OperaTion Youth – Call for Vocalists, Stage Manager

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, December 19, 2014

Call for Young Talent for LCMS’s OperaTion Youth Project

WANTED: Young Stage Manager, Assistant Stage Manager, and Vocalists

The Langley Community Music School (LCMS) is putting out a call for soloists and stage managers for a June 2015 production of three new, one-act operas as part of their OperaTion Youth Project. The project, launched January 2014, engages local youth in all aspects of a musical theatre production from writing stories and composing the musical scores to the performers and orchestra.

To date, the stories are written. Winning entries from three young Langley writers, Jasmin Soomin Jeong (12), Lauren Trotzuk (19) and Kaitlyn Gisler (21), were accepted early 2014 and have now been developed into three short librettos with the assistance of professional librettist, Kico Gonzalez-Risso.

The music compositions are almost complete. OperaTion Youth winning composers, David Ko (16), Samantha Lee (15), Jasmine Lee (13), Howard Chen (14), and Nathan Zemp (15), are working with professional composer, Marcel Bergmann, as well as members of the Turning Point Ensemble, to develop their musical scores.

Now LCMS needs the talent for production: specifically a Stage Manager, an Assistant Stage Manager, and multiple Vocalists.

POSITION: Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager

The Stage Manager and the Assistant Stage Manager will be responsible for running the staging rehearsals, including some music-only rehearsals, as well as set-up and striking of the production. The stage managers will also work with a crew and manage the run of the show. The production dates are May 1, 18, 29, 31, and June 1 to 6, with a dress rehearsal on June 4 and the performance on June 5 and 6, 2015. After the event, there will also be an honorarium for the Stage Manager and the Assistant Stage Manager.

The OperaTion Youth project is designed to encourage youth to develop their skills in musical theatre production. Applicants should be able to read music sufficiently to follow a score. Some on-the-job training may be available for those applicants with limited experience.

Interested individuals between the ages of 16 to 25 should apply by submitting a letter of intent along with a bio and resume or list of previous involvement in theatre and/or musical theatre production to Elizabeth Bergmann via email at elizabeth@langleymusic.com. The deadline for application is January 20, 2015. Interviews will be held January 24, 2015.

POSITION: Vocal soloists (soprano, alto, tenor, bass)

LCMS requires multiple vocal soloists (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) to perform these three new OperaTion Youth operas in two performances on June 5 and 6, 2015. Rehearsal dates commence during spring break in March (dates TBD), April 18, May 1, 14, 18, 21, 29, 31, and June 1-6, 2015.

Interested individuals between the ages of 10-25 should apply by submitting a letter of intent along with a short bio and resume or list of previous involvement in musical theatre productions, choir and/or other concert performances to Elizabeth Bergmann via email at elizabeth@langleymusic.com. The deadline for application is January 20, 2015. Auditions will be held January 24, 2015. Vocalists should prepare one song and/or aria for the audition.

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ABOUT LANGLEY COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL
Langley Community Music School (LCMS) is a non-profit organization and registered charity that is committed to providing the highest quality of musical education to students of all ages and levels, from early learning to pre-professional and adult programs. With the support of the community, LCMS has become one of the largest non-profit music schools in the province, earning both national and international acclaim for their comprehensive and innovative programs. Learn more about LCMS programs, scholarships and bursaries. Visit langleymusic.com or call 604-534-2848.

BIOGRAPHIES – OperaTion Youth Lead Artists

Marcel Bergmann – Project Co-Director, Composer
For the last 20 years, Marcel has enjoyed an active musical career as a performer, composer, improviser and teacher. His broad range of musical interest and experience in both, classical and popular music has led to an output in a variety of styles and genres. He has been involved as composer and musical director in a variety of theatre, cabaret and multimedia projects. The BavarianTelevision, Arte and other European broadcasting corporations, have broadcast his music for television features. In 2004, he was a composer-in-residence for Calgary Opera’s Let’s create an Opera programme. In December 2005, Marcel’s Urban Pulse for two pianos was premiered as the commissioned work for The 10th Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition (past commissioned composers included Morton Gould, Ned Rorem, William Bolcom and John Corigliano). His music appears on the Canadian National Conservatory’s series Making Tracks- An Expedition in Canadian Piano Music. He has been commissioned by various organizations including the CBC, the Land’s End Chamber Ensemble, the Spiritus Chamber Choir, the Langley Community Music School and the San Francisco International Music Festival. His most recent large-scale work, Two Bit Oper-Eh-Shun (an oratorio on homelessness) was premiered at the 2010 High Performance Rodeo in Calgary and was presented as part of the New York Music Theatre Festival in July 2012. Marcel is an associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre. Marcel is currently Director of Program Advancement at the Langley Community Music School where he also teaches piano, composition and chamber music.

Elizabeth Bergmann – Project Co-Director
Elizabeth Bergmann has an active performing career as pianist and chamber musician and is the recipient of many awards and prizes of international competitions such as the International Chamber Music Competition in Caltanissetta, Italy and the 4th Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition. She performs most regularly with her husband as the Bergmann Piano Duo and has recorded numerous CDs with various ensembles and artists appearing on the Arktos, Naxos and Brilliant Classics labels. Recitals and concerts with orchestra have taken her to many parts of the world including the United States, Italy, Germany, Holland, Greece and Canada. Elizabeth is nationally and internationally involved as a lecturer, presenter and juror of festivals and competitions. She is Artistic Director of Concerts and Director of Summer Programmes at the Langley Community Music School in Langley, BC. She has been on faculty at The Mount Royal University in Calgary and at the University of Calgary and for many years was involved in various musical activities at the Banff Centre for the Arts. She was a core member of Calgary Land’s End Chamber Ensemble and in the 2004-2005 season, she and her husband served as Artistic Directors of The Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition and Foundation in Miami.

Kico Gonzalez-Risso – Librettist, Director
A published playwright, director and librettist, Kico has had his work produced at various theatres, including The Arts Club, Waterfront Theatre, Richmond Gateway Theatre, Calgary’s Lunchbox Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Calgary Opera Association, Lancaster Opera, The Cleveland Institute of Music, NYU’s Black Box Theater, Heartland Opera Theater in Missouri and the Maryland Arts Festival. Among his professionally produced plays are the musical GHOSTS IN LOVE (book and lyrics), WONDERVILLE, SLEEPWALKER, INSPECTOR SLY’s SECOND-TO-LAST CASE, ART ATTACK, PHONING IT IN (for CBC Radio Drama), INQUISITION, THE FOREPLAY and VOODOO. His work has been broadcast on C.B.C.’s West Coast Performance and SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT THE OPERA. His play, HARP & SOLO (featuring harpist Rita Costanzi) sold out its run at Vancouver’s prestigious Music in the Morning series. Kico then wrote A SCORE TO SETTLE for Rita, which premiered at MusicFest Vancouver, and continues to be performed internationally. With Japanese composer Koji Nakano, Kico wrote BRUSH, a chamber opera about Goya commissioned by Tapestry New Opera. He wrote the chamber opera La Señorita Mundo with Chinese Canadian composer Njo Kong Kie for Toronto’s Summerworks Festival. Kico’s choral texts have been performed by musica intima, Vancouver Bach Choir, Vancouver Chamber Choir, Turning Point Ensemble and Vancouver Cantata Singers. In 2011, Kico and composer Cameron Wilson wrote SUPERNATURAL NOIR a film noir opera produced by Fugue Theatre. Last season Kico wrote SECRET SERVICE, an espionage operetta composed by Neil Weisensel and presented at Performance Works. Kico is a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada and SOCAN.

Joel Stobbe – Conductor
Born and raised in Prince George, Joel Stobbe has received his Artistic Diploma of Music Performance from the Augsburg Conservatory of Music in Germany, regularly performing as soloist and with chamber groups in Germany, France and Italy. Upon his return to Canada, Joel was a founding member of the Borealis String Quartet (2000-2005). He toured with the quartet, giving performances throughout Canada and the United States, with frequent broadcasts on radio and television. In addition to regular quartet activities, Joel enjoyed giving educational concerts and masterclasses to young people from Dawson City to New York City. Joel is currently the principal cellist of the Vancouver Island Symphony, and enjoys an active career giving frequent concerts as soloist and chamber musician. Joel is the Program Coordinator for Advanced Programs at LCMS, and conducts the LCMS Concert Orchestra.

PROJECT SPONSORSHIP
The OperaTion Youth project is made possible in part through the support of the BC Arts Council and Metro Vancouver Cultural Grants.

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