Opera singers on the VERGE!!!

While taking a few PR pictures we found out what Sungwook, Tim, and Sophie are really feeling!

Ah, the life of an opera singer is so fulfilling.

(Posted by Damien Elwood March 28, 2011)

Congratulations Joseph!

The Metropolitan Opera announced this weekend that one of USC Thornton Opera's own, Joseph Lim, was named among five winners of the 2011 National Council Auditions. Congratulations Joseph! We are thrilled but not surprised. Your talents graced our stage in diverse roles ranging from the title role in Don Giovanni to Friedrich in last Spring's critically acclaimed production of Das Liebesverbot. Your recognition is well deserved. We are very proud of you and wish you continued success in all your endeavors going forward. Keep touch!

(Posted by Damien Elwood March 15, 2011)

Undergraduate and Graduate Students Alike Feel the COUSC Love

Hello everyone!

My name is Annie Simon and I am President of the Chamber Opera of USC, a student run performance group, made to provide undergraduate students with performance opportunities directed by graduate vocal arts students. We encourage not only vocal arts undergrads to audition, but anyone from any major who has any interest in singing. We also try to produce new works periodically.

One of my favorite parts of being President of this organization is the amazing opportunity to collaborate with Thornton's incredibly talented graduate students. Even as a naive Freshman, I recognized quickly that one of the most special things about our Vocal Arts Department is that the undergraduate voice majors are all close friends with the graduate voice majors. Before stepping into my role in COUSC, I got hours of free therapy from our alumna Alexandra Loutsion. Not only did she listen to my life concerns, but she offered me singer advice that only a person with more experience could offer--from repertoire suggestions to nasal decongestants to church gigs. With COUSC, I get to work with vocal major grad students who volunteer to direct, pianists who like vocal music, and sometimes, when I'm really lucky, I get to work with student composers.

This semester, I'm proud to present a song cycle by one of these talented student composers called Snow White Turns 60. The composer Dale Trumbore is a 2nd year masters student of composition at USC, studying with Professor Don Crockett. Dale's aunt is a poet who gave her the first twisted fairytale poem, and then she helped Dale reach out to more contemporary female poets who had work that fit the theme. These poets offer us their unique takes on the traditional fairytales we were all raised with. Trumbore reflects this poetry remarkably well with a cycle that spans musical genres, from jazz to musical theatre. We are thrilled to present this song cycle premiere.

As I walked around campus and starting telling my friends about the project, excitement grew. COUSC was lucky to have grad students Sarah Parnicky and Marina Harris step up to direct the new song cycle. Keyboard Collaborative Arts student Aurelien Eulert also volunteered to play piano and music direct. Sarah, Marina, Aurelien, and Dale listened to 4 hours of fabulous undergraduate auditions before solidifying the cast list.

In case you're familiar with the Thornton Opera undergraduate students, here's the cast list:

The Mermaid Song--Andrea Crisalli

Where's Wolf?--Hannah Goodman

Masquerade--Tara Jose

Sleeping Beauty--Sara Frondoni

Hazel Tells LaVerne--Samantha Cardenas

For the Nixie--Andrea Zomorodian

Bluebeard's Wife--Kate Fruchterman

Snow White Turns 60--Kimberly Hessler

Gretel--Emily Loynachan

Rapunzel--Jessica Conflitti

Afraid to Look, Afraid to Look Away--Austen Courter & Ellie Flier

There will be more details to come as we dig into this great piece! Thanks so much to the Opera Department, and especially Damien Elwood, for allowing me to introduce this COUSC project on the Thornton Opera Blog.

COUSC Love,

Annie

COUSC Fairies Eleni Pantages, Leigh Folta, Annie Simon, Katie Leyva, and Sam Cardenas dress the part for Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream in a 2009 scenes production.

Das Liebesverbot Pictures!

(All photographs by Kristina Jacinth. Posted by Damien Elwood)

Now that Das Liebesverbot is FINALLY over, lets relive it in pictures!

Isabella and Mariana kick us off with, "Sisters, sisters..."

"It's a family affair."

Luzio and Claudio get stink eye from Kiry and Kate.

Isabella and Dorella try to clue Luzio in.

Does Luzio really accomplish anything in this opera?

What's going on!

Brighella has his moment...

...until he meets Dorella's charms.

Poor Friederich has some issues.

But he's workin' it!

Friederich gives Claudio osmosis therapy.

The shadow knows.

Pontio Pilato is a quick study.

"We're all so confused!"

As usual, Tim has to be restrained.

Carnival, baby!

It's a party!

Luzio is in the mood!

Sorry Ben. I had to post it.

We all love Isabella!

Congratulations to the entire cast and crew.

It has been a wonderful journey, translation to ovation!

Brent McMunn on KUSC.

Spotlight on the Arts - April 21, 2010

Brent speaks briefly about the many musical influences in Wagner's Das Liebesverbot.

Posted using ShareThis

Production Fun!

(Production photos by Kristina Jacinth. Posted by Kristina & Damien Elwood.)

Eric Hanson looks to the heavens while YuJoong Kim sings Wagner's praises.

Sophie Wingland tries on Federico Flores' cuffs.


Adrian Rosales and Andrew Pardini fight over who gets to work strike.


Annie Simon, Diana Newman, Sara Staples, and Callie Hoffman finish Act I in style.


Jacqueline Saint Anne! And her imaginary friend.

Alex Loutsion. Not bad for a nun!

Abrahm St. Amand Poliakoff. Man about town.

Finally, we know about Amit.

Our set! Beginning stages.

Nathalie Clark, our Lead Scenic Artist.

Leo Lovato working the plaster.

Annie and Louts basking in the glow of Richard's inspiration.

Kristina Jacinth is a recent graduate of the USC Thornton School of Music and is Production Photographer for Das Liebesverbot.)

RE: South Jersey Soprano

Erica Miller, emerging opera star and recent Thornton School of Music graduate, is featured in this USC Thornton Opera Alumni Profile.

(Posted by Damien Elwood)

When I first met Erica Miller she was just starting at USC. We were doing a production of The Magic Flute directed by Dejan Miladinovic that featured, among other things, black lights, rapping, and an electric cart as the Queen of the Night's charriot. I seem to remember Erica's Papagena as playful, perky, and precise. Add a good amount of South Jersey to that mix and you pretty much have what Erica's tenure at USC was all about. Her wit was matched only by her steller musicianship, both of which we enjoyed for the 5 1/2 years she was here.

The role that opened our eyes to Erica's versatility was Poppea in our production of Handel's Agrippina. She played the young love interest suffering under Claudio's letchery. Ken Cazan put her in a blonde wig, dressed her in pink, and had her change costume on stage getting in and out of a bubble bath. Through it all she performed Handel's music flawlessly ornamenting her 'A' returns with spectacular agility while putting on makeup, pouring martinis, or fighting off Claudio on stage.

The production consisted of flats beautifully painted with images from Baroque and Renaissance paintings representing the different settings of the opera. I have included one of my favorite pictures from the show in which Erica is dimming the lights on stage by hitting a "switch" that was represented by a nipple peeking through a young Renaissance woman's fingers. It was a wonderfully comedic moment. Erica carried it off, and the entire role, with great aplomb.

But perhaps Erica's greatest challenge at USC was her role as The Maid in Thomas Adès Powder Her Face. Adès' music is a technical tour-de-force for the singers not to mention dealing with the sexual content of the libretto. The entire cast rose to the occasion and gave us wonderful performances of great accuracy, power, and courage. Erica is pictured below with Josh Hong who was playing the Duke at this point in the opera. The production, which included musicians in the pit from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, was a west-coast premiere and a wonderful success for the opera program. The herculean efforts of the cast, exemplfied by Erica, helped elevate the expectations of the entire program ever since.

I hope you take the time to read Erica's alumni profile. She is doing very well and has some big things coming up both professionally and personally.

(Damien Elwood is the Opera Program Manager for the USC Thornton Opera)