Youtube Voice Competition sponsored by Hal Leonard

Hal Leonard recently announced the 2012 Vocal Competition for Art Song and Musical Theatre.  Comprised entirely of online video submissions, this competition will net the winners cash awards with second and third place winners receiving gift certificates for MUSIC!

More good news for Canadian Opera

This came out last week but in light of the BAD news this week about Opera Lyra in Ottawa, this might show us a light at the end of the tunnel...I have heard a number of these singers at the UofT Faculty of Music and can guarantee this will be a night of fabulous talent and potential!

FINALISTS FROM ACROSS CANADA COME TO TORONTO FOR INAUGURAL COC ENSEMBLE STUDIO COMPETITION

Toronto – Following auditions in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and New York City attended by Canadian Opera Company administrators, 10 out of a pool of over 160 young, aspiring opera singers have been selected to compete in the final auditions at the inaugural COC Ensemble Studio Competition.  For the first time in the history of the COC, the final auditions for singers seeking to join the Ensemble Studio training program will be made public as a vocal competition.  In addition to an offer of a coveted position in the 2012/2013 Ensemble Studio, the singers will be competing for one of four cash prizes.  A limited number of tickets priced at $30 are now on sale for the COC Ensemble Studio Competition, which takes place on Nov. 28, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

Ten finalists will perform in front of an audience and a panel of judges, comprised of COC General Director Alexander Neef, Music Administrator Sandra Gavinchuk, Head of the Ensemble Studio Liz Upchurch,
Opera Canada editor Wayne Gooding, and Canadian soprano, opera coach, and Ensemble Studio alumna Wendy Nielsen.  Over the course of the two-hour competition, each finalist will perform two arias showcasing their vocal technique and range.  The judging panel will deliberate on location and announce the competition winners at the conclusion of the evening’s event.

Select finalists will be invited to join the 12/13 Ensemble Studio, with the number of offers to be determined by the judging panel.  First, second and third prizes, worth $5,000, $3,000, and $1,500, respectively, will be awarded, in addition to a People’s Choice Award, selected by audience vote, worth $1,500.

The Ensemble Studio Competition highlights the finest young talent from across the country.  Winning a place in what is Canada’s premier training program for opera professionals can be these singers’ first step towards an international opera career. The audience at the vocal competition will be hearing the singers selected to follow in the footsteps of such renowned Ensemble Studio graduates as Ben Heppner, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Joseph Kaiser, and John Fanning, among many others.

The finalists are:

·         Lindsay Barrett (Sudbury, ON)

·         Claire de Sevigne (Montreal, QC)

·         Sasha Djihanian (Montreal, QC)

·         Rachel Fenlon (Victoria, BC)

·         Aviva Fortunata Wilks (Calgary, AB)

·         David Gibbons (Red Deer, AB)

·         Danielle MacMillan (Toronto, ON)

·         Owen McCausland (Saint John, NB)

·         Laura McLean (New Glasgow, NS)

·         Cameron McPhail (Brandon, MB)

“The quantity and quality of young opera talent in Canada is staggering, and the finalists in this year’s competition are truly some of the best emerging artists from across the country,” says COC General Director Alexander Neef, “The members of the Ensemble Studio are the opera stars of tomorrow and, through the COC Ensemble Studio Competition, the public is given the exciting opportunity to be a part of these singers’ professional journeys from the very beginning.” 

Tickets are $30 and are available for purchase online at coc.ca, by calling COC Ticket Services at 416-363-8231, or in person at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts Box Office, located at 145 Queen St. W., Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Good and bad news in the land of Canadian Opera

I just read today about the situation at Ottawa's Opera Lyra.  Apparently they are so financially squeezed that they have had to cancel the remainder of their 2011-12 season - two full productions (of only four for the season) and thus laying off singers, stage managers, chorus, an orchestra, costumers, make up artists, and the list goes on.  In this world of constant cuts because of a depressed economy, is it any wonder that it would seem like a bleak outlook for young singers.

That all being said, on the opposite side of the coin (or the swing of the pendulum) are a whole new crop of young opera companies run by singers trying to provide opportunity to themselves and others.  I guess the old saying of "those that get the most help, help themselves" is true in this case.

So check out these upstarts for yourself...

Metro Youth Opera (Toronto)

Essential Opera (Toronto)

Wish Opera (Toronto)


Opera Kitchener (Kitchener)

The plethora of small companies in BC (and big, thriving ones too!)

Maritime Concert Opera (Nova Scotia)

I know there are MORE but these are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head....feel free to add to my list here but...the moral of the story: for every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction!

Mary's Wedding PREMIERS tonight at POV

Pacific Opera Victoria (POV) will be premiering Mary's Wedding tonight at the McPherson Playhouse in Victoria.  From the current press, this sounds like it could be THE opera of the year - check it out and the various articles here and here and here.

More than one cautionary tale...

Reading the NYTimes yesterday was like receiving a cautionary tale for singers....a list of health issues that are rocking more than just the classical music world of singers...

Adele has surgery on her vocal cords, Keith Uban has a polyp on his cords and James Levine still can't stand up to conduct.

The moral of the story:  take care of yourselves singers!

Some days we just feel like this...

*UPDATE* SONGFEST...auditions coming to Toronto in 2012

SongFest 2012

“Breaking the Song Barrier”

June 5-28 - Pepperdine University

LIVE AUDITIONS: Cincinnati, Hong Kong, NYC, LA, Boston, Toronto (TBA)

UPDATE (11/8/11): Toronto auditions are January 22 at the Royal Conservatory of Music.  Click here for more information!

Founded in 1996 by Rosemary Hyler Ritter, SongFest is a unique program that focuses on the art of song.  Participants from all over the world, ranging in age from high school students to working professionals, gather each summer at Pepperdine University for an intense program to learn from experts in the field of classical art song.  SongFest boasts the best collection of faculty in the world, including pianists Martin Katz, Margo Garrett, and Roger Vignoles.  SongFest also champions American music and every summer invites composers-in-residence to work directly with SongFest participants in master classes and private coachings.  Over the past 17 years, SongFest has engaged American composers Jake Heggie, John Harbison, John Musto, Libby Larsen, Ben Moore, Tom Cipullo, Lori Laitman, Ricky Ian Gordon, among many others.  SongFest alumni currently sing at all the major opera houses in the United States and abroad and hold faculty positions at leading American universities.

2012 PROGRAMS OF STUDY

PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM 

for Singers and Collaborative Pianists 

“Breaking the Song Barrier”

Performing workshops for career-oriented singers and collaborative pianists.  Master classes, public recitals, and limited private coachings. No age limit. 

YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM

for Singers

The SongFest Young Artist program is designed to provide intensive study and training for talented young singers (normally completing a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree) in a healthy, professional, and positive environment. Instruction includes performing master classes as well as song literature classes, movement, repertoire classes, diction, and coachings.  These young singers will have the opportunity to join the Professional Fellows for performance in various master classes and public performances in addition to their own classes. 

INTERN PROGRAM (June 18-28)

for Singers

Melanie Emelio, program director

Jennifer Tung, assistant director

The SongFest Intern Program is designed for highly talented young singers between the ages of 15-18. This program provides intensive study for young singers in a healthy, professional, and unique learning environment, learning from leading musicians and colleagues in the program. Singers are challenged to improve their technical and expressive musical skills, and to explore the great classical songs and arias. Students will have private lessons, as well as daily coachings, classes in diction, repertoire, and technique. To add to the learning experience, each singer will have a private session in the Kwong Vocal Arts Lab at Pepperdine University. These aspiring singers will have their own master classes and be selected to perform on select concerts. By interacting with the more experienced singers, they will be exposed to many different faculty and layers of learning. 

MENTOR PROGRAM FOR VOICE TEACHERS AND COACHES

A new program designed for professional teachers or coaches. 

For more information about the Mentor Program, please contact Rosemary Hyler Ritter at 310.384.3706 orartisticdirector@songfest.us

REPERTOIRE

After acceptance notification and payment of the tuition deposit, the repertoire selection process will begin. Each singer and pianist will work closely with Artistic Director Rosemary Ritter to choose repertoire to be prepared for the program. All music must be fully prepared and memorized before arriving at SongFest. In addition to the specific repertoire choices of the singers, faculty will assign selected songs.

Click HERE for a PDF version of the SongFest 2011 Program Book.

ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION and DEPOSIT

Participants will be notified of acceptance by March 5, 2012 or earlier. Accepted applicants must pay a non-refundable $500 tuition deposit within two weeks of acceptance.