Notes from our District Gov'nor

I have many good wishes and congratulations to distribute this year!  It felt truly bizarre to be on the other side of the planet while our Ontario Chapter NATS Audition were taking place at Western this year.  I was in Wuhan, China travelling to initiate an exchange relationship with a very large conservatory there.  They have an astonishing number of very enthusiastic singers there and they all want to sing opera (bel canto)!  I had the pleasure of working in a masterclass with some of the voice faculty there and felt very flattered by and honoured by their lavish hospitality.  BUT this was the first year since 1999 that I have not enjoyed the company of my colleagues and the singing of all our students at our Auditions and that did feel very odd indeed.

I extend my hearty thanks and congratulations to the NATS Ontario executive, under Elizabeth McDonald’s leadership, for their very productive work on our behalf this year and for their work, along with Michelyn Wright our Auditions Coordinator, for yet another successful round of Auditions.  I have heard that the evening at the Windermere was convivial and I feel as though I really missed out this year not being able to enjoy that wonderful new tradition with you.  Long may this new tradition continue; and again, my thanks and congratulations to the Executive for this innovation and success.

My dear friend and colleague, Jackie Short, cheerfully served as our venue coordinator for the NATS Auditions here at Western in my absence this year.  I am very grateful to her for her willingness to serve, her support and her exertions on behalf NATS Ontario and Western.  It was a much more complex job this year because of the construction here at Western, so, I am doubly grateful to Jackie!

The New Year brings for me another round of discussions of the NATS President’s Strategic Planning Committee – I am getting good at Skype.  If you have ideas and issues that you would like brought to the attention of a pretty august group of NATS luminaries, please send them to me and I can include these thoughts in my submissions and discussions.

I have not yet received the list of singers for the first round of NATSAA which will be held in London on February 8^th.  I will communicate the full details of this competition once the numbers and therefore scheduling become clear.

I don’t think that I will be going to China in the spring (once a year is more than enough – it’s an arduous journey!), so I can look forward to greeting you all at our General Meeting in May. Until then, I wish you all warm, happy holidays and professional fulfillment and success for 2014.

Meeting & Auditions 2013

Meeting and Guest Speaker Richard Margison

Audition Stats from Michelyn

• 229 applicants with only 12 cancelations
• the best attended Auditions in years!
• over $5000 in cash prizes awarded
• successful launch of the new musical theatre classes.
• Final Concert Adjudicators commented on the high quality performances these young musical theatre performers gave. I also was told by numerous Adjudicators that it was the best final concert in years.
• Approximately 75% of the Adjudicators stayed to attend the Final Concert, the best turn out we've had in my time as Coordinator.

Western's host coordinator Jackie Short did a miraculous job of organizing the event under cramped construction conditions. We thank the university for hosting so graciously.

It will be fantastic to go back in a number of years to see the beautiful results of the newly built wing.

Membership News

Current Membership Totals

• 97 paid members
• 19 charter members

New Developments

• names of members who have passed on such as Lynn Blaser, Donna Sherman, Bernard Diamant
• members who have retired such as Joanne Bentley and Diane Nelson
• charter members

Applications Now Open!

Click here to apply to COSI Academy 2014.

Centre for Opera Studies in Italy is pleased to offer a ten day  intensive enrichment programme to singers and pianists between 17 and 18 years of age.  The Academy program offers the same extraordinary opera training as our other COSI programs through lessons and coaching with our world-class faculty in the heart of Italian culture, but caters to the younger musician not yet in university.

The Academy program includes:

• Private lessons
• Coaching
• Italian classes
• “Pilates for Singers” instruction
• Courtyard concerts
• Master classes
• Day trips
• Seats for COSI 2014′s productions of
  • La Bohème – Giacomo Puccini
  • L’Incoronazione di Poppea – Claudio Monteverdi

Tuition:  $1599.00

Academy tuition includes housing, breakfast and lunch, all lessons, coaching, masterclasses, Italian language classes, Pilates and movement sessions, and seats for COSI 2014 productions of La Bohème and L’Incoronazione di Poppea. Day trips are available at an extra cost.

All students are required to submit payment in incremental installments as outlined in acceptance letters in Canadian dollars (bank draft, money order or certified cheque).

Please note that all fees, including application fees and tuition fees are non-refundable.

Application link: 
http://www.yaptracker.com/applications/cosi-academy-2014

PLEASE NOTE: Subscription to the YapTracker service is NOT required to view the application form, however non-subscribers will be required to sign-up for a free guest account. The registration page contains full options and information for both full and guest memberships; visit the Yaptracker registration page at www.yaptracker.com/register for more information.

Audition Requirements:

Singers: 1 Italian aria and 1 aria of choice (can be in any language).

Contact: 
manager@co-si.com

Audition registration for the 2014 Highlands Opera Studio program is now open!

PROGRAM DATES
JUL 28 – AUG 28 | 2014

TOSCA | Giocomo Puccini
RITA | Gaetano Donizetti
TBA | Third Production
Independent Study
Chorus & Apprentice Program

AUDITION DATES

JAN 7 | VICTORIA

Location TBA

JAN 8 | VANCOUVER

University of British Columbia

Room TBA

JAN 10 | CALGARY

Arrata Opera Centre

1315 - 7 St SW

JAN 13–15 | TORONTO

Location TBA

JAN 21 | MONTREAL

Place des Arts

Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Salle 1

260 boul de Maisonneuve Ouest

FEB 3 | NEW YORK

Location TBA

COST

$75 plus accompanist fee

Be prepared to sing three contrasting selections from the operatic repertoire, including one in English. Please bring 2 copies of your bio, resume, repertoire list, and head shot, as well as $20 cash to your audition for the accompanist, unless you have your own pianist.

Please contact us if you have any specific questions about our opera studio program.

BOOK AUDITION NOW