The end of another season means the return of pianist Ken Noda and a singer of his choice. It is a good way to close the annual Miami Friends of Chamber Music series, a young tradition that enables local audiences to discover new, rising talent. On this occasion, Noda’s unerring judgment singled out Anthony Kalil, allowing Miami to beat other venues to the debut of this tenor from the Metropolitan Opera’s prestigious Lindenmann program. At 32, the Indiana native is a voice to be reckoned with, a name to remember, a star to watch. Anthony Kalil. Four years ago, Kalil was painting houses and opening his own paint store in Seattle. His love of singing had been pushed into the background when a friend asked him to sing at his wedding. The rediscovery of his voice was such a powerful experience that he decided to take lessons and go back to his original vocation. It was worth it. Barely six months later, he was recommended for the Lindenmann program and was a finalist. Kalil shut down his business, forgot paints and followed his bliss. Last year, he debuted in Richard Strauss’ The Woman Without a Shadow at the Met, played the Duke of Mantua, Alfredo, Lensky, Pinkerton and Rodolfo with regional companies, served as as understudy at the Met and starred in Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini under the tutelage of James Levine. Preceded by a reputation studded with awards and fellowships, and en route to auditions in Berlin and Vienna, he demonstrated his ample skills on the stage at South Florida’s Temple Beth Am with Noda’s formidable accompaniment. The program of songs and arias confirmed the presence of a major voice: clear, Mediterranean in color and of unusual fullness and volume. As starter, Handel’s Total Eclipse made an excellent impression that was repeated throughout the afternoon. Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel was the most valuable part of the recital. Throughout the song cycle, Kalil displayed a vast expressive range and, above all, a brilliant instrument with heroic nuances in the higher register. Devoted to an Italian repertoire, the second part consisted of a convincing gallery of operatic characters. The songs, Donaudy’s O del mio amato ben and especially Puccini’s Morire (which the composer later used in La Rondine), were other high points. Kalil stirred the audience with La donna é mobile from Rigoletto and E lucevan le stelle from Tosca, which found an ideal accompanist in Noda. Jimmy’s aria from The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny was beautifully rendered. The duo from the first act of Madama Butterfly, a passionate Vogliatemi bene, with Vanessa Isiguen as Cio-Cio San, served as the finale. Though somewhat tired, Kalil delivered a first-rate Nessum dorma as an encore. It was a weekend that allowed local audiences to discover two superb new American tenors: Seraphic Fire’s justly acclaimed Bryan Hymel in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde and the promising Kalil. The quality of both singers seemed fair redress for the dearth of opera stars that marked the season.