About Masterclass Lady
Rosanne (Giallonardo) Simunovic began her musical career in Timmins, Ontario. She studied piano with Anne Pizzale and later, at an advanced level, with Soeur Anita Vaugeois (Sister Cecile of Les Soeurs De L’Assomption in Timmins). Her vocal and accompaniment skills were nurtured by her aunt, the late Dorothea Mascioli.
When Rosanne graduated from O’Gorman High School, she moved on to the University of Toronto where she continued her piano and vocal studies while attaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree. She was hired as a piano accompanist for several musical companies, most notably, the National Ballet Of Canada. She presently holds an A.R.C.T. Teacher’s Diploma in Voice from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
Rosanne has studied choral conducting with numerous well known Canadian Conductors, including Wayne Riddell of Montreal, Quebec and the internationally renowned Dr. Elmer Iseler.
She has been a founding member of numerous community-based arts organizations: the Timmins Arts Council, later known as Arts & Culture Timmins, the Timmins Symphony Orchestra, and, the Timmins Youth Singers…as well as the TYS Alumnus choir, the Timmins Concert Singers. In 1987, she was also selected to be the conductor of the Timmins Board Of Education Choir, comprised of talented students from Grades 5 to 8.
In 1988, she was elected to the Board Of Directors of the Ontario Choral Federation (now known as Choirs Ontario), where she served as Chair of the Festivals Committee for six consecutive seasons. In 1996, in honour of the Ontario Choral Federation’s 25th Anniversary, Rosanne was selected as one of 25 recipients of the OCF’s Distinguished Service Award for outstanding contribution to the choral art. The ceremony was presided by Lieutenant Governor, Hal Jackman.
In November 1997, Rosanne Simunovic was selected by the Rotary Club Of Timmins to receive the prestigious Paul Harris Award for her years of dedication to the artistic development of young musical talent in Timmins.
In August of 2002, Rosanne Simunovic was selected by the Board Of Directors of Choirs Ontario to serve as Conductor of both the Provincial Junior and Teen Choir Camps, now renamed in honour of the Camp Benefactors, Don and Lillian Wright.
In November 2002, Rosanne was the one of the recipients of the Commemorative Medal for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, honouring her work in the development of the arts in Timmins.
Under Rosanne Simunovic’s direction, the Timmins Youth Singers and the Timmins Concert Singers have been featured in numerous choral festivals and performing opportunities outside of Timmins. In 1985, they were selected to partici
April 21, 2011 
Masterclass Lady On MySpace.Com
Vocalist.Org
MasterClassLady.Com 
I wish I could rub my cheek against that stubble.
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I’m really disappointed that Haley was in the bottom 3 (although she was also the first person sent back to the couches, thankfully). She was excellent yesterday, and that’s an opinion shared across the blogosphere.
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I know many people didn’t especially like Stefano, but I did and I’m sorry that he’s gone. I hope he has a very successful career in the music field.
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Louise, I enjoyed Stefano’s tenor as well. It was nice to see him grow during the competition. I’m sure he is leaving AI with more confidence and better stage skills. It was a disappointment to see Jacob and Stefano in the bottom 3. But, somebody’s got to be there, right?
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Dial Idol “has low call volume” as a reason for its #2 Placement of Jacob.
http://www.dialidol.com/asp/predictions/predictions.asp
So are all the voters texting and webbing now?
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I am sorry to see Stefano leave, but I think he went out on a high note. He did himself proud and that’s all anyone can ask. I wish him the best of luck as he pursues his singing career.
On MJ’s blog, it has been revealed that next week’s theme will be songs from Carole King. Ah, my generation! There will be many great songs from which the contestants should be able to choose songs that should bring out their best.
There was a lot of discussion on MJ’s blog about the dialidol results. They were discussing the raw vote total versus the predictions of who was safe. We really don’t know how many people are voting online or texting, as opposed to phone calls.
Most people were thinking that Scotty, James and Lauren have never been in the bottom so it had to be between Haley, Casey, Jacob and Stefano. Casey was safe, so there was the bottom three.
I sincerely hope that Jacob does not take Randy’s advice about singing full out next week! I think he has a decent fan base and the more restrained performances have stood him in good stead. From here on out it’s going to be really tough. Is it going to be a final three of Scotty, James and Lauren or will someone else crack the top three? Can Haley build enough momentum to keep on going? We will see.
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It’s a shame about Stefano. He is immensely talented and I hope he uses this Idol opportunity to further his career. He is destined for great and wonderful things if he remains focused and surrounds himself with people who will keep him grounded.
The Top 3 will most probably be Scotty, Lauren and James. However, Casey may upset this apple cart. Hard to say.
Carole King Week would have been perfect for Stefano. Maybe he would have pulled out his piano. We shall never know now. Too bad.
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Rosanne,
I’m disappointed Stephano had to leave, but I can’t say I’m suprised. His best moments on Idol could make me melt! I love his voice, and he’s certainly in another league than most of them. I believe that Stephano is very marketable, perhaps the most marketable of them all. What do you think, Rosanne? It’s so sad he didn’t have a strong enough fanbase to keep him out of the bottom 3 more often. Because I think Stephano is so marketable, my hope is that he’ll win many people over that chose not to vote for him, helping him achieve a very successful career. Well, now James is the one I’m giving all my votes to.
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Rosanne,
I guess I’m a little irritated tonight. I like Scotty, but like I’ve said before, sounds so much the same to me, and doesn’t challenge himself much to speak of. Stephano had outperformed him a number of times, yet guess who was in the bottom 3 all the time!! I just don’t get why people were so not moved at all by Stephano. Well, Stephano sure showed them with his final performance tonight!!!! He and James certainly must be the closest of friends. That was extremely touching!
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Anita,
I know how it is when your favorite is voted off. We can never truly know why people vote for certain people over others. I came to think of Stefano as the Rodney Dangerfield of this competition – he got no respect! It always seemed to be an uphill climb for him. Reading comments on other blogs is quite perplexing. I didn’t get the dislike for Stefano’s singing. People would keep saying that he sounds good and sings well – but – and then there would be some nasty comment.
We know that there are other components that come into play in this competition. It’s the same thing with Pia. I believe that Stefano will find his way and have his success. You should be very proud of him for never giving up, always hanging in there and giving it his best. I cannot think of one single week when he didn’t give a great vocal performance.
Scotty just seems to have it all going on for him. I agree with your comment about him not challenging himself, but what he is going has worked for him because he hasn’t been in the bottom yet. He has this rare bass/baritone that you don’t hear very often, immense charm and charisma on stage, comes across as real and down-to-earth and immensely likeable. We know that it’s not always about the having the best pure vocals.
At least you still have someone that you can vote for and support. That’s what is so good about this season. There is something for everyone and a good deal of talent.
Don’t feel bad! Stefano was smiling and seemed happy and upbeat. He will be fine. I am more worried about poor James. He was crying from the moment he heard that Stefano was going home and seemed inconsolable. That big hug he gave Stefano when he rushed on stage, the way he just wouldn’t let him go, was a beautiful thing to see.
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Sorry, typos again!
In the third paragraph about Scotty, it should be what he is DOING has worked for him!
Same paragraph – we know that it’s not always about having the best pure vocals!
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I loved Stefano’s final performance. It was so genuine and so connected. It seems that when the judges no longer matter that the outgoing contestants reach out more to the audience and sing with more real emotion.
The closeness between him and James was really touching.
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Mindy,
I greatly appreciate your comments. When Stephano was in the Bottom 3 last week, he looked so defeated, and discouraged. That was understandable since it kept happening to him week after week. I’m so relieved and proud of him about the way he took the news tonight! You are right, Scotty does have that charisma thing going for him. I’ve heard that Stephano was one the harded working contestants, and I believe it!! He took Jimmy’s advice and criticism extremely well, and was always appreciative of him. I’m very proud that I took the time to again vote for only Stephano for the 2 full hours, even though I knew there was an unfortunate huge chance he was going home tonight. It was worth my time!
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I was heartbroken to see Stefano go home this week as there were two other contestants I felt needed to go home. His performance on Wednesday showed that he could do an uptempo song, and be current! What a classy and mature exit. His last performance was nearly perfect! I will truly miss him! I also thought the friendship between Stefano and James is so sweet. I bet they will remain friends after the tour!
Anyone who has been posting with me for years knows that I have been requesting CAROLE KING as a mentor for 9 years!! Finally, Nigel is listening to me, or it could be those Tweets and letters I have sent him. I have also suggested Jimmy get some estrogen in that studio! Imagine my surprise when this theme was announced?
Nigel said he wasn’t going to do specific themes. I am so happy he changed his mind! I find it so hard to believe that some of the younger people have never heard of Carole King, even though they know “Natural Woman” and “You’ve Got a Friend.” This may be the week for some big surprises! As a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer (as a writer) she has written over 5,000 songs.
Again, the current decade theme did not produce any performances that I would call a “Moment”. My favorite performance was Stefano’s. Each week he was doing what the producers wanted and worked very hard. In the long run, this will help his career. He would have done a great job with Carole’s music. I feel sad, but know he’ll find success in the future.
Some were saying David Cook didn’t do a good job. I thought he was terrific and can see that song appearing on the radio. I wonder if Idol will bring back Taylor Hicks?
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Haley Reinhart – At Last recently posted on youtube
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Stefano told FOX news that he is very close to James and they are like brothers. James has asked him to be best man for his wedding!! Yep, I would say they are best friends. It explains a lot of things in case someone didn’t know they are roommates! Poor Stefano… Hugs to James, too!
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As with Anita, I was disappointed to see him go, but not surprised at all. He had/has a GREAT voice, but his stage presence was something else. He was always working too hard on stage to try and connect with the audience.
Here’s what I think the thing with Scotty is – and I’m not just writing this because he is my favourite. Scotty is different, he brings that country flare to the show (Lauren does too, but she does it differently…Lauren still doesn’t know who she is and she switches back and forth between country and pop). Scotty knows who he is and does not want to stray away from this. Therefore the audience knows he is a country artist….but I do wish he would do some more upbeat songs such as Garth Brook’s “Standing Outside the Fire” – he could tear up the stage with that song! Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think Idol has ever had a male, country star as gifted as Scotty. And I think this is what is drawing viewers towards him…I know I fall in this category.
Who knows what’s going to happen from here on out. But I do begin to see MCL’s prediction coming true of a Scotty/Lauren final.
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Access,
The clip that you posted way trimmed down from this one:
In this video we see Haley singing “Moanin” nearly a year ago. Notice that there are no odd movements, excessive growls, and etc that we have seen her “grow’ out off during her “Idol journey.” Jazz singing fits her like a glove.
BTW, if anyone would like to her a good upright bass player, the guy in this trio is pretty fair.
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I am so excited for a Carole King week! I don’t know if they’ve done it before, but I’ve only been watching since Season 8. Talk about a songwriter who’s work is so awesome it can adapted many different ways and it can still be a hit. It is amazing to look on her website to learn how many famous songs for other people, and at such a young age.
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Bizzee247,
I wish the judges would have pushed Scotty earlier in the competition, instead of overly praising him week after week. I know he’s a great kid with a great voice, and yes, he didn’t struggle with stage presence like Stephano. I felt Stephano was certainly growing in the area though, and showed alot more growth than Scotty if you ask me. I guess people don’t think that counts for anything. I’ve always feared that Jimmy’s pushing of Stehano might have made people feel negatively about Stephano. I always looked at it as Jimmy knew just how incredibly gifted Stephano is, and that’s why he pushed him. I realize Scotty is your favorite, but so much hope he doesn’t win! I would rather it be James or Casey!! These two have pushed themselves, took risks, have great voices (especially James), and yes, both have fantastic stage presence, and don’t sound the same week after week!
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I wonder how Scotty will do with the Carole King theme. This could not be a good week for him. I love her music and she does have a folksy core to some of her music which may translate easily to Scotty’s style. We shall see.
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I am thrilled that finally we are having a Carole King week! I was so upset to read some comments on MJ’s blog last night about OLD music again! After listening to Katy Perry last night, all I could think was thank goodness we are going to revisit the songs of this immensely talented woman. I don’t comment much on MJ’s site, but I just had to write something in defense of Carole King and all the older songs that have stood the test of time. There was someone else there who also came out and strongly defended the choice of Carole King as the theme for next week.
Some were making rude remarks to the effect of what next – Woodstock! This one person and myself said that this would be a great idea! There’s a reason I listen to this music rather than what passes for music today.
Grammie Keri,
Thanks for the info about how close James and Stefano are. It was obvious that James seemed devastated over Stefano going home. Hopefully by now he will have realized that they will be on the tour together and he will be with his brother again.
I am so proud of Stefano. He was given a second chance by the judges when they gave him a wildcard. Now he has gotten weeks of additional exposure and will go on the tour. He was counting his blessings last night and good for him.
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Stephano grew on me !! anyone notice that he was finally looking and connecting with the audience compared to the first few weeks. I love his attitude!! Attitude like that takes you far. Especially if he is hard working and that would also work for him.
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Stefano does have a great attitude, but I’m guessing that comes with almost losing his life in an accident. He seems able to appreciate everything that he has. I don’t see him giving up at all on his musical career.
And I agree with the comments about Carole King. I’m really looking forward to next week. As for Katy Perry’s performance last night–it seemed to me that she was copying La Gaga. Why on earth would she copy someone else’s style when she’s popular already?
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Stephano’s last performance as by far (for me) the best that I had seen from him. With all due respect to Jacob, I was SO hoping he would be the one to go home. And then Stephano’s exit performance – Wow!! What poise!! Very nicely done.
I also have to say “for the record” I was BLOWN away by James’ performance. He is so authentic. His singing may not be the most wonderful that has ever been heard on Idol, but he is an original. Can’t wait to see what he does next week.
Was Katy Perry lip-synching? I would put VERY good money down that she was.
I caught up on the results show from the previous week last night too. Wow, Haley & Casey’s duet was phenomenal. Casey did some beautiful falsetto scatting. And it was nice to see Kelly Clarkson.
This is a great group of young, extremely talented performers this year. They are a lot of fun to watch. I just hope that the tour show in Charlotte isn’t outdoors this year. Outdoors in Charlotte in August is NOT a good idea.
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