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.

International Resource Centre for Performing Arts - Career Moves Event

CALL TO ALL PERFORMING ARTISTS, MANAGERS,
PRESENTERS, PRESS/PROMOTION PEOPLE

The IRCPA is pleased to announce the

CAREER MOVES WEEKEND  WORKSHOPNOVEMBER 12/13, 2011

Performing arts leaders gather in Toronto for two afternoons of seminars and discussions designed to help people make a career as classical singers, instrumentalists, conductors, composers, and other related professionals.
The International Resource Centre for Performing Artists (IRCPA) presents Career Moves, Saturday and Sunday, November 12 and 13, 2-5 p.m. (location TBA).
Organized by IRCPA founder Ann Summers Dossena, the two-day program is as follows:


Saturday afternoon,  November 12 , 2 - 5pmMaking it Happen: Working as a Performing Artist
A panel discussion featuring presenters, managers, publicists, critics and artists.  Moderated by William Littler, senior critic, The Toronto Star, the panel includes critic Colin Eatock, contributor to the Globe and Mail and other publications; presenters Walter Homburger, Canada's senior manager/presenter; Loie Fallis,Artistic Administrator, Toronto Symphony Orchestra; Marco Parisotto, Conductor, Ontario Philharmonic; and Bruce Owen, Barrie Concert Association; and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Colgrass, artist in a successful career.  They will share their experiences and offer insight and advice into what is expected of performers in the industry today, to help aspiring artists, professionals and semi-professionals know who does what and why, in order to take their careers to the next level.


Sunday afternoon, November 13, 2 - 5 pm
"Meet Edna" of the "Ask Edna" column in Musical America
Legendary artist manager Edna Landau, a co-founder of IMG in New York, headlines a question-and-answer session, fielding questions from participants. Now retired from IMG, Ms. Landau offers career advice for performing artists on herMusical America blog Ask Edna.
The Career Moves sessions are also recommended for presenters, managers, publicists, coaches, teachers, corporate sponsors, foundation representatives, and even parents of gifted children – anyone who wants to understand the requirements and demands of artists’ careers.
The cost to take part in each of the two days is $40 or both for $70.  Advance registration – before November 1 – is $35 per day, or both sessions for $65.  Participants may register by calling 416-362- 1422, faxing (416) 359-0043, emailing sumintl@rogers.com, or writing to IRCPA, 43 Bright Street, Toronto ON M5A 3H5.

The International Resource Centre for Performing Artists has designed programs since 1983 to prepare artists for employment.  After their formal training, they need guidance in auditioning for national or international markets.  The IRCPA provides the opportunity for them to learn from employers such as artistic directors and master coaches.  This feedback and direction reduces the risk of the artists’ being rejected in an audition and having to wait two years for another hearing.

More than COSI COSI...

This past summer I had the privilege of joining my University of Toronto colleagues in Italy at the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy (COSI).  This young artists training program brought together undergraduate and graduate singers in the Opera Studio, emerging and established artists in the Opera Productions (Don Giovanni and Elixir of Love) and singers and teachers on self directed programs with established music professionals in the Canadian and International opera community.  Housed in the small community of Sulmona in the Abruzzo region of Italy, this program was a perfect synthesis of excellent training and a real life Italian cultural experience!

The 2012 program was just announced this week and includes productions of The Marriage of Figaro and Suor Angelica as well their numerous concerts and oratorios including Rossini's Stabat Mater.

For more information and to apply online, visit the COSI website at http://www.co-si.com/ or visit YAP Tracker. You can also join their Facebook group for lots of pictures and updates!

PS - you can check out recent COSI grad Lucia Cesaroni at Vancouver Opera singing Maria in their upcoming production of West Side Story opening October 22!

Halifax has opera! HSOW applications due...

The Halifax Summer Opera Workshop in Nova Scotia, Canada

Workshop dates:  July 16 to August 12, 2012, inclusive

Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

1. A Midsummer Night's Dream by Benjamin Britten

music director: Gregory Myra

stage directors: Nina Scott-Stodddart and David Mosey

vocal coach: TBA

2. Carmen by Georges Bizet

music director: Tara Scott

stage director:  Anthony Radford

vocal coach:  Paula Rockwell

3. Three one act operas in English:

music director: Jennifer Szeto

vocal coach:  Lucy Hayes Davis

Gisela in Her Bathtub by Neil Weisensel and Michael Cavanagh

stage director:  Bonnie Archibald-Awalt

The Harpies by Marc Blitzstein

stage director: Steven Bourque

Riders to the Sea by Ralph Vaughan Williams

stage director:  Anne Morison

**************************

How to Apply to attend the Halifax Summer Opera Workshop

1.  Please fill in the online Application Form.  If you request an audition time in your application, Administrator Marja Ernst will get in touch with you with your time.

2.  Attend an audition or send in a recording, either by mail or by uploading files electronically.

There are no fees for applying to HSOW. 

2a. IN-PERSON AUDITIONS

Auditions this year will be held in:

LONDON, ON 

Thursday November 10, New St. James Presbyterian Church, 1 pm to 7 pm

TORONTO, ON 

Friday November 11, Kimbourne Park United Church, 6 pm to 9 pm

Saturday November 12, Kimbourne Park United Church,  noon to 4 pm

MONTREAL, QC

Sunday November 13, McGill University, time and place TBA

HALIFAX, NS

Monday November 21, Dalhousie University, Room 406, 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm

You must arrange for your own accompanist. Please bring your headshot and bio/resume. For the audition, we’ll ask you to prepare three arias or songs, as follows:

1. Ideally one should be an aria for the character for which you wish to be considered. This should be in the original language. Or pick an appropriate (language/style/voice type) substitute.

2. An aria or song in English

3. Any other song or aria that really shows off your personality and voice.

2b. RECORDED AUDITIONS

We encourage participants from other parts of Canada and the United States to attend HSOW! Every year we cast quite a few people from distance applications, so rest assured that it’s worthwhile applying this way.

If you know you’ll be applying by CD/DVD/electronic upload, you’re welcome to send your application along any time. Deadline for recorded auditions is postmarked November 15, 2011.

Here’s what to include: CD/DVD with three selections as for Live auditions, above. Send along a covering letter, and a headshot, bio/resume, and any supporting material (reviews, letters of recommendation, etc.). If you have a video, that’s a help too, but it’s not essential.

Please send your package to: Halifax Summer Opera Workshop PO Box 1819 Lunenburg, NS B0J 2C0 (for couriers, our street address is 177 York Street, Lunenburg, NS, B0J 2C0)

We also accept packages submitted electronically.  After you fill in and submit the application form on our website, you’ll be given information on how to upload your files to us (you can also include links to online content at this time, such as YouTube videos). 

For mailed or uploaded packages, letters of recommendation can either be included or emailed to Nina, as long as they’re marked clearly with your name.

What is HSOW? 

HSOW is an intensive summer opera workshop in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the East Coast of Canada, run by working musical and theatrical artists. The workshop was started in 2005, and is designed to be supportive, friendly and professional. Participants learn and hone their operatic skills while rehearsing and performing complete roles. Our participants typically range in experience from university undergrads to working professionals, and the standards of both singing and acting are very high.  

Please visit our website for more information about HSOW, our 2012 season, our faculty, audition locations, fees and the application form:

http://halifaxsummeroperaworkshop.com

Catch Mary Lou Fallis as a Pirate...

This weekend in London, ON, you can catch Order of Canada soprano Mary Lou Fallis as the pirate Ruth in the Concert Opera Groups production of Pirates of Penzance.  A fundraiser for the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy (COSI), the show features many COSI alumni including tenor Andrew Haji and baritone Brad Christensen.  As Mary Lou was quoted in a recent article publicizing the event...

"She's actually been lusting after him, which is really a very dark undercurrent, I would say, though not explored much," Fallis says of Ruth.

What a thought!  Hope everyone in the London area gets a chance to check this concert out!  Details below:

What: Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance by the Toronto-based Concert Opera Group. Soloists include Mary Lou Fallis, Andrew Haji, Constantine Meglis and Timothy Richard. Singalong choruses. Commentary by Darryl Edwards

When: Sunday, 3 p.m., First-St. Andrew's United Church, 350 Queens Ave. (at Waterloo)

Details: $20 adults, $15 students and seniors. Available at door. Benefits Centre for Opera Studies in Italy (COSI).

Visit co-si.com or fsaunited.com

Getting ready for summer....already? YAPs in Canada

It seems that every year deadlines come earlier than the previous year...and this year is no exception.  With competition fierce now in Canada for the graduate and emerging professional singers' money to pay-to-sing, young artist programs are putting out their calls for applications already for the summer of 2012.

Here are just a few that have sent me information this week:

Opera NUOVA
Based in Edmonton, AB, NUOVA has a number of different programs to offer with both short and long term training terms for singers and collaborative pianists.  Auditions start at the end of October and their deadline is Oct 15, 2011.  Giddy-up!

Opera on the Avalon

Based in St. John's, NFLD, OOTA will be putting up Puccini's Sour Angelica and Gianni Schicchi this summer.  The deadline for live auditions is November 9 with auditions taking place later in the month.  

COAA/AEDO
Based at the University of Western Ontario, COAA is in its 4th year and just completed its first year of an international collaborative program (AEDO). From their press release:

We are also delighted to continue our relationship with the Istituto Musicale Luigi Boccherini, and to announce a new collaboration with the Opera Studio Nederland, in the realization of AEDO, taking place this year in both Milan, IT and in Amsterdam, NL. This unique program focuses intensely on the art of learning and performing a full role, and culminates with staged performances, with orchestra, throughout northern Italy and in Amsterdam respectively. Application deadlines for AEDO Italy and AEDO Amsterdam are the same as those for COAA for North American students (one audition fee and application for all programs), information concerning live and recorded auditions for European students will be forthcoming on the website www.aedopera.com .

Stats and YAPs

782 Application
424 Auditions Granted
16 Singers CHOSEN

Those are the stats that made up Wolf Trap Opera this summer....and many other YAPs.  Just another reason to get yourself in gear for the upcoming academic year.

Aside from singing full roles at WTOC, singers are learning lots of skills according to Director, Kim Pensinger Witman:

"...Here they're also learning time-management skills... and they're also networking. It's not just that you're meeting people who will give you jobs later on, but you're making connections with your peers who will journey through the business with you, and they support one another which is a big deal. We are increasingly trying to help them develop their business skills. We do head shot and portfolio sessions; we give them website building advice and social networking seminars. You need to handle all this until you get a manager, and even after you have a manager, you have to understand all this to know if your manager is doing a good job. We're now realizing how much it will help them if they have some traction with the business side."

Read the whole article by Susan Dormady Eisenberg at the Huffington Post here.

...and BTW, the deadline for applying for the 2012 season is SEPTEMBER 16 for NYC auditions but alas, you must be a US citizen or have a work permit..*sigh*

New BACH Summer Festival in Canada

Gerald Fagan, Artistic Director  and Friedhelm Hoffmann, Chairperson,  are delighted to announce the inaugural Bach Music Festival of Canada, South Huron Ontario!

The Bach Music Festival of Canada, South Huron Ontario has been established to create a weeklong festival featuring music of Bach and his compatriots. This international music festival will have its debut in July 11 - 17, 2011. 

Confirmed Guests Artists Include:

INSTRUMENTAL CONCERTS:

Lara St John Solo Violin Concert Recital and Master Class

Trio Alla Grande Guitar Trio Concert and Master Class

‘The Art of the Aria’     Bach Aria Symposium with renowned Basso Thomas Paul (Juilliard)

CHORAL – YOUTH TREBLE VOICES: Festival Conductor Brenda Zadorsky

CHORAL - ADULT: Festival Conductor Gerald Fagan

Gerald Fagan Singers (London Canada), conductor Gerald Fagan

Harvestehuder Kammerchor (Hamburg Germany), conductor Claus Bantzer

Regional choristers are encouraged to join in the Festival by actively participating as a week long member of the Mass Youth Choir with a final concert on Friday July 16 or the Mass Adult Choir, culminating in a concert of the B-Minor Mass on Saturday July 17! You can join with your choir or as an individual. Choristers from around the province will gather to share their love of music, and we hope you will join us too! 

Numerous concerts, recitals and masterclasses are scheduled throughout the week for audiences, scholars and musicians! Drawing upon the wealth of talent from Southwestern Ontario as well as welcoming musicians from around the world, this Festival is guaranteed to provide music lovers with numerous opportunities for sharing in the celebration of Bach and his compatriots.

Social events, regional tours, and shared meals will ensure a well-rounded experience for both adult and youth participants.

Special Early Registration rates are set to encourage you to send your registration in early. Please look at the dates and forward your registration, to take advantage of these special prices.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Bach Music Festival of Canada, July 2011!

Louise Fagan, Executive Producer l.fagan@rogers.com 519 851 0393

www.bachmusicfestival.com

The Dilemma of the BIG Voice

An article appeared today in the New York Times called "The End of the Great Big American Voice".  A well researched and thorough first-look at the what many have been saying has been happening for years...where have all the big voices gone?

American vocal training has long been bruited as the best in the world and is supposed to be better than ever. Yet there has been no commensurate rise in great new talents. One clear measure of the problem is the system's inability to deal effectively with large voices .... It seems to favor lighter, flexible voices that can perform a wide range of material accurately, rather than the powerful, thrilling, concert-hall-filling voices on which live opera ultimately relies for its survival.

The conservatory system where most students start out is self-perpetuating; many of its instructors went right from graduating to teaching without acquiring any stage experience. Many teachers are therefore less accustomed to the acoustics of a big opera house than to the intimacy of a voice studio, where sheer volume can sound alarming - not at all like the smaller-scaled, lighter voices on contemporary CD's (like Cecilia Bartoli's or, worse, Andrea Bocelli's). Big voices also take longer to mature, and by the time they do, those lucky enough to possess them may be considered too old to get a foot in the door. Many competitions, for example, are open only to those in their early 30's or younger.

If you are a singer, a teacher of singers or the head of a music program you must read the whole article. How can we accommodate the singer that might slip through the cracks of our late 20th C model of vocal training? How can we encourage unique artists that are not just singing technicians?

Call to Carmen: Auditions for Jeunesses Musicales

Calling all Carmens!  Jeunesses Musicales has just announced auditions for its tour of Carmen throughout Canada for the 2010-2011 season.  Check out their website for information and the application.  Deadline is October 29, 2010.

Here is Canadian mezzo and CBC Radio 2 host Julie Nesrallah performing the Habanera:

Arcady: Call for Young Artist Applicants

A few years ago I had the pleasure of being connected to composer Ronald Beckett.  Ron is a talented writer for the voice and is founder and director of the group Arcady based in Simcoe, ON.  Arcady performs 20-30 concerts each season in Toronto and Southwestern Ontario.  They focus on performing and recording Ron's works as well as the "standards" including their annual Messiah.

Ron has just announced a call for applications for the 2011 Young Artist Program.  YAPs will be featured in a number of Arcady performances as well as be presented in a solo recital at the end of the season.  More information can be located on their website.

Best Voice Forward - Audition Workshop at Wilfrid Laurier

This just in from Kimberly Barber at Wilfrid Laurier University:

The Faculty of Music and Continuing Studies at Laurier are pleased to offer their newest offering, "Best Voice Forward: A Voice Audition Workshop" for fall 2010 and winter 2011. Led by internationally renowned Canadian mezzo-soprano, Kimberly Barber and former Laurier colleague, sought-after voice coach and collaborative pianist, Emily Hamper, students participating in this audition workshop will have the rare opportunity to enhance their vocal auditioning skills under the direction of Canada's best!


September 11 and 12, 2010, 9AM-7PM
For more information and to register click here.

Domain Forget Voice Program

And from our belle Provence...

Le Domaine Forget International Music and Dance Academy offers serious students the opportunity to perfect their skills under the auspices of world-renowned artists. The beauty and tranquility of the setting at Domaine Forget inspire creativity whilst the facilities are perfectly suited to the needs of both students and teachers.

Whether you are a young professional or an advanced student, you will benefit from the opportunity to further your musical training through the tutelage of established teachers and the participation in masterclasses given by distinguished international artists.

Voice Faculty include Lyne Fortin and coaches from the Montreal Opera.

May 30-June 10, 2010

*note: while I assume that classes and lessons will be offered in both English and French, this is a great way for English speaking singers to practice their French!

VISI - Vancouver International Song Institute

This just in....

The Vancouver International Song Institute
June 4-23, 2010
UBC School of Music, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
www.songinstitute.ca

"I have never experienced a summer program this focused, interesting, uplifting, and well run. The range of classes, concerts, and lectures was stellar"

- 2009 VISI participant

Welcome to VISI 2010, the interdisciplinary institute for training, performance innovation, and research in Art Song and other genres. VISI offers a summer nexus for collaborative study and projects among performers, teachers of Art Song, poets, composers, musicologists, translators, actors, directors, scholars and researchers in arts, humanities, social science, music neuroscience, and music therapy. VISI is also a gathering place for song-lovers and listeners who can attend classes, workshops, and concerts. If you are new to our Institute, we invite you to discover its mandate and programs at www.songinstitute.ca

For our members and past attendees looking for new program announcements, our re-constructed website is now launched with information about our June programs and events, with many more event details to be posted in the coming months.

Our professionally-oriented Study programs for the June 2010 session include:
The Theatre of Art Song/Collaborative Studies
Song Musicology Mentorship
Pedagogy of Art Song Retreat for Teachers of Voice and Collaborative Piano - "Teaching Art Song from the Inside Out"
Research projects in Music Cognition
Music Therapy Symposium
Special topics for the 2010 session include "The Romantic Self" - Schumann and his Legacy; Surrealism and French Mélodie; Songs of Samuel Barber; Dynamics of Collaborative Partnership.

The Theatre of Art Song/Collaborative Piano Studies faculty includes François LeRoux, Rosemarie Landry, Cameron Stowe, Kenneth Griffiths, and Julie Simson joining a large roster of internationally acclaimed musicians, directors, and scholars. The dynamic New Triad for Collaborative Arts will also be in Residence, through a generous grant from the Sorel Organization.

The Musicology Mentorship is guided by Dr. Benjamin Binder, musicologist and collaborative pianist from Duquesne University, and a forum of scholars including Dr. Richard Kurth and Barbara Heyman.

The Pedagogy Retreat will feature Professor Scott McCoy, President of NATS, with an array of distinguished artists and scholars across many fields of interest related to Art Song interpretation, performance practice, and pedagogy.

If you are a member of the Listening Community VISI welcomes you to attend our many masterclasses and lectures. As well, our customized programs for the general public include some "how-to" workshops in diverse vocal traditions, a Music Therapy Symposium, and a Choral Adventure weekend. Please see the Masterclass and Symposia pages on our website for more information.

Applications are online for the university training programs (theatre, collaborative piano, musicology). Registration forms for other programs will be online in March.

VISI is delighted to announce SONGFIRE, a month-long festival of Song in Vancouver from late May through June in collaboration with City Opera, Turning Point Ensemble, Elektra Women's Choir, Erato Art Song Ensemble, Silk Purse Music Society, Dunbar Heights United Church Music Society, and others. Our Festival brochure will be posted in May.

Plan a VISI Vacation to suit your interests and schedule, and join us for classes and conversations about Song, the Audible Soul of emotion and experience across all boundaries of time and culture.

"I had an inspiring, revelatory, fun, challenging, and altogether fabulous time".

www.songinstitute.ca

Young Artist Program: Arcady in Southwestern Ontario

Canadian Composer Ron Beckett announces the Arcady Young Artist Program

Young artists have always been at the heart of Arcady membership, stemming from the days when the ensemble supported a separate youth choir. Some of those young musicians have continued performing and are now embarking on professional careers, partly resulting from the experience and training provided by Arcady.

Arcady would like to extend this opportunity to the wider community in which it performs, especially to recent graduates who are seeking performing experience. Candidates should be between the ages of 20-35, a senior student or recent graduate of a university or conservatory, and demonstrate potential as a solo performer. Location is not a factor as Arcady performs in a variety of Toronto or Southwestern Ontario locations.

• open to both singers and instrumentalists


• solo performance opportunities (varies by season)


• mentorship with seasoned local performers


• introduction to contemporary and Baroque repertoire


• opportunity to work with composer-in-residence

2009-2010 Season

Successful candidates will be featured as a soloist in one or several Arcady performances during the year. They also will receive a solo recital later in the season.

If interested in auditioning for the Young Artist Program for the 2009-2010 season, contact Ron Beckett at info@arcady.ca or phone 519-428-3185. Auditions are heard on a rolling basis.

Something to do this summer: Toronto Summer Music Festival

This just in from the Toronto Summer Music Festival:

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL
July 21 – August 15, 2009
Festival passes ($120 - $300) and single tickets ($20 - $75) are available online http://www.torontosummermusic.com/

Renowned conductor and Artistic Director Agnes Grossmann is thrilled to present the fourth annual TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL (TSMF) in Toronto this summer. The finest artists from the world of chamber music will come to the city from July 21 to August 14, 2009.

This year’s Festival theme, Eternal Stars, will highlight the performances from such distinguished artists as Menahem Pressler and Anton Kuerti, as well as star composers, three of whom have significant anniversaries this year – Joseph Haydn, Felix Mendelssohn, and Bohuslav Martinu. One of the biggest highlights of the Festival will be the return of perhaps the most outstanding chamber musician of our time, pianist Menahem Pressler....

... Another Toronto favourite group and Juno award-winners, the Gryphon Trio, will appear on August 11 with soprano in a programme of Scottish Folk Songs. Other works on the programme will include Hayden’s Trio in C Major and Mendelssohn’s Trio No. 2 in C Minor.

...Opera Extravaganza on Thursday, August 13, will feature some of the star alumni of the TSMF Academy Opera Studio, accompanied by the National Academy Orchestra, and conducted by TSMF Artistic Director Maestra Agnes Grossmann. The evening will be filled with some of the most beautiful and powerful operatic arias, duets, and ensembles.

Agnes Grossman said: "This summer we are celebrating two composers, who have been shining key figures in the evolution of the musical universe: Joseph Haydn - father of the Viennese classical period in the age of Enlightenment and Felix Mendelssohn - "the brightest light amongst composers of the Romantic Era" (Robert Schumann). Through our great performers, Toronto Summer Music's 2009 Festival, with this year's theme "Eternal Stars", will celebrate for our fourth season, stellar moments of musical interpretation."

Elora Festival Academy of Music

More now from the Elora Festival of Music...

NEW!!

The Elora Festival Academy of Music is a five-day residential programme for senior undergrad and postgraduate music students, young advanced, pre-professional and professional, singers and collaborative pianists.

For the summer of 2009 we will be seeking applications from students of voice, and piano accompaniment. These students will be offered an intensive week of individual instruction, master classes and daily performance opportunities. They will also be given the opportunity to expand their artistic insights through interaction with Festival artists. We are also pleased to have internationally renowned artists as resident instructors (Laurier Faculty Kimberly Barber, Daniel Lichti and Leslie De'Ath)

The Programme for Singers and Collaborative Pianists is designed to offer an intensive period of collaboration in vocal literature, focusing on art song but also including repertoire from opera, oratorio and musical theatre. A regimen of daily lessons and masterclasses will culminate in shared, late afternoon public recitals and a final Elora Festival concert showcasing all participants.

Arts Integra Summer Program

I just received this information last week and thought I would pass it on!

The Arts Integra International Summer Programs offer emerging artists and professional singers, actors, pianists, directors and teachers of all ages and experience, an opportunity to develop their craft, hone their skills and enhance their repertoire by learning new roles. Participants will perform in professionally staged productions with possible exposure to Directors, Conductors, the Media and Artists Management Representatives.

Located in historic Unionville of the Greater Toronto Area, students will receive instruction and guidance in a full range of innovative classes and professional coaching, voice lessons, Master classes, role & scene preparation, interpretation, language, diction, and advice on audition
preparation and career development, preparing them to be entrepreneurial and competitive in the global marketplace in a supportive and nurturing environment by some of the most highly regarded professionals in their field.

Participants are required to pay for their own meals, lodging, travel and
insurance. Optional group excursions to local restaurants and attractions
may be planned throughout each session.

Summer Program session dates are as follows:
SESSION I: June 1st, 2009 - June 13th, 2009
SESSION II: June 15th, 2009 - June 27th, 2009
SESSION III: August 4th, 2009 - August 14th, 2009

AUDITION INFORMATION: See Website for details

TUITION FEES
Tuition for each session may be paid and withdrawn in two installments as
follows: First installment per session due April 1st,
2009: Canadian Residents: $875
International Residents: $1400

Musical Productions will be accompanied by piano or keyboard, and performed in the original language. All participants must participate in various chorus works in addition to solo roles, and will be expected to arrive with their parts securely memorized.

Arts Integra is committed to bringing the Arts to the community, and the community to the Arts. We encourage members of the community to step out of their daily experience while giving performance experience to highly gifted and trained young professional performers, building a new generation of audiences and patrons of the Arts. Rehearsals and performances will take place at various venues throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

UPDATE from the AD (March 30.09):
"...we've moved the deadline for payment of tuition. It will no longer be on April 1st. Auditions will be held in Toronto/Unionville on May 1st and 2nd. Deadline for audition applications is April 30th. The initial payment won't be due until May 4th, if accepted into the program".

Marilyn Horne Celebrates her 75th with Master Classes in NYC

This blog entry by Billevesses is a must-read for all fans of Marilyn Horne and all fans of great singing as he reviews his experience of her 75th Birthday Master Classes this past week in New York.

Marilyn Horne has worked with many Canadian opera singers at the Music Academy of the West including sopranos Isabel Bayrakdarian, Joni Henson, Shannon Mercer, Tracy Smith-Bessette, and Karen Wierzba, mezzo Anita Krause, baritone James Westman, and bass Robert Pomakov.