Lists...A Collection of Competition Listing from my In-Box

I have a number of emails begging to be blogged and I can't seem to catch up so...here is a crazy list of competitions with pending deadlines and some new and interesting things happening "around town":


NATS National Music Theatre Competition
The first EVER MT competition by NATS with a deadline of March 1, 2012 with finals to be held at their National Conference in Orlando, FL June 29-July 2, 2012.


Ottawa Choral Society: New Discoveries 2012
A bia-annual platform for emerging concert artists (singers) ready to launch their professional careers.  Deadline is February 15 with Toronto auditions February 22 and Montreal auditions February 26.  


Cowtown Opera: A new opera company in Calgary announces their 2012 season...check back for information regarding their summer program first offered in 2011 in conjunction with Mount Royal Music!
Next performances: Cabaret February 9, 11, 12, 14


International Opera Academy: IOA is the first "all inclusive” Summer Academy for Opera providing absolutely everything an opera singer needs to ensure a long career.


That is all for now...enjoy and good luck!

Dancing and Singing in Alberta

I recently had the privilege of working with the young singers at the Medicine Hat Conservatory and the undergraduate singers at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta last week (more on this later!). While in Lethbridge I also performed a recital with my Eastman friend, Dr. Deanna Oye who is the acting chair of the Music Department at UofL.  After our recital she was off to Calgary to work with the Dancers' Studio West for the 30th Annual Alberta Dance Festival: Contemporary Dance and Canadian Composers.  Deanna writes:

On a side note, the dancers’ [project] in Calgary is really good – the choreography is fantastic, ... It’s called, coincidentally, “Contemporary Choreography and Canadian Composers: A Festival in Many Movements” (presented by the CMC and Centrediscs label).  There are three weekends in the festival—Feb. 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25.  Our shows are on the 23-25....The violinist even gets to be dragged onto her stomach on the floor (lucky her…I only get to scoot gracefully forward across half the floor while sitting on a bench).

Sounds like a little more action for the musicians than normal!

Calgary Phil Chorus: Gravy action on my cheese

My sister-in-law sent me this most hilarious version of Orff's "O Fortuna" a la Calgary style.  Apparently, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus sent out a tweet alert to get people to tweet how they stay should sing about staying warm this winter.....their crazy Canuck idea also made it to CNN where CNN was kind enough to explain what "gravy action on my cheese" really means!