AVA Opera Blog

An Inside Look at AVA's 2017/2018 Opera Season

Welcome to the start of the Academy of Vocal Arts' 2017/2018 Opera season! To kick off this season, let's peel back the curtain and take an inside look at the stories that we can expect to see on the AVA stage in the coming months...

First up, Il trovatore! 

 

Gypsies, mysterious troubadours and hidden identities are just a few of the treats that this Verdi work offers up. Count di Luna is infatuated with the beautiful Leonora, who does not return his affections. Instead, she falls in love with the Count's rival, a troubadour who serenades Leonora and keeps his identity a secret. This rivalry sets in place a plot full of murder, mystery, and of course, tragic love. 

Angela Meade performed Leonora at the Metropolitan Opera in February 2016. Luis Ledesma sang the role of Count di Luna at Teatro de Bellas Artes in 2013. Indra Thomas as Leonora with the Arizona Opera and Austin Lyric Opera.

This production of Il trovatore will be conducted by Maestro Christofer Macatsoris and staged by Michael Scarola, who previously staged an AVA production of Anna Bolena.

Now that you are sufficiently enticed, come check out Il trovatore, opening on November 4th and running through the 28th! Performances in Center City, Buck's County (November 21 at Central Bucks South High School), and Haverford (November 28 at the Haverford School's Centennial Hall). 

 

Next up is the Wagner's iconic Das Rheingold! 

Since it's 1869 premiere, Wagner's Ring Cycle has been widely acknowledged as one of the greatest operatic works every composed. Join the crowd of Wagner enthusiasts that will descend upon the Helen Corning Warden Theatre in January 2018 to see this masterpiece! 

A story of gods, dwarfs, and Rhine maidens, Das Rheingold is a cautionary tale about the price of too much power. Rumored to have influenced J.R.R Tolkien's massive franchise The Lord of the Rings, Wagner's opera paints a picture of a dwarf named Alberich, who manages to come into possession of the Rhine gold, a ring that enables it's bearer to rule the world, but at a terrible cost. 

Many AVA Alumni have performed Das Rheingold over years, such as:

Nicole Piccolomini has performed the roles of Flosshilde, and Erda at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and Oper Leipzig, respectively. Michael Fabiano has performed the role of Froh. 

Luke Housner will accompany the Resident Artists on piano.

 

Opening in February 2018 is Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss! 

This Strauss favorite tells the story of two troupes of musicians who arrive at a dinner party to be told that they must perform each of their acts simultaneously. The result is a colorful and mystical tale of Ariadne and how she meets and falls in love with the god Bacchus. 

Conductor David Aronson will be making his Philadelphia debut conducting the AVA Opera Orchestra in February and March of 2018! The last AVA Performance of Ariadne auf Naxos was during the 1992-1993 season, however many AVA Alumni have performed these roles throughout the years! Joyce DiDonato sang the role of Composer at the Metropolitan Opera in 2011. Richard Troxell performed as the Wig Master/Brighella. Daniel Mobbs has performed the role of Harlequin.

Prepare your wine glasses for the arrival of Ariadne auf Naxos in February 2018!

 

Closing out our AVA season will be Verdi's La traviata! 

Running from April 21-May 1, 2018, La traviata has endured the years as an opera classic. Plagued by sickness, Violetta finds love in Alfredo, but before long they are torn apart by betrayal. A "fallen woman", she is forced to abandon her lover, until the truth comes out and they are reunited, if only for a moment. 

This season Jeffrey Marc Buchman will return as stage director with Maestro Christofer Macatsoris leading the AVA Opera Orchestra. You may remember Mr. Buchman from his direction of recent AVA productions such as Don Giovanni and Die Zauberflöte. 

AVA Alumni are no stranger to these roles...

Stephen Costello and Michael Fabiano have sung Alfredo in productions at the Metropolitan opera. 

Daniel Mobbs sang the role of Baron Doupol in the 2015 Opera Philadelphia production, with current AVA Resident Artist Roy Hage.

Eric Dubin sang Il barone Doupohol in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's 2010 production.

 

AVA's season also includes annual favorites, such as the Giargiari Bel Canto competition, Russian Romances and Jubilate! 

There you have it, folks! AVA has a wonderful season lined up, so if you haven't already subscribed, what are you waiting for? Subscriptions are available now, and single tickets will be on sale starting Tuesday, September 5th! We look forward to seeing you at the opera! 

 

About the author: Caitlin McCarthy is the Administrative Associate at the Academy of Vocal Arts.  

Meet AVA's New Resident Artists!

Hello! Bonjour! Hola! Cześć!

AVA is very excited to welcome our seven new Resident Artists! These singers are coming to us from near and far, from the good old U.S of A to Québec, Mexico, Poland, and New Zealand. We know everyone is waiting anxiously to witness these new talents firsthand, so let's start some introductions! 

 

First up we have Alexandra Razskazoff, coming to AVA from New Brighton, Minnesota. Alexandra is a soprano who holds a B.M. in Vocal Performance from Peabody Conservatory and a M.M. in Vocal Performance from The Juilliard School. 

Previous roles include Musetta, La bohème; Miss Alden, Dinner at Eight, Britomarte, L'arbore di Diana, Wellgunde, Das Rheingold, all with Minnesota Opera; First Lady, Die Zauberflöte, Music Academy of the West and Juilliard Opera Theater; Contessa Almaviva, Le nozze di Figaro, Juilliard Opera Theater; Suor Angelica, Suor Angelica, The Amalfi Coast Summer Music Festival; Blanche de la Force, Dialogues des Carmélites, Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni, Abigail Williams, The Crucible, and L’Écureuil, L'enfant et les sortilèges, all with Peabody Conservatory Opera Theater.

Alexandra has also competed in competitions, taking 3rd Place in HGO's Eleanor McCollum Competition (2016), and 1st Place in Sylvia Green Voice Competition (2014)! 

We are thrilled to have Alexandra joining the soprano forces here at AVA, and can't wait for all of you to meet her! 

Next we have Gabriela Flores, mezzo-soprano, joining us from Mexico! Gabriela has performed many times with the Ópera de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, including roles such as Alisa, Lucia di Lammermoor; Maddalena, Il viaggio a Reims, and Gianetta, L'elisir d'amore.

Also coming to us from Mexico, meet Daniel Gallegos! Daniel is a baritone who hails from Chihuahua, Mexico, where he studied at the Conservatorio de Música de Chihuahua, Taller de Ópera de Sinaloa and Sociedad Internacional de Valores al Arte Mexicano. 

Previous roles for Daniel include Mr. Nohlan, The Medium; Baron Douphol, La traviata; Betto, Gianni Schicchi; and Papageno, Die Zauberflöte. 

¡Bienvenido Gabriela y Daniel! 

 

Meet Brent Michael Smith, bass, who is from Owosso, Michigan! Brent holds a B.M. from Hope College, and a M.M. from University of Northern Iowa. Brent has performed many roles in his career, including The Commentator, Scalia/Ginsburg, Ariodate, Serse, both at The Glimmerglass Festival; Ashby, La fanciulla del West, Friedrich Bhaer, Little Women, and Colline, La bohème, all with Michigan Opera Theatre; Dr. Grenvil, La traviata with Owensboro Symphony (KY) and Lafayette Symphony (IN); Harry Hopkins, A Woman in Morocco with Kentucky Opera. Coming up he will perform the God of Evil/Procrustes, Hercules vs Vampires with Arizona Opera. He also earned First Place in the Opera Grand Rapids Competition (2012).

 

Hailing from Pultusk, Poland, let's meet Lukasz Zientarski! A baritone who studied at The Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań, Lukasz has perfomed as Don Magnifico, La Cenerentola at the Lyric Opera Studio Weimar. He has also competed and received First Degree Laureate in Salut International Performing Arts Web Competition, and Second Prize at III National Vocal Competition in Drezdenko. 

Witamy, Lukasz! 

Oliver Sewell is a tenor from Christchurch, New Zealand. He holds a B.M. from the University of Canterbury, and an M.M. from Manhattan School of Music. Oliver is no stranger to competitions; he is the Gerda Lissner Grant Award Winner (2017), Stan Sesser Career Award Winner (2016), Alan M. and Joan Taub Vocal Competition Finalist (2016), Lexus Song Quest Finalist (2015), and Kiri Te Kanawa Grant Recipient. 

Previous roles for Oliver include Ramiro, La Cenerentola, ARE Opera; Gastone, La traviata, New Jersey Festival Orchestra; Benoit, Le Roi l'a Dit, Danceny, The Dangerous Liaisons, Tamino, Die Zauberflöte, all with Manhattan School of Music Opera Studio; Ernesto, and Don Pasquale, Crested Butte Music Festival.

 

And last, but certainly not least, meet Pascale Spinney! A mezzo-soprano, Pascale is originally from Montréal, Québec, and has a B.M. and M.M. both from McGill University in Montreal. 

Previous roles for Pascale include Ruggiero (cover), Alcina, Santa Fe Opera; Cherubino, Le nozze di Figaro, Vancouver Opera; Hansel, Hansel and Gretel, Vancouver Opera; Clairon (cover), Cappriccio, Santa Fe Opera. She has participated in competitions such as the 2017 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions where she was a National Semi-Finalist (2017), the Mrs. Edgar Tobin National Award (2017), and the Vancouver Opera Foundation Kurt Sickert Scholarship (2016).

Bienvenue à l'Académie Pascale! 

 

There you have it folks, the new faces of AVA! Want to meet them in person? Join us at the New Artist Recitals on September 19th, and 21st to welcome them!

 

 

 About the author: Caitlin McCarthy is the Administrative Associate at the Academy of Vocal Arts.  

#GivingTuesday

We have Thanksgiving as a day to give thanks, and Black Friday and Cyber Monday for getting great deals. Now we have a new day dedicated to giving back; #GivingTuesday. If you are not familiar with Giving Tuesday, it is a day to bring communities, charities, non-profits, and businesses together to create a global impact by donating or volunteering. On this day, we are reminded how important giving back is during the busy holiday season.

So how did this annual day of giving begin? Giving Tuesday was founded in 2012 by New York City’s 92^nd Street Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation as a way to get people excited about charity and volunteerism. Today, it has become a global movement with thousands of organizations involved worldwide.

This year’s Giving Tuesday is taking place on Tuesday, December 1st. As a non-profit, we here at AVA will be taking part in #GivingTuesday and encourage you to join us! No amount is too small and anyone can participate in this charitable movement. 

Please join us and be a part of a celebration of the new tradition of generosity. With your generous support, we are able to ‘give voice to opera’s future’. We thank you for your support in our Giving Tuesday efforts!

Donations to AVA can be made online by clicking here. 

Images from #GivingTuesday 2014

Camille Mola is the Development Associate at AVA, as well as a Penn State University graduate, where she studied public relations.

The Mistress of the Mezzaluna

While the culinarily inclined may think a mezzaluna is an instrument used in the kitchen for chopping herbs, in AVA’s current production of L’italiana in Algeri the mezzaluna is one of the most distinctive and unique instruments in the orchestra.  The tall, ornate, rhythm instrument will be seen and heard throughout the opera’s performance during its AVA debut.

Martha Hitchins of the AVA Opera Orchestra is playing the mezzaluna in L’italiana in Algeri
(running in Center City, Haverford and Warrington through November 22). This isn’t her first time striking a mezzaluna; she first played it on stage during a performance of L’italiana in Alergi with what was then known as the Opera Company of Philadelphia (now Opera Philadelphia). Stefano Vizioli, the director of that performance, enjoyed the instrument so much that he had her play the overture on stage in front of the curtain. “I looked down and was afraid of falling into the pit; I’m so glad that didn’t happen!” she said.

The mezzaluna, also known as the Turkish crescent, originates from the Middle East and is made from a sturdy pole embellished with bells. Hardly two of these instruments are alike. This instrument was a feature in the band of the Sultan’s guard in Turkey from the 15^th-19^th century, and can also be seen in some modern operatic performances. Many composers, including Mozart and Beethoven, began incorporating Turkish flavor into their music, where the mezzaluna could be seen and heard.

This particular mezzaluna came from Turin, Italy in 2000, and arrived in Philadelphia unadorned, where it was declared by other orchestra members that it needed many more ‘plumes’. Ms. Hitchins, after learning that many mezzalunas are adorned with horse hairs on each side, ran around Philadelphia looking for this final pièce de résistance. “I spoke with Robert Driver [director of the then-Opera Company of Philadelphia] about this decoration,” she said. “He was amused by my request, and the hair you see here is from one of his daughter’s horses”.

When she heard that AVA was doing a production of L’italiana in Algeri, Ms. Hitchins immediately knew that the mezzaluna had to be included in the performance. Martha credits (AVA alum) Michael Eberhard, Artistic Administrator of Opera Philadelphia, for loaning the mezzaluna for this show.

While is it not featured in every number in the opera, it certainly adds flavor and flare when it is present. And it is undoubtedly hard to miss. Martha has had a number of people ask her about this unusual instrument after performances, and she expects it to happen again.

 “It’s a lot of fun to play; I feel like ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ playing this instrument,” Martha says.

Of course, here at AVA, she’s better known as the “Mistress of the Mezzaluna”.

Tickets to hear the mezzaluna and see AVA's production of L'italiana in Algeri are available here.

Camille Mola is a Delaware County native and a recent Penn State University graduate, where she studied public relations. There, she was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority and was involved with the Penn State Dance Marathon (THON). She is excited to intern with AVA this season and to expand her love and knowledge of music. 

 

 

I'm back...(again)!

As Al Jolson said “I’ve been away a long time,” but that’s all changing right now! 

With this season being the 80th Anniversary of AVA, I just have to crow about us...and you know I do that well! I have so much to catch up on, and so much great news, we will be typing our fingers to the bone with tidbits during this anniversary year.

 Did I say “we”? I won’t be alone this time blogging, and am excited to have staff ‘accomplices’ who will be writing about their adventures and views of AVA as well.

We might even throw in some history lessons during this anniversary year. So sit back, relax and enjoy my experiences at AVA!

I’ve been there in the past to give you the news of AVA (in my own words), and I'm ready to do it again. There is so much terrific professional and personal items about the alums, residents artists and music staff, I have a full year ahead.  

So do read all about my adventures at AVA!

Pass the cranberry...

It might be a little early for an American Thanksgiving, but who cares!

Started as a tradition while a Resident Artist at AVA, Angela Meade had thrown a Thanksgiving dinner at her abode for all her friends at AVA. We missed it last year while she was living in New York City, but since she has moved back to Philadelphia with her friend John Myers we all get to do Thanksgiving together again!

Angela is no slouch when it comes to cooking, she’s adventurous and also has a way with baking. If you ever had one of her Mystery Bars for dessert, you know what I mean. She had some help in the kitchen with post-cook preparations from alumus Luis Ledesma and AVA staffer José Meléndez.

This was a fun gathering of Resident Artists, music and admin staff, alumni and AVA lovers. Miss Meade did most of the cooking but everyone came bearing gifts from wine and pottery to bacon bourbon chocolate chip cookies. I was lucky to snag a bit of Angela's seven-pound-mac-and-cheese to take home with me, along with two mystery bars. The rest of the desserts were ‘donated’ to AVA on Monday (and, yes, they were all gone by the end of the day.)

 I asked Angela how the heck did she have time to do all of this and get ready for a sold out concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on November 10th, as well as singing a new role in Beatrice di Tenda by Bellini with The Collegiate Chorale at in New York City on December 5th …and she just giggled.

Spills happen, and this time we had a diva here to help clean up. Recent grad Michelle Johnson had no problems offering her services in helping out after a great meal.

When giving my thanks on this holiday, I am so grateful to have such wonderful friends from the AVA family in Philadelphia!

 
     

Milestones that make you feel good...

Once you enter the doors of AVA as a resident artist you become a member of our large, musical family. As in most families great milestones do happen, and here are a few that make us proud.

On Memorial Day weekend the nuptials of Michelle Johnson to Brian K. Major was the biggest event in Houston, well at least for AVA! Michelle and Brian met each other while students at Boston University Opera Institute and have been together ever since. The wedding brought in people all over the US, including many of the AVA family. Alum Cynthia Cook was a bridesmaid, Val Starr, our Dean of Students and her husband Dennis were at the wedding. Her gift to the bride was her bridal veil. Others from AVA who attended included board member Randy Apgar and his partner Allen Black, resident artist Zach Nelson, alum Nicholas Masters, and AVA patron Sheila Kessler.

In Philadelphia last week, there was a new addition to the AVA family. Baritone Jason Switzer (AVA 05) and his lovely wife, Lettie, gave birth to their first child, Lealah.  Jason writes on Facebook, “I welcomed the newest addition to the Switzer family on June 4th. She's gorgeous like her mother.” Only question left – is she a soprano or a mezzo-soprano?

Summer is the time for weddings, and on July 28th AVA alumna Jessica Julin (AVA 09) will marry her beloved Victor White in Maryland. After graduation from AVA, Jessica and Victor moved to Annapolis where they reside. I’m sure there will be an AVA presence there, so as they say, more to come. Jessica has just signed with Fletcher Artist Management, so look for lots of singing in her future.

One milestone which has a national tie to it is the one the one that bass Burak Bilgili (AVA04) received from his home country of Turkey. This year Burak received The Turkish Male Opera Singer of the Year Award from the Donizetti Classical Music Awards in Istanbul. Unfortunately he was not able to attend the awards ceremony since he was in the middle of the run of Nabucco for the Washington National Opera.

 

Where there is one, you will find many...

With the summer opera festivals upon us, many of you want more "bang for the buck", meaning the possibility of seeing more than one AVA alum or resident artist in the same location.

Here’s a quick rundown on where you’ll find a crop of AVA’ers!

For more information go to the AVA website and see the great date-by-date listings which
Amanda DeMarco put togther for you.

Des Moines Metro Opera
Can’t miss Eugene Onegin with Jan Cornelius, Cody Austin and Jane Shaulis
Stay the weekend and hear Zulimar López-Hernández as Zerlina in Don Giovanni,
and Joyce El-Khoury and John Viscardi in La Rondine.

Cincinnati Opera
For two nights only, La traviata with Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello

Wolf Trap Opera , Vienna, VA
Don Giovanni with Olivia Vote as Donna Elvira, and Ryan Kuster sharing the roles of Don Giovanni and Leporello (depending on what day you see the production).
Also there is soprano Corinne Winters, fresh from St. Louis Opera, to sing Anne Trulove in The Rake's Progress.

Opera Company of Middlebury, VT
AVA alums Colleen Daly and Branch Fields will sing in the rarely hear Thäis.

Glimmerglass Festival, Cooperstown, NY
Can’t miss Michelle Johnson making her debut as Aida, along with AVA alum Noah Stewart as Radames. Chrystal E. Williams will also be singing in Lost in the Stars.

Santa Fe Opera, New Mexico
A slew of AVA’ers will be in New Mexico for the season. Soprano Sydney Mancasola, mezzo Cynthia Cook, tenor Zach Borichevsky (singing the role of Matteoin Arabella), baritones Christian Bowers, Zachary Nelson,  and bass-baritone Christopher Remmel,  – now that’s a full house!

Caramoor Music Festival, New York
For one night only Eglise Gutiérrez and Burak Bilgili in I Capuleti i Montecchi.

Opera at Florham will have both soprano Chloé Moore and tenor Luigi Boccia singing the lovers in their production of L'elisir d'amore.

Angela Meade is doing triple duty with triple the alums!
Astoria Festival, Portland, OR with Ruth Ann Swenson in a concert version of Norma.
Blossom Summer Festival, Cleveland, OH with Michael Fabiano in concert.
Philadelphia Orchestra at Saratoga Springs, New York with Bryan Hymel in concert.

Want to stay close to Philadelphia and South Jersey?
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann Center with
Othalie Graham, Margaret Mezzacappa, Zach Borichevsky and Luis Ledesma.
Also hear Margaret as Azucena in Il Travatore at Opera New Jersey.

Get ready to travel!

And I was there... (part two)

Along with attending the Zachary Competition in Los Angeles, I was lucky enough to see several other AVA alums. I spent Friday evening with Kimberly Henshaw (AVA 06) and got to explore some of downtown LA with her close to the Disney Concert Hall. (pictured me and Kimberly Henshaw)

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I was able to see Alex Lawrence (AVA 11) and his beautiful fiancée Carin Gilfry, who were both covering roles in LA Philharmonic’s production of Don Giovanni. (pictured - Carin Gilfry and Alex Lawrence)

Sunday night included dinner with Ailyn Pérez, Stephen Costello, Bill Schuman, Thor Eckert and others, after the matinée performance of La bohème at LA Opera (which was sold out and also nationally broadcast).  Joining us at dinner, to my surprise, was American opera composer Jake Heggie. He has created many operatic roles for AVA alums including Joyce DiDonato and John Packard in Dead Man Walking, and Stephen Costello in his recently performed Moby Dick.

On my last night in Los Angeles, I was honored to give a lecture/video presentation to the Friends of Operetta in the Santa Monica area. Operetta has been my love for the past decade, and I have used many AVA singers in my concerts. I was happy to have the ability to show video clips of such AVA singers as Angela Meade, Bryan Hymel, Steven LaBrie, Ariya Sawdivong, Markus Beam, Evelyn Pollock, Eric Dubin and Kimberly Henshaw.

Was it a great trip?You bet!
Would I go back? Sure, only if I don’t have to drive the 405 Freeway!

And I was there... (part one)

As you know from the previous blog, I was planning to go to Los Angeles to attend many AVA related events in May. It was a busy week and most enjoyable seeing the resident artists and alums doing what they do best – sing!

Most of my time was spent with the Loren L. Zachary Vocal Competition events. Starting on Thursday evening, I was honored to be the host of a reception for stage director Tito Capobianco, who spoke and worked with the ten finalists from the competition. The insight he gave was invaluable to the young singers. He also worked with four of them on their arias with action tips, including AVA baritone Wes Mason. (pictured left to right - Viktor Antipenko, Tito Capobianco, Olivia Moore, Wes Mason, Chloe Moore, Scott Conner, Mackie MacLean, Nedra Zachery, Peter Huber)

Saturday was the actual competition. I had great company in the audience, including AVA Board Chairman, Mackie MacLean, AVA faculty members Bill Schuman and Thor Eckert, and AVA alums Ailyn Pérez, Stephen Costello and Alex Lawrence. All the singers did a wonderful job and AVA singers took the top prizes of first (Scott Conner, bass), second (Olivia Vote, mezzo-soprano), and third (Chloé Moore, soprano). (pictured left to right - Alex Lawrence, Scott Conner, Olivia Vote, Chloe Moore)

I attended the Judges Dinner that evening as Nedra Zahary’s guest. She is the founder  of this forty year old vocal competition. I had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people during the event who knew of the work AVA has been doing. In the program for the competition was a list of the past winners, and I counted twenty-four of them from AVA. (pictured - Me and Nedra Zachary)

The rest of the trip was filled with musical and AVA related adventures, but that’s for another blog!