When am I singing next?

WHAT'S UP FOR 2008?

Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” Opera Workshop. On March 8, the Janice Edwards Workshops presented highlights of Mozart’s delightful “Die Zauberflöte” or “The Magic Flute,” with all roles cast from the studio, with the exception of Sarastro. This key role was performed by local bass-baritone Mark Andrew Cleveland. Our wonderful accompanist was Kathryn Southworth, and sound effects were creatively supplied by our lovely Third Lady, Anna Maria Dwyer (pan flute, glockenspiel and thunder from a synthesizer, and a real, honest-to-goodness flute, also played by Anna). My students were in top form and performed like the best professionals I have seen in these roles. Please go to the “Workshops” page for photos.

UPDATE: There will be an encore performance of Magic Flute on Friday, August 8, at 7:00 p.m. at Philharmonic Hall in Manchester. All cast members are returning, with the exception of Rebecca Pulito (1st Lady) and Joelyn Foster (2nd Lady). These roles will be performed by Meegan Gagnon and Katherine Weiss, respectively.

“Our American Cousin”, Northampton Academy of Music, June 20 & 22.This new opera by composer Eric Sawyer had its premiere in March of 2007 in concert form. On Christmas Eve, Eric e-mailed the cast with the good news that funding has been raised to present two fully staged performances in June of 2008. This is truly a gripping and beautifully written account of the Lincoln assassination as told from the perspective of the actors. I will once again sing the role of Lady Mountchessington, who, along with her daughter Gussie, are the only named characters from the actual play. Once again, this project will be produced under the auspices of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Gil Rose, conductor. Opera Boston’s artistic director Carol Charnow will be the stage director.

UPDATE: Our American Cousin had two successful performances on June 20 and 22 at the Academy of Music in Northampton, MA. “…the mother and daugher Mountchessingtons’ (Janice Edwards and Hillarie O’Toole) cap-setting duet ‘A Really Monied Man’ provided welcome comic relief to the almost surreal, temporally manipulated textures that prevailed through much of the opera. The duet garnered one of the few moments of mid-opera applause that the score admitted.” (The Republican).

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2007

May 10 & 13 - Granite State Opera's "Cav/Pag" was a triumph. Jeff Rapsis (Hippo Press) said, "Mezzo Janice Edwards...contributed a strong performance as Mamma Lucia, her dark and agile voice tinged with hysteria at just the right moments."

I also sang Mamma Lucia with Chorus Pro Musica's "Cav/Pag", Jeffrey Rink conducting, at Jordan Hall on June 3. What a pleasure to sing in that beautiful hall with such fine singers and instrumentalists in my professional Boston debut.

WORKSHOP UPDATE

SPRING 2009: Plans are in the works for a series of intensive Lieder workshops to focus on German, French, and Italian diction. Interpretive and expressive aspects of performing song repertoire in these three languages, as well as English, will be explored in depth. Coaches from Boston and New York will come to New Hampshire to work with local singers, culminating in a recital at the end of the course.

SOMETHING NEW!

The Janice Edwards Studio is now offering Career Development Workshops in May and June 2007 which are sure to be a welcome educational tool for New Hampshire's singing community.  My connections to voice professionals across the U.S. have enabled me to line up some stellar names in the business. Cindy Sadler (Classical Singer Magazine's "Ask Erda") will talk about effective marketing strategies for singers of all ages. Philip Lauriat of Granite State Opera will hold mock auditions with in-depth, constructive comments on how to improve your audition techniques. BU Opera Institute's director Sharon Daniels will offer a master class entitled Classical Singer as Actor: Tools for Unlocking the Unique Artist Within that is sure to be a hit. Joy McIntyre, distinguished soprano and Professor Emerita of the BU Voice Department will offer an intensive opera and Lieder master class. Please see the Workshops page for complete details and a downloadable application.

STUDIO NEWS

I am thrilled to announce that Emily Jaworski has won first place in the New England Region NATSAA (National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Award), competing against singers from New England and eastern Canada. The requirement for this event was an hour-long recital, which Emily performed twice publicly prior to the competition at Indian Hill on April 20th. Her program was varied and extremely challenging, including music of Mark Adamo, Libby Larsen, Korngold, Schubert, Bach, Handel and Debussy. Her fine accompanist is Calvin Herst of the Concord Community Music School. Emily and Calvin will perform the entire recital at the National NATS conference in Nashville at the end of June. Congratulations to Emily and Calvin!

Congratulations to Susan Craft for reaching the semi-finals in the 2008 Boston NATS Song & Aria competition, Division 5, and to Michael Belle for placing second in the Avocational Division.

Links to Granite State Opera and BMOP
can be found on my LINKS page.

Tel:  603.268.0992Cell:  603.801.0649 Janice@JaniceEdwards.com Copyright © 2008 Janice Edwards. All rights reserved. Web site designed by Solutions in Toto Updates by Anna Maria Dwyer