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Chautauqua Opera Guild planning new program

CHAUTAUQUA A play, a piece of music, a painting, a poem, choreography – these are different things from one another, but they all have something in common. They all need an audience, or they have little reason to exist.

In late June and early July, the Chautauqua Opera Guild is planning the very earliest elements of a new program to reach out to new audiences, and especially young audiences, in the hope of increasing the size and the diversity of audiences, attending their art forms performances.

There are elements of self-interest in the program, because the presence of an opera company depends upon audiences coming to see and hear their performances, but there is also concern, that contemporary issues such as television, films – especially computer-generated, action films – and the increasing failure of the public schools to support a sound musical education for American youth, are all combining to produce a generation which is unable to understand and appreciate an artform which has been respected and inspired for centuries, and may not even know what theyre missing.

Id like to tell you as much as I know, this far, about the program, and where your children or grandchildren can become part of it, and then share with you an interview which I recently did by telephone with Melissa Orlov, who is the president of the Chautauqua Opera Guild.

LIBRARY ART

On a variety of dates over the next few weeks, representatives of the Chautauqua Opera Guild will be visiting a number of libraries, around Chautauqua County, to provide story times for young children.

Most libraries include story times for children as part of their regular programming. Chautauqua Opera, which not long ago produced and performed seven operas per summer season, has been cut back to only two, for the past few years. One of this years two productions will be one of the great classics of the opera stage: Madama Butterfly, by Giacomo Puccini.

That opera has not only beautiful music, it has a story, and lends itself to sharing the story to young audiences.

Ill share with you the dates and the libraries which are scheduled by now, to be visited by members of the Guild, but I hope you will keep in mind that these times and dates are tentative. Especially in the summer, additional libraries may be signing on to present the Butterfly story times, or those which are scheduled may need to change the time or date. Our role is to let you know what is possible.

June 26: The Mayville Public Library will offer the program at 4:30 p.m.

June 27: The James Prendergast Public Library, in Jamestown will present the Guilds offering at 3 p.m.

June 30: The Alexander Findley Public Library, in Findley Lake, will hear the story at 9:30 a.m.

July 1: Patterson Library, in Westfield will have the program at 9:30 a.m.

The Guild will also schedule story times at the Chautauqua Childrens School, between Week Two, which begins June 29, and Week Six, which ends Aug. 1.

Each of these presentations is brief and quick-paced, and will include the telling of the story, behind the operas plot, and the playing of short examples of the music, or perhaps the playing of video clips of performances of the opera. Activities, such as the opportunity to try on child-sized kimonos and navy uniforms, and to make crafts related to the story, will be presented, as well.

Also, on July 8 and 29, at 6 p.m., the Opera Guild has arranged that one of the Family Entertainment performances, which the Institution presents to expand young childrens participation in the arts, will be presenting a family-oriented performance by young singers from Chautauqua Opera. While the presentations in the public libraries will be made by members of the Opera Guild, that performance will involve young singers, as well.

There is no gate fee for that production. Passes may be picked up at the Main Gate up to an hour before the performance begins. Parking is $8.50.

Members of the Guild are working with organizations and establishments in the area, including the Hotel Athenaeum, to increase the exposure of the general public to opera.

I know when we were raising our three children, we had hopes and dreams of how they would grow and develop. Sometimes it seems that our country has created an environment which presses upon children to scorn anything involving education or culture, and we were always grateful for any people or organizations which would help them to appreciate things beyond what is popular with the crowd, at the moment.

We could have waited to print the information until all the times and dates were certain, but I decided that it was important that you have the possibility early enough that you could make plans to attend. I strongly urge you to confirm the dates and times of the performance of the Butterfly story times with the library in question, before attending. I hope your library is on the list, or that it will call and inquire about being added to the list of performances.

THE PRESIDENT

The fact that something is both good in quality and good for us, is not enough to assure that people will do that something. All too often, when things sell themselves, theyre not the best thing to do.

I remember the summer when our daughter was eight years old, said Melissa Orlov, current president of the Chautauqua Opera Guild. She went to attend one of the dress rehearsals for one of the operas which was being produced by the Chautauqua Opera Company that season. It got to be late, and I started to think she ought to get home and go to bed, but she was so caught-up in the story of the opera, she couldnt bear to leave without seeing the ending.

That is the kind of experience which many of us have had, who love opera. The Guild had a discussion, near the end of the 2013 season, in which we decided that it was important to our children, to the opera company, and to our nations future, that we try to provide experiences like that to as many young people as possible, she said.

Ms. Orlov believes that Chautauqua Opera is uniquely equipped to draw young audiences. She pointed out, for example, that the young singers who participate in the Studio Opera Program and the Affiliated Artists Program live on the Chautauqua Grounds, and its possible to meet them and exchange a few words with them on the street or in a public setting.

Even the leading singers often come to Chautauqua with their families. Many of them bring their children, and its always easier to interest children in something their friends parent is doing, she said. There are many programs at Chautauqua, where young people in the Boys and Girls Club and the Childrens Schools are able to attend rehearsals, and they can move up to the very front rows and really get into the story. In recent years, the Opera Company has done one production per year in the Amphitheater, and many people who wouldnt have made an independent decision to buy separate tickets and attend an opera performance, will walk into the performance in the Amphitheater and see how it goes. Thats all it takes for some people to get themselves hooked.'”

The Guild has made a conscious decision that this program must be a long-term commitment. Theyve started with libraries, and they hope to present at additional sites in the future. They have reached out to public school music programs, and have offered free tickets to actual performances to children. We were surprised that we had only a few takers of the free tickets, but if even a few young people go and find themselves thrilled by the experience, theyll tell their friends and classmates, and there will be more in the future, she said. Maybe when they were offered the tickets at school they didnt know if their parents would drive them to Chautauqua or if their schedule was free on performance nights, or maybe they were shy about expressing an interest in something other children treated disrespectfully. If the library programs and the school programs begin to take root, wed like to move on, to perform in social and service clubs and other adult organizations. We hope the program will grow.

This year is the 40th anniversary of the Chautauqua Opera Guild, and the 20th anniversary of Jay Lesenger as the Director of the Opera Company, Ms. Orlov said. We wanted to find a way to mark those anniversaries, and we wanted to build attendance at performances, in the hope the program will thrive, and grow back to the size it once was.

The Guild president points out that for the 2014 season, Chautauqua has hired a staff member whose entire job it is to evaluate the experience people have, when they come to Chautauqua, both those who stay on the Chautauqua Grounds, and those who drive out for one program at a time. Karen Williams will not be evaluating the performances themselves, but rather how to make going to Chautauqua more comfortable and pleasant for the public.

Melissa Orlov has nearly completed her term as president of the Chautauqua Opera Guild, but she will continue to work with the new officers to make the outreach a success. I hope youll take the time to phone or to email your local library, to see if your children, grandchildren, or others in your life, can take advantage of this opportunity. If your local library isnt participating, give some of the nearby libraries a call, and see if they require pre-registration. As the Opera Guild has learned, sometimes you have to do more than just wait and hope for good things to happen. You have to seek them out.

WINKS

Congratulations to Guitarist Marko Topchii, of Ukraine, who was the grand winner of this years JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Competition.

Eight semi-finalists came to Buffalo from seven different countries, to compete in the competition, which was described in this column on May 24. The three musicians who were chosen finalists each performed a complete concerto with the accompaniment of the Buffalo Philharmonic, conducted by their Music Director, Ms. Falletta, on the stage of Kleinhans Music Hall, on June 7.

At the end of the competition, Topchii was not only named the grand winner, he also received both the Audience Favorite Award, which was voted by the concerts audience, and the Musicians Choice Award, which was voted by the members of the BPO.

Topchii performed Hector Villa Lobos Concerto Pour Guitar et Petit Orchestra, for his finals competition. His winnings from the competition include an additional engagement in the future, to perform with the BPO. Also, a concert in New York Citys famed Carnegie Hall, another performance in the Incontri Musicale Hall, in Milan, Italy, and a soloist performance with the Virginia Symphony. He also won $10,000 in cash and a concert quality guitar, created by luthier J.D. Glass, and a recording contract with Fleur de Son Recordings.

When Topchiis victory was announced, at the end of the orchestras performance, members of the orchestra performed his embattled nations national anthem, while the audience rose to their feet, in respect.

The Falletta Competition is held in alternate years, and is jointly sponsored by the BPO and by WNED radio and television stations.

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Speaking of the BPO, the orchestra was one of 27 American symphony orchestras to be honored recently by ASCAP, the American Society of Composers and Publishers, for innovative programming.

The BPO was rated second in its category by the Society. In the past season, the orchestra commissioned and performed a new concerto by Miguel del Aguila, gave the American premier of Russell Platts Eurydice, and gave the New York State premier of a concerto for pipa by Zhou Jiping. Also, the orchestra performed music by six additional living composers, in the past season.

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Monday, at 7 p.m., auditions will be held at the St. Lukes Episcopal Church of Jamestown for the Winged Ox Players next production. To Kill a Mockingbird, based upon the international classic novel by Harper Lee will be performed by the company Sept. 12-20 at the Crown Theatre, in Jamestown. The auditions will be held in the churchs Undercroft. The church is located at 41o N. Main St., in downtown Jamestown.

The cast to be chosen includes males and females of all races, ranging in age from 8 to 80. Any questions should be emailed to the director, Deacon Pierce at dpackfan@stny.rr.com. A meeting has already been held for those interested in working on the production as a backstage crew member, but my experience is that volunteer companies can nearly always use another hand, so send an email and inquire, if youre interested.

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Friday, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., the Buffalo History Museum will hold the first Happy Hour of their ninth annual Party on the Portico, to fill the museum with jazz music and to welcome summer and summer hours at the museum. The event boasts music, munchies, and mini-tours of the museum.

Attendance is limited to those age 21 and older. A cash bar is available. Admission is $5, if purchased in advance, or $10, if purchased at the door. Admission includes snacks and 15-minute museum tours. Advance tickets may be purchased at the museum, in advance of each event.

Additional Happy Hours for the 2014 season will be held July 18 and Aug. 15. For additional information, phone 873-9644, extension 0, or send an email to info@buffalohistory.org.

The State University of New York at Fredonia invites young people to join one of two sessions of a Summer Playground Drama Day Camp, to be held at the Universitys Rockefeller Arts Center.

Session One, which will be held Aug. 11-16 is intended for those ages 11-18. Session Two, which will be held Aug. 18-23, is intended for those ages 7-12. Those who are age 11 or 12 may participate in both sessions.

Each session will produce and perform a musical theater production, with each participant in either cast or crew. The cost of each session is $250. A $100 deposit must be received by July 1, to reserve a participants place in the program.

Each day begins with rehearsal of the production being offered that week. Following a bag lunch, brought from home, the students will receive instruction in acting, dance, and other elements of performance.

Ted Sharon, of the universitys Department of Theater and Dance is in charge of both sessions. For additional information, phone him at 410-3597 or send him an email at Sharon@fredonia.edu.

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