Public Relation: Mrs. Sivan Hadari: 

‘Opera Idol When The Economy Lags, The Competition SoarsTuesday, September 6, 2011Singer Michael Peer, a prime mover, along with his sister, of “Opera Idol.” T he original heyday of the amateur talent contest was the . Major Bowes ruled the airwaves and talent contests were a highlight in movie theaters and dying vaudeville houses around the country. Today the venue has changed to “reality” television, but the staggering economy still helps fuel people’s dreams of stardom, from “American Idol” to “The Voice.”Regrettably, live competitions are significantly fewer, although some stalwarts like the Apollo Theater still soldier on.The classical music world is, of course, the exception. Nerve-wracking competitions with big payoffs are a longstanding tradition there. The latest addition to the ranks, “Opera Idol,” is something of an Israeli production, a relatively small-scale operation in its first year, with ambitions to bigger things.The primary movers behind “Opera Idol” are Tel Aviv-born siblings Michael Peer, 30, and Ronit Ashirov, 34, respectively a singer and pianist. They owe their involvement in the project not only to their own musical talents and interests but to their bloodlines as well. Their grandfather, Arkadi Namatiev, was a prominent baritone in the former Soviet Union who made aliyah in 1973 and spent the last 15 years of his life as an equally prominent cantor. Six months ago, Peer and Ashirov established the Arkadi Foundation in his memory, and set in motion the machinery to create the competition, in large part as a charity fundraiser. (The proceeds from the event will be going to the oncology unit of Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Services.)“Grandfather really loved opera,” Peer said in a telephone interview last week. “We wanted to revive his name as an opera singer. He died in synagogue during a Shabbat service, a very holy death. About 20 years later, we found recordings of him singing, and we’ll open the evening with a brief excerpt from one of them.”Then the tensions will rise. Twelve experienced opera singers will meet as finalists, with three  being awarded. First  is the title of “Opera Idol” and $1,000; second prize, chosen by the audience through text messaging, is $500; third prize is a private coaching and recording session.Peer, who will be one of the three judges (along with Metropolitan Opera singer Mark Oswald and pianist Ziva Namatiev, Peer and Ashirov’s aunt), has been on the other side of the competition grind. A widely experienced bass-baritone currently teaching at Queensborough College, his advice to the contestants is refreshingly straightforward.“They have only five minutes apiece,” he would remind them. “I try to orient them on how to do character — acting, not just singing. If they want to take the advice, that’s fine. If not, that’s OK, too. These are experienced singers from around the world. They’re still young, between 20 and 35, but they’re at a good level.”All they have to overcome is the nerves that accompany live performance with 11 competitors listening for their every miscue.“It’s very easy to lose a competition,” Peer cautioned. “There are so many good singers. You try to think what the judges are thinking, to know the music, the diction. But the bottom line is talent. You can study all your life, but it’s talent that stands out.”Which is why they used to call them talent shows.“Opera Idol” will take place on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Merkin Hall (129 W. 67th St.). In addition to competition itself, the program will include a mini-recital by Michael Peer. For information, go to http://kaufman-center.org/merkin-concert-hall/event/arkadi-foundation-pr....

Opera Idol (Sunday) A dozen aspiring singers from around the world face off in an artful competition presented by the Arkadi Foundation, a nonprofit organization inspired by and named for Arkadi Namatiev, a Soviet-era opera singer. (Simon Cowell, happily, is nowhere to be found.) At 7:30 p.m., Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street,