he'd become a concert artist. "I guess when I was little I wanted to be either a doctor or a minister," he said. "Singing -- outside of high school chorus or church choirs -- was farthest from my mind." IN A WAY, Estes' lack of musical education had something to do with his present career. His friend, Fred Duhart, who talked him into studying music, did so after hearing Estes as a soloist with the "Old gold Singers," a University of Iowa campus group. There was one criterion for membership, according to Estes. "They accepted only those who weren't music students," he said.