Name: Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann: Central Library Noonhour Lecture
Start: 2019-07-19T12:00:00
Location: Paul O’Regan Hall at the Halifax Central Library

July 7, 2019July 10, 2019

Free Library concerts launch 15th Halifax Summer Opera Festival

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.25.4″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25.4″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25.4″][et_pb_image src=”http://halifaxsummeroperafestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/librarylectures.jpg” _builder_version=”3.25.4″][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.25.4″]

For Immediate Release
July 8th, 2019

Free concerts and lectures launch the 15th Annual Halifax Summer Opera Festival July 17-24

There will be four free performances over the next two weeks as the Halifax Summer Opera Festival collaborates with the Halifax Central Library on a series of noon hour lecture recitals from July 17-19 and an evening exploring opera music by women composers on July 24 at 7 pm.

The noon hour lecture recital series marks its fifth year at the Paul O’Regan Hall at Halifax Central Library. Each lecture gives insights and context for one of the main stage operas presented at the Festival, delivered by a key member of the creative team and illustrated by slides and musical excerpts performed by the cast. The venue is one of our favourites because of its open, friendly, welcoming design.

Wednesday July 17: Handel’s Alcina
Thursday July 18: Mozart’s The Magic Flute
Friday July 19: Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann

Also at the Paul O’Regan Hall the following week is a special exploration of operas composed by women.

In spite of there having been many women composers in the Western tradition, relatively few women have composed operas. Dr Jane Gordon explores why this is, and celebrates some of the stories (and music) of the trailblazers. From Francesca Caccini to Ethel Smyth, from Hildegarde von Bingen to Elizabeth Raum, we celebrate operas composed by women!

Also features music director Nicholas Gilmore, collaborative pianist Giancarlo Scalia and performers from the Halifax Summer Opera Festival.

Women Composers of Opera: an exploration
Wednesday July 24, 7:00 pm, Paul O’Regan Hall, Halifax Central Library, 5540 Spring Garden

The library concerts are always free, but tickets for the rest of the festival are on sale online at TicketHalifax.com, by phone at (902) 422-6278 (ext. 500), in person at The Coast’s offices, 2309 Maynard Street, or at the venue an hour before the show, payable by cash, credit card, tappable debit, ApplePay or cheque. Audience members can also buy season passes, which will get them into every performance of every show (which can be quite interesting since there are two casts for each opera, providing two quite distinct interpretations).

Halifax Summer Opera Festival and Workshop educates and develops both singers and audiences through the performance of operatic repertoire. For fourteen seasons, HSOF has presented fully staged operas each summer, giving singers from university undergrads to professionals opportunities to learn roles in the context of performing an entire, full-staged opera. Participants are selected from live or recorded auditions and participate in rehearsals and master classes on everything from auditioning techniques to dramatic and musical interpretations by seasoned pros. HSOF is a not-for-profit society with a volunteer Board of Directors, based in Lunenburg and Halifax. You can find out all the details at www.halifaxsummeroperafestival.com.

– 30 –

Information / interviews:
Bodhi Anders: mobile: 902-293-0264 or email:
bodhi.anders@gmail.com

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”data:image/svg+xml;base64,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” _builder_version=”3.25.4″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

June 28, 2019July 10, 2019

2019 Halifax Summer Opera Festival season announced

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.25.4″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25.4″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25.4″][et_pb_image src=”http://halifaxsummeroperafestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/flute-banner.jpg” _builder_version=”3.25.4″][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.25.4″]

For Immediate Release
June 28th, 2019

Mozart’s family-friendly The Magic Flute is the centrepiece of Eastern Canada’s largest opera festival

(Halifax, NS) – To celebrate the fifteenth season of one of Canada’s largest opera festivals, over 50 performers will bring to life three magical operas.

This year the Halifax Summer Opera Festival includes four performances each of Mozart’s delightful The Magic Flute, Jacques Offenbach’s fantastic The Tales of Hoffmann, and a masterpiece of Baroque opera, Alcina by G.F. Handel. The main stage operas will be performed between August 2 and 11, and the entire season is supported by our print media sponsor, The Coast.

One of Mozart’s most beloved operas, The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) (1791) has enchanted audiences since its debut. Our all-new production sets this colourful and magical opera in a hybrid world of urban fantasy. This is the perfect opera for newcomers to the art form, adults and children alike! Meet the bird man Papageno, Prince Tamino, Princess Pamina, Sarastro and the amazing Queen of the Night as they sing some of the most glorious music ever composed. The Magic Flute will be sung in German with spoken English dialogue and projected translations, so audiences won’t miss any of the magic. Fully-staged and costumed and performed with piano and flute. Opens August 2.

The Tales of Hoffmann (Les contes d’Hoffmann, 1881) is Offenbach’s greatest and strangest opera! The poet Hoffmann tells stories of the three women he has loved — a mechanical performing doll, the consumptive daughter of a famous singer and a bejeweled Venetian siren—all of whom break his heart in different ways. Our new steampunk production brings this magical and fantastic world to vivid life! Fully-staged and -costumed, accompanied by piano and sung in French, with projected translations. Opens August 3.

Handel’s Alcina (1735) tells the story of the powerful sorceress Alcina, and brave Bradamante who sets out to rescue her lover from Alcina’s clutches! This work was composed for the opera-mad audiences of Handel’s London theatre and has some of Handel’s most exquisite music. Our modern dress production explores Alcina as a cult leader, seducing her followers and keeping them prisoner, and their struggle to escape her. Fully-staged and costumed, sung in Italian with projected English translation and accompanied by harpsichord and cello continuo and violin. Opens August 4.

Tickets for the festival are on sale online at TicketHalifax.com, by phone at (902) 422-6278 (ext. 500), in person at The Coast’s offices, 2309 Maynard Street, or at the venue an hour before the show, payable by cash, credit card, tappable debit, ApplePay or cheque. Audience members can also buy season passes, which will get them into every performance of every show (which can be quite interesting since there are two casts for each opera, providing two quite distinct interpretations).

The Festival kicks off with a series of free noon hour lecture recitals at the Paul O’Regan Hall at the Halifax Central Library on July 17, 18 and 19. Other special events include a musical theatre concert on Saturday July 20 at 7:30 pm at the Lillian Piercey Concert Hall and an evening at the Library featuring music by women composers of opera on Wednesday July 24 at 7 pm. The Festival also presents its annual Pride concert in collaboration with Halifax Pride, Opera Backwards, Friday July 26, 8:00 pm at the Bus Stop Theatre.

Halifax Summer Opera Festival and Workshop educates and develops both singers and audiences through the performance of operatic repertoire. For fifteen seasons, HSOF has presented fully staged operas each summer, giving singers from university undergrads to professionals opportunities to learn roles in the context of performing an entire, full-staged opera. Participants are selected from live or recorded auditions and participate in rehearsals and master classes on everything from auditioning techniques to dramatic and musical interpretations by seasoned pros. HSOF is a not-for-profit society with a volunteer Board of Directors, based in Lunenburg and Halifax. You can find out all the details at www.halifaxsummeroperafestival.com.

– 30 –

Information / interviews:
Bodhi Anders: mobile: 902-293-0264 or email: bodhi.anders@gmail.com

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

June 25, 2018

A very modern Don Giovanni is the centrepiece of Eastern Canada’s largest opera festival

For Immediate Release

June 25th, 2018

(Halifax, NS) – For the fourteenth summer over 90 people will descend on Halifax to rehearse and perform 12 live performances of fully-staged opera.

This year the Halifax Summer Opera Festival includes four performances each of Mozart’s great tragicomic opera Don Giovanni, Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and a masterpiece of early Baroque opera, L’Incoronazione di Poppea by Claudio Monteverdi. The main operas will be performed between August 3 and 12, and the entire season is supported by our print media sponsor, The Coast.

One of Mozart’s greatest operas, Don Giovanni (1787) is the story of the people (men and women) damaged by a serial seducer/abuser,, all set to incongruously glorious music. It could be ripped from today’s headlines, centring, as it does, around a sociopathic, celebrity serial abuser who almost gets away with it. Our #metoo modern-dress production will demonstrate just how relevant this 231 year old opera is. Don Giovanni is sung in Italian with projected translations, so audiences won’t miss any of the drama. Fully-staged and costumed and performed with orchestra. Opens August 4.

L’Incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea) (1643) tells the story of double-crossing lovers struggling for power in imperial Rome. Monteverdi’s last and greatest opera was written for the professional opera house in Venice. His score melds nasty people, moral ambiguity and outright comedy with music of surpassing beauty. A very modern story! Sung in Italian with projected English translation and accompanied by harpsichord and cello continuo and violins, this production is supported by the Early Music Society of Nova Scotia. Opens August 3.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1960) is Benjamin Britten’s extraordinary setting of Shakespeare’s play, where nothing is as it seems. One of Shakespeare’s greatest plays set by one of England’s greatest composers, this operatic version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is unsettling, haunting, hilarious and stunningly beautiful. Accompanied by piano and harp and sung in English, with projected libretto. Opens August 4.

Tickets for the festival are on sale online at TicketHalifax.com, by phone at (902) 422-6278 (ext. 500), in person at The Coast’s offices, 2309 Maynard Street, or at the venue an hour before the show, payable by cash, credit card, tappable debit, ApplePay or cheque. Audience members can also buy season passes, which will get them into every performance of every show (which can be quite interesting since there are two casts for each opera, providing two quite distinct interpretations).

The Festival kicks off with a series of free concerts at the Paul O’Regan Hall at the Halifax Central Library. There are three noon hour lecture recitals on July 18, 19 and 20, plus a musical evening exploring the poetry of W.H. Auden, especially his collaborations with English composer Benjamin Britten. That’s on Wednesday July 18 at 6 pm. The Festival also presents its annual Pride concert in collaboration with Halifax Pride, Opera Backwards, Wednesday July 25, 7:30 pm at the Bus Stop Theatre. Tickets $20

Halifax Summer Opera Festival and Workshop educates and develops both singers and audiences through the performance of operatic repertoire. For eleven seasons, HSOF has presented fully staged operas each summer, giving singers from university undergrads to professionals opportunities to learn roles in the context of performing an entire, full-staged opera. Participants are selected from live or recorded auditions and participate in rehearsals and master classes on everything from auditioning techniques to dramatic and musical interpretations by seasoned pros. HSOF is a not-for-profit society with a volunteer Board of Directors, based in Lunenburg and Halifax. You can find out all the details at www.halifaxsummeroperafestival.com.

– 30 –

Information / interviews: Bodhi Anders: mobile: 902-293-0264 or email: bodhi@halifaxsummeroperafestival.com

June 11, 2014June 11, 2014

Halifax Opera Festival marks ten years of opera education in the HRM

For Immediate Release

June 11, 2014

HALIFAX, N.S. – Halifax Summer Opera Festival (HSOF) is celebrating its tenth year of accessible and contemporary approach to opera education that provides young singers with an affordable space to grow and perform. Over 80 singers from all over Canada and the U.S. are coming together to perform three main stage shows with five special concerts and an evening gala of opera excerpts starting July 21 to August 17, 2014.

“We believe roles in fully staged productions should be accessible to young singers as they approach the conclusion of their musical education or embark upon their professional careers”, says Board Member and Stage Director David Mosey. “We provide a safe and stimulating environment in which young singers can hone their performance skills and broaden their experience while working under realistic constraints.”

In 2005, Nina Scott-Stoddart and Tara Scott got together with nine young Canadian singers to present Cosi fan Tutte, the first production of the Halifax Summer Opera Workshop. Now, preparing for its tenth season, the workshop has seventeen fully staged operas under its belt. HSOF believes in opera that is readily available and meaningful to a contemporary audience. Hence, HSOF keeps ticket prices modest to provide a place for performers and audiences to enjoy the arts without the financial constraints.

For more information on performances, membership opportunities and tickets, please visit their website at http://halifaxsummeroperafestival.com/

-30-

Contact:
Nina Scott-Stoddart
Artistic Director
Halifax Summer Opera Festival
mco@ns.sympatico.ca
902-521-8577

June 11, 2013June 11, 2014

Halifax Summer Opera Workshop and Festival welcomes conductor Kevin Mallon for 2013

Halifax Summer Opera Workshop and Festival is proud to introduce conductor Kevin Mallon, who will be conducting HSOF’s first opera performed with professional orchestra.

For the first time in 2013, the Halifax Summer Opera Workshop and Festival will feature an orchestra in one of its productions.

HSOF general manager Marja Ernst said recently, “This is a big occasion for us. It is our first year presenting a show with orchestra, so we knew we had to get someone special for the event! Conductor Kevin Mallon is a gregarious and energetic Irishman (although he has lived in Canada some twenty years) and we are delighted to have his talent to guide and direct our young singers.”

Mallon is not new to the Nova Scotia music scene, as he is a long-time favorite with Symphony Nova Scotia. He has worked with them on many occasions, including last year’s presentation of “Time of the Titanic.” The orchestra for Figaro is made up of players from the symphony – a certain indicator of the musical quality of the musical quality to be presented.

Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (The marriage of Figaro) will be presented at the James Dunn Theatre on:
Saturday August 10, 7:30 pm,
Tuesday August 13, 7:30 pm

Thursday August 15, 7:30 pm Saturday August 17, 2:00 pm

Tickets are available from the Arts Centre box office at 902 494-3820 or 1-800-874-1669.
In addition to Il nozze di Figaro, the Halifax Summer Opera Festival is presenting Poulenc’s Les

dialogues des carmélites and Sondheim’s A Little Night Music.

Here’s a few words about Kevin:

Conductor Kevin Mallon was brought up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He studied at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music and at Dartington College of Arts, studying composition with Peter Maxwell Davies, conducting with John Eliot Gardiner, singing and specializing in baroque violin.

He became concert-master with Le Concert Spirituel and Les Arts Florissants in Paris and led and directed The Irish Baroque Orchestra before moving to Canada to take up posts with Tafelmusik

Baroque Orchestra and the University of Toronto, (positions he left to pursue his conducting career). In 1999 he founded the instrumental and vocal group the Aradia Ensemble, with whom he has toured widely, and become conductor of the Toronto Chamber Orchestra and has made over 50 recordings for Naxos.

Kevin is no stranger to opera, having run his own professional company (Opera 2005) in Ireland for five years and also having worked in Odessa, Ukraine for a year in 2010. His most recent appointments are as Music Director of the Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra in Ottawa (2010), Conductor of the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy (2010) and as Conductor of New York’s newly-formed West Side Chamber Orchestra (2011). Kevin is also a frequent guest conductor with orchestras and opera companies in Canada and abroad.

Kevin Mallon is available for press interviews. Please contact HSOF General Manager Marja Ernst at 902-541-7141 or admin@halifaxsummeroperaworkshop.com to arrange an interview.

page2image8432

Related show

Mozart’s family-friendly The Magic Flute is the centrepiece of Eastern Canada’s largest opera festival