AVA Opera Blog

Blog thy neighbor...

Unless you live on another planet you know that the biggest things to hit the internet are personal blogs, just like mine. I limit mine to information on the AVA family, but below are some other blogs you should take a peek at. They are written by wonderful friends of opera, and extol what AVA stands for.

Operavision Blog
Metropolitan Opera soprano Aprile Millo has made no bones about liking the singers from AVA. She has been a huge supporter of the alumni and resident artists, and has even been found in the audience, as she was on Saturday night’s production of La Traviata in Bucks County.  Ms. Millo’s history with AVA goes back a few years, and she was the honored guest artist at the 70th anniversary concert in 2005 at Verizon Hall. Shortly after that concert she returned to Philadelphia for a solo recital, and during that time gave a master class for the resident artists. I spoke to Takesha Kizart at the end of class to ask her how she enjoyed Ms. Millo.  She replied to me that she was the most giving singer and the information and comments were very helpful, and she would always remember the class (even opera singers are groupies.)

Yankeediva Blog
A quiet blog, but also wonderful is that of AVA alumna mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. Most of the blog is about her travels and opera impressions, but well worth reading.

Neil Funkhouser Management Blog
Lastly is the blog of artist manager Neil Funkhouser, which is written by Mr. Funkhouser and his associate Alex Fletcher. Mr. Funkhouser represents many of the resident artists and alumni of AVA including Markus Beam, Stephen Costello, Bryan Hymel, Ailyn Perez, and Ben Wager. All the information on the Funkhouser blog is related to his artists, but there are plenty of AVA singers to choose from.

Addio, dear friend...

It’s always sad when you hear about the loss of a friend. When it’s a fellow musician, teacher, scholar, and part of the AVA family it’s much more deeply felt.

On Friday, May 9, 2008 the wonderful Wayne Conner passed after a brief illness. He was the instructor of Opera History and History of Singers at AVA, but he was much more than that. The resident artists and alums who took his classes were always enthralled by his tales of historical singers, and through that learned of the golden age of opera.

He will be missed by all of us this kind and gentle man. His wealth of knowledge imparted on decades of young singers hopefully helped them to understand the lineage of opera. He was also the voice of AVA on our WRTI broadcasts, and now that voice is silenced.

Please feel free to write your memories of Wayne in the comment box below. A celebration of life will be held at The Curtis Institute of Music on Wednesday June 4th at 4:30 pm.

Wayne Conner, a native of Dallas, Texas, received a business degree from Southern Methodist University and music degrees from The Peabody Conservatory and The Curtis Institute of Music. He studied voice with Richard Bonelli and Martial Singher and was coached by such famous artists as Elizabeth Westmoreland, Vladimir Sokoloff, Leo Rosenek, Ernest Ligo, and Tito Schipa. As a tenor soloist, he appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy, The Philadelphia Chamber Society, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, Zagreb Philharmonic, Philadelphia Oratorio Choir, Baltimore Bach Society, and the Marlboro Festival in Vermont. He was also heard frequently as an opera singer in performances with the Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company.

As a historian and lecturer, he is in constant demand. He was the creator and host of Singer's World, heard on National Public Radio for twenty-five years and was the host and producer of Collector's Corner and The Sunday Opera for WHYY 91 FM in Philadelphia. Mr. Conner is a former member of the voice faculty of Mannes College and a current faculty member of both The Peabody Conservatory and The Curtis Institute of Music. Opera lovers have heard his highly informative and enlightened lectures about the history of opera at The Academy of Vocal Arts, Johns Hopkins University, Washington Opera Society, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Friends of Curtis Institute, and The Opera Club of Philadelphia.

How to spend your spring...

For AVA resident artists it is by winning vocal competitions. The wins have been many, and with a few competitions left in the season, I might have more to report next month.

The Licia Albenese - Puccini Foundation is one of the more important prizes given in New York City and this year’s prizes were received by to AVA resident artists. Tenor Bryan Hymel was the first place winner and soprano Jan Cornelius received the second prize.

Last weekend was the finals of the J.P. Opera Foundation in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and resident artist soprano Jessica Julin won first place and baritone Steven LaBrie won second. Mezzo-soprano Nina Yoshida Nelson won the audience choice award.

On the weekend of April 26, the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition took place, and AVA walked away with two second prizes. Soprano Angela Meade won second place in the Advanced Division, and Steven LaBrie received second place in the Junior Division.

Still lto come this season is the Loren L. Zachary Vocal Competition in Los Angeles. Both Angela Meade and Bryan Hymel are in the finals, which will be held in June.

Lastly, Angela Meade will participate in the finals of the Eleanor Lieber Awards, sponsored by the Portland Opera on May 16 and 18. Angela will be close to her hometown in Washington State, and promises to give a shout out to AVA alumna, Jeannine Cowles.

Here, there, everywhere...

One of my crack self-reporters has checked in from central Europe!

Baritone Daniel Mobbs was last seen in Baltimore singing in Romeo et Juliette with tenor Stephen Costello. I had a wonderful dinner with them but didn’t know half of Dan’s summer schedule. Wish him luck - he’s opening tonight in Poland. But he can tell you better in his own words…

“After quite a crazy few weeks in April with Romeo and Juliette closing and a rush learning of Bianca e Falliero for Washington Concert Opera and I must say what a joy it was to sing with WCO. The maestro Antony Walker is a true joy to sing with. He's a former singer and really understands what we need and what we do. He is quite the talent and I highly recommend him and his group to everyone. He loves opera and it shows in the concerts.

Now, I am in Warsaw Poland, singing my first William Tell. A role I have dreamed of singing…forever. Singing it with my favorite conductor and most loyal impressario, Will Crutchfield. I'm thrilled to have this great opportunity. Warsaw is an interesting place, half old school leftovers, and half trendy hip European youngsters. Richard Troxell was here this spring for Les contes d’Hoffman, and of course was loved by all. Go AVA Alumni!!

Next I am home for a concert with L'Opera Francaise de NY called "The Mephisto Project" and then back to my summer home, Caramoor, for Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Saviglia. My first with this role, after over 100 performances of Figaro. Nice to try out a new role, and have fun, taking the pressure off by not singing Figaro, again with dear Will Crutchfield.

I hope people who are NY can come see these things. Check my web site for dates and links to get tickets.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself!

A yankee doodle singer...

So if you happen to see the Philadelphia Inquirer today, which I read over coffee, and if you know the resident artists and alumni of AVA, you might have had a morning chuckle.

As most of you know AVA’s production of La traviata opened last Saturday, and in all good performing arts groups, you wait for the review (even when you say you won’t.) Well in today’s paper side-by-side was the old, and new of AVA.

Playing Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia for many years is AVA alum Dean Bennett (class of 1960) in a article about the story tellers in the historic area and Independence Hall. Dean is the authentic Mr. Franklin and is well know in this area.

Sharing the top of the page with Dean was a wonderful review from music critic David Patrick Stearns on AVA’s opening night  La traviata As they would said at Sardi’s (for all you when remember the glories of Broadway), he liked it!

I have it here for you to read, but he said of Jan Cornelius, “Jan Cornelius nailed Violetta.” Of tenor Michael Fabiano’s Alfredo he mentioned, “He's the real thing.” The photo is of (l to r) Cynthia Cook, Jan Cornelius and Ariya Sawadivong.

What a wonderful time to bring two different decades of AVA people together on the same page, doing what they do well.

More blood please...

Soprano Manon Evrard is having a great year of singing. She has just finished her second opera this season for Virginia Opera, and it’s a bloody one as the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor.

Reviews were amazing including "Her singing was spectacular and she also drew the audience with her almost constant movement", and  "In the very first act, the stunning Manon Strauss Evrard makes it quite clear that she IS Lucia in every note and nuance."

The director for the opera was Dorothy Danner, who we have the great fortune at AVA to have direct La traviata, which opens tomorrow night with three sold out performances already on the books.

Manon opened the season at Virginia Opera with Les contes d’Hofmann with AVA alum bass Burak Bilgili. I’m sure going back to sing in Virginia is like going home. But this time she had her ‘Mere et Pere’ from France, and one of her sisters from Japan in to see the show. Even AVA board member Joe McGuire flew in while doing some legal work in California to see the production.

Manon always ends her emails to me with 'big bisous' (big kisses) and I’m sending that back to her.
xoxoxoxoxxoxoxo

   

                                                       

As you can see from the photos, Dad got get into the make-up Enrico, the mean brother of Lucia. Also in the photo is Manon's sister.

Voila Carmen...

I sometimes see alumni at AVA performances, and I recently had the great pleasure to sit next to soprano Cristina Nassif at the Jubilate! concert in New Jersey. The first thing I tell all the alums is to send me what they are up to (for the blog)…and Cristina has a tasty plateful .

The first big news might not be musical, but a great life experience - Ms. Nassif is getting married next November. Her fiancé, Jamie is also a singer, there's nothing like making beautiful music together. I know Cristina’s Mom and Dad from her days as a resident artist at AVA. She says of Jamie, “along with a beautiful baritone voice, he's got the heart, eyes and intelligence to match. I've never known a better man and my family and friends couldn't agree more or be happier for the two of us!”

They had the pleasure of singing together in Shreveport, LA, as Violetta and the Marquis in Verdi's La traviata.  From the reviews, it must have been a great production. Cristina is no stranger to Violetta, having recently sung it with Virginia Opera, Piedmont Opera, and Wichita Grand Opera.

Her exciting news for February 2009, is that she will make her London debut in the title role in Bizet's Carmen at Royal Albert Hall.  She told me that the billboards are already up in London for the production, so if you’re traveling in London, you might see her beautiful face staring back at you!

I failed to mention in a recent blog that Ms. Nassif was a 2008 first place winner of the Gerda Lissner Competition in NYC. This is the second year that Cristina has won a first place prize in this competition!

I love the story behind this photo. Cristina says, “this was taken outside the restaurant (Botin) in Madrid, shortly before he proposed!  A little FYI, he proposed to me in the same restaurant where my dad proposed to my mom back in 1971!

Over the bridge...

I never thought of AVA as “party central” but if one gala is good, three are just great! The year started with the Bucks County Opera Association Gala in February, followed by the AVA Viva la Voce! gala in March, and now the South Jersey Opera Association had their time to sparkle with Libiamo! this past Saturday.

South Jersey Opera Association (SOJA) is the newest jewel in the AVA’s crown. It was started three years ago with the help of Denise Stuart, AVA’s Director of PR and Marketing, and NJ resident. She saw interest for opera and music in the NJ area and helped AVA began their move into NJ with the Jubilate! concert. In 2005, fully staged opera was presented. First at the Commerce Bank Arts Center, then at Rutgers/Camden Gordon Theater.

The gala on Saturday night was the third event for this new group. It was used to help promote the production of La traviata which will be performed at the Gordon Theater at the Rutgers Camden Campus on May 17.  The event took place at Commerce University, the banks dramatic new training facility which includes a professional theater and three-story atrium.

What hit me the most was the number of young patrons who attended the event. If they are not opera lovers yet, they will be when they see La traviata. The SJOA committee does one of the best silent auctions I have seen, with over 40 different items to choose from including a week stay in Sedona to a diamond ring. Along with the silent auction, there was a raffle of sixteen items, which yours truly called out the winning numbers with the help of Box Office Manager Robin Marcotte, and Director of Institutional Advancement, Bob Lyon.

The best part of the evening, of course, was the wonderful singing from the resident artists, Taylor Stayton, Corinne Winters, and Ryan Kuster (pictured with Luke Housner). Ariya Sawadivong, Cody Austin, alum Eric Dubin and Octavio Moreno were also there to sing as guest artists, all under the musical direction of Luke Housner.

So what’s the bottom line? This year SJOA raised more than the previous years at almost $30,000, which will help the scholarship fund at AVA.

1. AVA Board members Susan Kane and Ann Stephenson (also Bucks County Opera Association members) take the pen to the silent auction items.
2. Tenor Cody Austin and baritone Octavio Moreno sing the duet from the Pearl Fishers.
3. Tenor Taylor Stayton and soprano Corinne Winters sing the duet from The Merry Widow.

Firenze e bella...

Yes, Florence is a beautiful city, and tenor Michael Fabiano had a chance to sing it. That might not actually be news, but he had the opportunity to make his very successful debut at La Scala opera in Milan, singing about Florence!

He sang the wonderful role of Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, in their recent production of Puccini’s Il Trittico. Michael was second cast, so he will not be part the production that will be playing in movie theaters in the USA this month. He told me that it was a great experience, especially to see how an Italian opera house runs, which from what I hear can be quite different than what we expect. He had the pleasure of having his mom and dad attend the performance.

Michael retuned to AVA just in time to begin staging rehearsals for our final production of the season La traviata. This is not a new role for him, since he performed it last summer in an opera festival in Austria, but this time, it will get the Maestro Macatsoris touch.

Michael will be staying part of this summer in Philadelphia where he will sing the role of Rodolfo in La bohème with the Philadelphia Orchestra during their summer season at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia. This will be a concert version under the baton of  Maestro Rossen Milanov. Michael will be joined by alum baritone Luis Ledesma, who will sing the role of Marcello.

Tea and scones...

Soprano alumna Othalie Graham is one of those hard working AVA alums out there using Philadelphia or New York City as their home base. I'm not sure singers get all that used to flying from one venue to another but that's just part of the job. From her recent, and upcoming schedule it seems she’s ready to conquer at least half of the world at a time with her beautiful voice.

In a recent email last month she mentioned that she was having afternoon tea at the Princess Hotel in Victoria, BC (she knows how much I love afternoon tea!) She was in Victoria to sing on a gala concert for Victoria Opera.

I did see her briefly while she was back in Philadelphia while doing work and competitions in New York City. I got the news last week that Ms. Graham was just awarded the New York Wagner Society Prize.

She mentioned, that she would love to invite everyone to see her performance of Turandot in a semi-staged production with Connecticut Grand Opera on May 10.

From Victoria to Turkey - (see I told she is going half way around the world), where on June 13 she will sing the title role in Aida in Istanbul, followed on June 24 where she will reprise the role at the Aspendos Festival with the Istanbul Opera.