Excitement in Canadian Opera Land...

One of the most exciting events in the lives of young Canadian opera singers occurred last night as the COC kicked off its first public competition (a la MET Finals).  Ten young artists were chosen to compete for a coveted spot in the COC Ensemble for 2012-12 as well as cash prizes.  After much searching (google was NO HELP), the @CanadianOperaCompany twitter account had the details:

First place: soprano Sasha Djihanian
Second Place: soprano Claire de Sevigne

Third Place: tenor Owen McCausland

Audience Choice: soprano Lindsay Barrett

Congratulations to all singers for what Twitter and Facebook users are hailing as "fantastic", "blown away", and "enormously talented"!

Check out the COC Blog Parlando for more details and their Flickr account for pictures!

(thanks to Rosanna Murphy's FB page for the pic!)

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.

Jeunesses Musicales auditions in tandem with COSI

NATIONAL AUDITIONS: Opera Deadline for applications postponed to October 21, 2011. Così fan tutte by Mozart Sung in Italian, with sets and costumes. REMUNERATION Remuneration policy based on the importance of the role. ROLES (6 singers) Fiordiligi, Soprano Dorabella, Mezzo-soprano Guglielmo, Baritone Ferrando, Tenor Despina, Light Soprano  Don Alfonso, Bass or Bass-Baritone PIANIST To apply, send us a piano solo recording. If your application is chosen, you will be called in for an audition (see the audition procedures for pianist below). AUDITION'S DATES* Montreal: November 7 & 8, 2011 Toronto: November 18, 2011 London: November 19, 2011 * The JMC reserves the right to modify the audition schedule or to cancel auditions in the event that there are an insufficient number of candidates. Please note that JMC and the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy (COSI) will be holding joint auditions this year. If you would like to audition for COSI in addition to JMC, please click on this link: www.co-si.com/admissions.php.   REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION Canadian citizen and permanent resident of Canada only Candidates must be at the beginning of their professional career Candidates must be opera artists or piano coach Application papers and all required documents must be sent before the deadline Be aged under 35 years old IMPORTANT All required documents must be postmarked no later than the deadline date No documents will be returned Only candidates chosen to audition will be contacted AUDITION PROCEDURE - SINGER Repertory: - An aria from Così fan tutte: For Despina: In uomini, In soldati OR Una donna a quindici anni For Dorabella: Ah, Scostati ! / Smanie Implacabili For Fiordiligi: Temerari/come scoglio For Ferrando: Un aura amorosa For Guglielmo: Non siate ritrosi OR Donne mie, la fate a tanti For Don Alfonso: Vorrei dir, e cor non ho - An operatic aria of choice sung in Italian (Please note that special attention will be given to candidates’ acting abilities) Accompanists: Candidates must provide their own accompanist. AUDITION PROCEDURE - PIANIST - A piano solo piece of your choice, approximately 5 minutes long - The finale of Act 2 is to be played while singing the vocal parts at the same time (those parts which the pianist considers important to highlight). IMPORTANT DATES The candidates chosen for the workshop and the tour have to be available at all the following dates: > Casts 1 and 2: - From August 24 to September 9, 2012 included: opera workshop, production of Così fan tutte > Cast 1 - From October 20 to December 9, 2012: Fall tour 2012 in Eastern Quebec and in Maritimes > Cast 2 - From March 19 to May 6, 2013: Spring tour 2013 in Western Quebec and in Ontario. Singers will be chosen for both casts when all candidates will have confirmed their participation. *Please note that these dates are planned in advance and may be changed without notice. Successful candidates will take part in the following: • A two-week opera workshop under the musical and stage direction of professionals working in the field. • A tour under the aegis of Jeunesses Musicales of Canada. Note that a tour means 13 to 20 concerts. A minimum of nine hours of pre-tour rehearsals and performances paid. On tour, transportation costs and a per diem will be borne by JMC.   Contact: Delphine Tremblay Martel, Evening Concerts Coordinator Jeunesses Musicales of Canada 514 845-4108, ext. 231 Toll free: 1-877-377-7951, ext. 231 dtmartel@jmcanada.ca

Vancouver Opera wants to nurture YOU!

Vancouver Opera has recently announced their new Young Artist Program!

Vancouver Opera is excited to announce the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program which will commence during the 2012-13 season. This program will engage, enrich, mentor and train rising young Canadian opera artists and will offer a bridge between formal academic educational programs and the professional world in a supportive and encouraging environment.

VO's Young Artists Program will provide up to seven artists - singers, pianists and stage directors - with the opportunity to train with industry leaders through master classes, one-on-one coachings and performance opportunities as part of a residency program.
Deadline: Applications must be sent no later than November 1, 2011.

Audition Dates:
Vancouver: December 5 & 6, 2011 • Toronto: December 8 & 9, 2011

Application Requirements:
Singers must have solid vocal training in opera and give evidence of a high level of artistic aptitude. Knowledge of an operatic language is an advantage.

Pianists must have strong knowledge of various operatic styles and languages, as well as operatic coaching experience.

Stage Directors should have some knowledge of opera and stage directing or assistant stage directing experience. Formal training at a university, college or drama school is an asset. Ability to read music, and proficiency in several operatic languages, is required.

Most applicants are between the ages of 24 and 34 and have recently finished their academic training.

More details are available in the downloadable Application Package.

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!

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 .

VISI - Vancouver International Song Institute

Singers, Pianists, Composers, Music Scholars, Creative Writers, Directors, Teachers:

Explore new realms in Art Song through dynamic masterclasses with internationally-renowned artists, groundbreaking Art Song Theatre, interdisciplinary mentorship for Scholars and Performers, the Art Song Lab, and the SONGFIRE Festival of Song. With innovative performance opportunities and  discussions ranging from poetry analysis to arts activism, VISI is a banquet of transformative  collaborations designed for advanced young artists and the professional community.

Just announced! Tenor James Taylor, Professor at Yale University, will join the VISI 2011 faculty.

The Application Deadline for most programs is February 28th, 2011.

See our website for complete details of programs, application forms, and the 2011 faculty roster.

www.songinstitute.ca

Call for Applications: Halifax Summer Opera Workshop

This just in from Nina Scott-Stoddart:

We are thrilled to announce that the seventh annual Halifax Summer Opera Workshop will run from

 

Monday July 18 through Sunday August 14, 2011

 

The repertoire will be:

 

Les contes d'Hoffmann by Offenbach (1998)

in French with sung recitative

Music Director:  Tara Scott

Stage Director:  Nina Scott-Stoddart

 

Die Zauberflöte by Mozart (1853)

sung in German with English dialogue

Music Director: Greg Myra

Stage Directors: David Mosey and GaRRy Williams

 

In person auditions will be:

 

LONDON, ON 

Thursday February 10, New St. James Presbyterian Church (280 Oxford Street East), Sanctuary, noon to 6 pm

TORONTO, ON 

Friday February 11, Kimbourne Park United Church, in the Sanctuary, 6 pm to 9 pm

Saturday February 12, Trinity-St Paul’s United, (427 Bloor Street West, two blocks west of Spadina) in the Memorial Room, 1 pm to 5 pm

HALIFAX, NS

Saturday March 5, Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts (6199 Chebucto Road), 1 pm to 4 pm

 

DVD/CD distance applications will be accepted postmarked up to March 4, 2011.

 

If you'd like to be considered, please fill in an application form on the site.  In fact, you can find all the details of the application process and requirements on the HSOW website at:  http://halifaxsummeroperaworkshop.com/?page_id=476

Auditions for Advanced Singers

Over the past five years, there have been a number of Canadian programs for advanced singers popping up on the radar.  I have linked a few below that have upcoming deadlines:

The Centre for Opera Studies in Italy (COSI) was started and is run by my colleague Dr. Darryl Edwards.  This program is a fantastic opportunity to perform and do intensive study on the Italian language.  Deadlines are fast approaching so check this out soon!  Dr. Edwards has also done an excellent comparison of programs that Canadian singers are eligible for in Canada and across the US that look at cost, location, performing opportunities etc. Needless to say, COSI is not just excellent value but a unique program for Canadian singers!

I have blogged about Opera on the Avalon before which was started by my former classmate soprano Cheryl Hickman.  This program is located in St. John's, NFLD which provides a stunning backdrop to a rigorous daily routine.

Opera Nuova has been around a bit longer and has created great opportunities for many of our young professional Canadian singers.  At the other end of the country in Edmonton, AB you have the option of a four week or six week program.

I will post more programs as I receive the information!

Canadian Auditions

As a subscriber I am always getting updates from YAP Tracker **about upcoming auditions for YAP programs in North America and beyond.  I am pleased that more Canadian companies are submitting their information to this amazing website!  Check out the following upcoming auditions:


The Canadian Opera Company Ensemble
The jewel of YAPs in Canada, the COC holds auditions each fall to look for promising young singers to understudy and sing comprimario roles during their season.  One of the earliest YAP auditions (most American companies head to NYC the beginning of November into early December), singers really need to be on their game for this one!


North Toronto Players
A community group that has built its reputation on presenting Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas with a twist, NTP is holding soloist auditions this fall. This looks like a great opportunity for young singers to get some experience.


Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Winnipeg
The joys of G&S in HMS Pinafore ....auditions are NEXT WEEK so get on this one quickly!  From their website:

2010 will mark the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Winnipeg’s 20^th season, having been formed in 1990.  The Society has now mounted 19 highly successful, professional productions and is set to begin work on it’s 20th Anniversary production of Patience....Society’s 15^th Anniversary Concert, in January 2005 (also at Pantages), featured Tracy Dahl as a guest artist in Trial by Jury, as well as a selection of songs from other Gilbert & Sullivan operettas.  The Society has also presented concerts in Winnipeg and Morden, “concert brunches” in January of many years, as well as concerts with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (with Bramwell Tovey conducting) in 1994, 1997 and 2001.  The WSO concert in 1994 was released as a CD by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Wild Salmon Productions
A brand new opera, Gloves Off! A Hockey Opera in Three Acts ,written by Vancouver Islander, Susan Hannah Rankin, is scheduled to be work shopped November 9, 15, and 27.  Auditions are next week!


**PS - if you are interested in getting $5 off your YAP Tracker membership, email me for a coupon!

Summer Plans? Check out VISI

This just in from the Vancouver International Song Institute:

"Teaching Art Song from the Inside Out" 5 days of Extraordinary Immersion School of Music, University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC. Canada  "I feel inspired enlightened, reinvigorated, encouraged with a new sense of belonging, and I return to my teaching with new ideas and renewed passion"

We invite you to join us this June in beautiful Vancouver, BC for: A banquet of ideas and explorations of innovation and interdisciplinary pedagogy in Art Song Interpretation Training and Performance Practices. An international convergence of artists and scholars for classes, concerts, and conversations. "Teaching Art Song from the Inside Out" highlights the pedagogy and philosophy of poetic and theatrical elements in Art Song, creative collaborative partnership skills, emerging research in vocal science, alternate career paths for young artists in therapeutic environments, and the psychological and ethical questions that emerge when deep artistic training challenges interpersonal boundaries. Speakers include PROFESSOR SCOTT MCCOY, President of NATS, Professor of Voice and Pedagogy, Director of the Presser Music Center Voice Laboratory, and author of the voice science and pedagogy textbook, Your Voice: An Inside View. FRANÇOIS LE ROUX, Director of the Centre de la Mélodie Française, SIMA GODFREY AND KEVIN MCNEIILLY, UBC Literature professors, DR. LEONARD GEORGE, psychologist and author, BARBARA HEYMAN, author of the definitive biography of Samuel Barber, DEBORAH STEIN, co-author of "From Poetry to Song", DARRYL EDWARDS, Professor of Voice and AIRS researcher at the University of Toronto, and many more share the roster. The retreat also includes auditing of masterclasses with visiting artists such as singers JULIE SIMSON, BENJAMIN BUTTERFIELD, ROSEMARIE LANDRY, and FRANÇOIS LE ROUX, pianists CAMERON STOWE, KENNETH GRIFFITHS, and more. See our full roster of artists and presenters on our website. June 11, 12, 13, and 15 offer Art Song concerts by the VISI faculty artists with commentary by musicologists and performers. June 14th is an optional private dinner and conversation for Retreat participants and select faculty. More information and the Retreat Schedule are available on the web. REGISTER NOW at this link. The early-bird online registration fee until May 15th is $200 for the full five-day program, including concerts and June 14th dinner. Fee is $250 from May 16 through June 11th. Daily drop-in tickets can be purchased at the door at any time: $10 for morning classes, $20 for afternoon classes, concerts $20, June 14th dinner $35 (please register for dinner by June 12th at VISI). Bring your ideas and join the conversation at VISI in June! Rena Sharon Artistic Director, Vancouver International Song Institute www.songinstitute.ca

Call for Applications: Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation for young Canadian opera singers

Support programme - 2010

1- Pre-selection

The projects, including the completed application form, a demo, a 8"x10" black and white photo and two letters of recommendation must be received no later than Thursday, April 1st, 2010, 5 p.m.:

The Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation

for young Canadian opera singers

c/o Sanpalo Investments Corporation

759 Square Victoria, 5th Floor

Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2J7

Information: margot@provencher.ca / 514-757-4060

Successful applicants will be advised of their participation in the final auditions in May.

Demo (on CD) with name of singer and selection with recording date and name of accompanist

3 selections with piano accompaniment only

2 opera arias, 1 lied or melody from 3 different eras and/or languages

Maximum length: 15 minutes

.

2- Final auditions

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

(In Montreal - starting at 10:00 a.m.)

Audition program

2 opera arias, 1 lied or melody

Candidates should have their own accompanist.

The program is not to exceed 15 minutes.

Jury

The jury is composed of persons who have a solid experience of the opera world. The decisions of the members of the jury will be approved by the board of directors of the foundation.

The Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation for young Canadian opera singers

Support programme - 2010

Objectives

To support the development and promotion of the careers of young Canadian opera singers.

Application procedure

The foundation’s application form must be completed. All questions must be answered.

A pre-selection, in April, by means of audio material will determine candidates for the final auditions to be held Wednesday, May 12, 2010 in Montréal, after which grants will be awarded.

The awards for the approved grants will be available (in part or in total) approximately two weeks after the auditions.

N.B. the majority of grants are of the order of $5,000

Admissibility

Conservatory or University graduates (singing studies)

Young professionals at the beginning of their careers

Age limit of 32 years of age as of March 31, 2010

Eligible projects

Musical and artistic support

Coaching

Singing lessons (additional training)

Acting (additional training)

Auditions

Transportation

Accommodation (up to $150 perdiem depending on the place)

Others

Recital/auditions gowns

Restrictions

Only one project a year can be submitted but a given project can include more than one element (for example, coaching and transportation for auditions).

Living expenses are not eligible.

Note

Grants are to be used only for the purpose approved of by the Foundation.

Copies of invoices can be requested.

Any change in plans must receive the Foundation’s approval.

For more information, please contact

Margot Provencher at margot@provencher.ca

RCM does Clemenza di Tito - audition now!

This just in...

We are very excited to announce the upcoming auditions for our production of Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito. There will be four performances at the end of July with chamber ensemble, fully staged with sets and costumes. We are also announcing our apprentice program in conjunction with the main stage event. Please see the attachment for links and audition dates.

Audition workshop in Toronto 2010

I just received this interesting workshop notice this week...have a look:

We would like to forward the below mentioned workshop taking place in Toronto on January 9, 2010. This workshop will be conducted by Opera America Member and Dramatic Soprano, Margarete von Vaight. Ms. von Vaight studied vocal performance in Toronto, Vienna and Seattle by world-renowned Dramatic Soprano, Jane Eaglen. This workshop will focus on the needs of Career Planning for the Intermediate and Advanced Singer. Specifically, audition preparation, resume preparation, and the importance of competitions and their impact on a young singer's resume. Ms. von Vaight returns with a wealth of knowledge during her cross Canada tour featuring meetings with Music Directors and Artistic Administrators of Canadian and American opera companies. Each student will be provided with an "Audition Package" which will feature Mock Audition material.
Interactive exercises, discussion and networking amongst other singers will be included. Please feel free to contact us for more information.


Career Planning for Singers Workshop January 9, 2010
Toronto, Ontario

Career Planning for Singers 2010, will explore the preparation of a young singers performance career. Join us for an afternoon filled with educational information every singer should know.

Singers will be provided with Audition Materials

This workshop will cover:

Resume Writing
Head shots
Repertoire
Young Artist Program Discussion
After Graduation: What Next?
Managers and Agents
Training and Education that Matters
Performance Experience
Mock Audition Packages

Pre-Registration is essential. Please contact us at operaworkshop@gmx.com for more information. Or call 647-242-7342 to reserve.

Date: January 9, 2010
Time: 12:30 @ 4:30pm
Cost: $60.00 (includes all workshop materials)

Elora Festival Academy of Music - Summer 2010

This just in from the Elora Festival...

...an exciting educational off-shoot of the Elora Festival.



We are now accepting applications for the summer of 2010. The Academy is an eight-day residential programme for senior undergrad and post-graduate music students — young advanced, pre-professional and professional, singers and collaborative pianists.

For the summer of 2010 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.

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.


...The application deadline is March 15, 2010.

This looks like a great opportunity for undergraduate
singers! Find more information at the Elora website.

Summer Program: Opera on the Avalon

There is a new program on the Canadian scene! Opera on the Avalon is located at Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland. Started by Canadian soprano Cheryl Hickman, this year's program includes fully staged productions of Britten's Albert Herring and The Rape of Lucretia.

A stellar cast of coaches, directors and conductors are committed to this month long program dedicated to training the next generation of Canadian opera singers.

Their deadline for application is Friday, November 27 so check it out!

Deadlines: Canadian Operatic Arts Academy

Deadlines are fast approaching for the Canadian Operatic Arts Academy at the Don Wright Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario!

Their first year was a huge success! This year auditions will be in conjunction with the L'Atelier Lyrique training studio from the Montreal Opera.

Highlights of the Program

• Intensive scenes program covering the breadth of operatic repertoire


• Internationally recognized faculty from such celebrated institutions as the
  Julliard School, Teatro alla Scala and the Houston Grand


• Masterclasses with highly acclaimed vocal coaches


• Classes in role preparation, performance practice, drama, movement, dance,
  stage combat, career development


• Final performance of fully staged scenes

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".

A NEW Young Artist Training Program is Launched in Canada

When one joins a department of music at the university level, one is subject to a great number of marketing materials. Most of the program information that comes through my university mail box is not appropriate for the undergraduate level singer. However, once in a while I find something interesting.



The Canadian Operatic Arts Academy sent me an incredible brochure and application first through my email as a NATS member then through my university snail mail. I love slick marketing materials and this was fabulous! Then I noticed that the content was equal to their gloss.

Started by the Don Wright Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario, the COAA promised to provide:

...the participants with invaluable insight into the multifaceted world of opera
– its preparation, performance, and business. Topics include role preparation, performance practice, dramatic exercises and study, audition training, promotion, management, and vocal and physical health. Primary focus will be placed on stage technique: character development, stage deportment, and character interaction. Participants also have the opportunity to engage in a wide array of forums with leading professionals in the operatic field. The workshop culminates in a public performance through which participants will have the opportunity to delve deeply into the experience of role preparation, both its musical and dramatic considerations. Participants completing the Canadian Operatic Arts Academy will leave better prepared for obtaining, realizing, and sustaining a prolific and rewarding career in the operatic profession.

Thanks UWO and Dr. Sophie Roland for putting together this great program...I would love to hear reports from singers that participate this summer!