Singing praises of new opera academy

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By Heather Travis
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Two months before a wedding, most couples are putting the final touches on their big day.


Rachel Wood of London demonstrates her vocal range and theatrical abilities during a masterclass in von Kuster Hall with Steven Blier, a faculty member of the Juilliard School in New York, as part of the Canadian Operatic Arts Academy program.  

But Julie Grieve and Jeremy Ludwig are instead fine-tuning their voices and stage performance at the Canadian Operatic Arts Academy (COAA) at The University of Western Ontario.  
 
The pair completed undergraduate degrees at Western and will be married in July. Together, they are honing operatic skills, along with 29 other participants, in the elite program held May 4-23.
 
“It’s important for singers to be performing through the summer,” says Grieve, adding the opportunity to study with the biggest names in the business had a strong appeal.
 
“It’s shorter than a lot of programs and you can fit a lot in,” adds Ludwig. “It’s a chance to really study a lot of scenes really intensely.”
 
More than 100 singers from across Canada and a few from the United States auditioned for COAA, which is in its first year. For an intensive three weeks, students ranging in age from 22-34 years old, will participate in masterclasses with acclaimed singers and coaches, take classes in movement, dance and stage combat, and engage in dramatic workshops and sessions with leading presenters of opera from across North America.  
 
“They are going to be so busy that at some point they will stop thinking,” says COAA musical director Mark Payne, who is also the head opera coach at Western. “Where opera is now, singers are often expected to be more than singers.”
 
The students will also practice and perform 16 ensemble scenes covering the breadth of the operatic repertoire. Public performances will be held on May 23-24.
 
“The program is about being ready to take in a lot of information ... and learning to teach yourself,” says Western music performance studies professor and COAA program director Sophie Roland-Wieczorek.
 
Unlike traditional casting, participants were selected based on vocal skills and ability to be creative and flexible.  
 
 “We went and listened for the best package,” says Roland-Wieczorek. “I like the idea of choosing the students and then choosing the scenes.”
 
Jennifer Krabbe of London says she would have travelled anywhere to participate in such an opera program and study with such a prestigious group of faculty members.
 
“It’s a lot of fun and long days, but I think that environment will be good for learning,” she says.  
 
Similarly, Andrea Cerswell of the Toronto area was attracted to the intensive program that allows her to “delve into every detail rather than glaze the surface” of opera scenes.
 
Among noted guest faculty members is Steven Blier, a faculty member of the Juilliard School in New York. His goal is to help students “figure out the heart of the song” to enhance their performance.
 
“Acting out a song is good for some pieces, but not for many,” he says. “You need to take us to the heart of the experience.”
 
Increasing demands of operatic singers requires them to do more than just sing, they must have stage presence. This is where director Timothy Nelson, founder of the American Opera Theater, comes in.  
 
“What makes this program so special is that most programs don’t adequately prepare singers in thinking theatrically,” he says, adding his focus will be on helping the students develop their characters. “A lot of opera singers are stronger actors than people in the straight theatre world.”
 
At the end of three weeks, students will offer a public performance of scenes selected from a wide range of operas by Britten, Puccini, Verdi, Rossini, Strauss, Dvorak, Bizet, Donizetti, Handel, Cavalli, Debussy and Mozart. These free concerts will be performed Saturday, May 23 at 7 p.m. in the Music Building, Room 104.  
 
A second performance will be held Sunday, May 24 at Orchestra London’s Serenade Brunch, hosted by the Best Western Lamplighter Inn. The brunch begins at noon and will follow with a recital. Tickets are $41.25 for adults and seniors and can be purchased at Orchestra London’s box office, by calling 519-679-8778 or visiting www.orchestralondon.ca.   To learn about COAA, visit www.music.uwo.ca/coaa.html.  
 

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