Seattle G&S Society chorus auditions - April 4

From the Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society website:

"We are accepting appointments for auditions for our 2009 production of Utopia, Limited, one of the least-performed of the Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. If you are interested in auditioning, the audition information you need is posted here.

This is an opportunity to 'show your stuff' - Utopia is a rarely-performed show, so we have no pre-conceived casting notions - bring your character; we are excited to see what you would bring to the role. This is a show that has many roles for both women and men, so it is a great performance opportunity!"

**Auditions have already taken place for principal roles, but if you're interested in being part of the chorus, you can make an appointment to audition April 4th.

Honors Recital audition results

Congratulations to Achil Jackson, who has been selected to perform at the Honors Recital on May 14th. For a complete list of the students who will be performing, please visit the Music Center website.

"If I rest, I rust" *

Interesting article about Placido Domingo and his lengthy career in today's NY Times. I got to hear him sing the lead role in Tan Dun's The First Emperor in January 2007 and still remember how amazed I was that his voice was that strong so late into his singing career. Read the original NYT review for more details about the premiere of The First Emperor. You can also read my blog post about it here .

This is my favorite passage from the NYT article:

"Mr. Domingo attributes his longevity to his slow start. As a young man he thought he was a baritone. But teachers soon convinced him that he was a tenor. In those early days he worked tirelessly to build his upper range, he said, 'fighting for every semitone.'

'Some tenors are born with this tessitura,' he added, 'and have all the high notes from the day they open their mouths.' (Luciano Pavarotti for one, Mr. Domingo’s great colleague and lifelong rival.) 'But I had to work so hard.'

That early technical work served him well over the years. Young singers looking for a role model of healthy technique could do no better than to observe Mr. Domingo."

*tag line on Placido Domingo's website

Upcoming student performances

Lots of opportunities for seeing your fellow students perform this spring:

Northwest Chamber Chorus presents Dance!
Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Green Lake United Methodist Church, Seattle

Sunday, March 22, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Plymouth Congregational Church, downtown Seattle

from the NWCC website:

"You can guess some of the music on this program. We’ll feature music about dance and dancing, music that makes you want to dance, and music that is written in dance forms and styles. Highlights will include selections from Johannes Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes and Aaron Copland's classic, Stomp Your Foot. The Swedish folk song Domaredansen and the American Shaker song Ye Followers of the Lamb will be included. We'll take you on the wild ride that is Daemon Irrepit Callidus by Romanian composer György Orbàn, depicting the devil dancing in the firelight, setting forth 'trickery amidst praise, song and dance.' Tango will be represented by pieces from Argentina’s master of the tango, Astor Piazzolla, and arranged by the dean of Argentine choral arrangers, Oscar Escalada. Be prepared to tap your foot when you join us for Dance!"

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Seattle Women's Chorus presents Lullaby of Broadway

Meany Theater (UW Campus)
Friday, April 10 - 8 pm
Saturday, April 11 - 2 pm

From the SWC website:

"This harmonious musical staging celebrates the women of Broadway: Mama Rose, Auntie Mame, Annie Oakley, Mrs. Lovett, Evita, Elphaba, and Tracy Turnblad to name a few. Seattle Women's Chorus will pay tribute to these great characters, as well as shining the spotlight on some of the many great musical numbers for women, about women, and written by women."

Out of town performances:
04/04: Bremerton, WA
Admiral Theatre - 7:00 PM
515 Pacific Ave. — Bremerton, WA
(360) 373-6743
www.admiraltheatre.org
Tickets: $25 Main Floor; $20 Loge; $12 Balcony

04/19: Olympia, WA
St. John's Episcopal - 3:00 PM
114 20th Ave. SE — Olympia, WA
www.stjohnsoly.org
This is a non-ticketed performance — seating is first come, first served. Admission is FREE,
donations encouraged

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University Unitarian Church Loft Choir presents selections from Elijah
Sunday, May 9 - University Unitarian Church, Seattle
Two services, 9:30 am and 11:15 am

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Northwest Chorale presents Bach's Mass in B minor
Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16 - time and location TBD

Leavenworth Summer Theater auditions coming up

From the Seattle Times' callboard...

"Leavenworth Summer Theater will be holding open auditions in Leavenworth on March 18-22 for the summer 2009 season of 'The Sound of Music,' 'Singin' In the Rain,' and 'Pirates of Penzance.' For more information, visit www.leavenworthsummertheater.org or call 509-548-7324."

(open mike) night at the opera

Interesting article in Friday's NYT (online only for those of us outside New York) about a monthly opera night held in Northport. I love the idea of having a regular event open to the community, and giving amateur singers a space to perform - like an open mike night but for classical music. It seems like it would be a relaxed atmosphere for aspiring professional singers to try out audition material, and it would be a great performance opportunity for voice students. I wonder if we could organize something similar in Seattle?

Studio recital wrapup

Congrats to all who participated in the student recital yesterday, and thanks to everyone who attended - what a great turnout! I was impressed with everyone's performance and heard lots of nice compliments afterward from audience members. I agreed with them all - you were fantastic! Thanks again for making the recital such a success. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

I recorded the recital for my archives; if anyone who performed would like a copy of the recording just let me know.