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CENTRAL OPERA SERVICE CONFERENCE/BULLETIN Volume 27, Number 1 CENTRAL OPERA SERVICE NATIONAL CONFERENCE AN INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM la The MetropotttM Opera GaiM'* Fiftieth AwUveray New York - NoTfber Iud2, 015 Sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera National Council Central Opera Service • Lincoln Center • Metropolitan Opera • New York, NY. 10023 • (212) 799-3467 I i ; i Sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera National Council Central Opera Service • Lincoln Center • Metropolitan Opera • New York, N.Y. 10023 • (212)799-346? CENTRAL OPERA SERVICE Volume 27, Number 1 Spring/Summer 1986 CENTRAL OPERA SERVICE NATIONAL CONFERENCE AN INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM In Collaboration With "Opera News" Celebrating The Metropolitan Opera Guild's Fiftieth Anniversary New York - November 1 and 2,1985 This is the special COS Conference issue. The next number will be again a regular news issue with the customary variety of subjects and a performance listing. CENTRAL OPERA SERVICE COMMITTEE Founder MRS. AUGUST BEL MONT (1879-1979) Honorary National Chairman ROBERT L.B. TOBIN National Chairman MRS. MARGO H. B1NDHARDT National Vice Chairman MRS. MARY H. DARRELL Central Opera Service Bulletin • Vol. 27, No. 1 • Spring/Summer 1986 Editor: MARIA F. RICH Assistant Editor: CHERYL KEMPLER Editorial Assistants: LISA VOLPE-REISSIG FRITZI BICKHARDT NORMA LITTON The COS Bulletin is published quarterly for its members by Central Opera Service. Please send any news items suitable for mention in the COS Bulletin as well as performance information to The Editor, Central Opera Service Bulletin, Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, New York, NY 10023. Copies this issue: $12.00 Regular news issues: $3.00 ISSN 0008-9508 TABLE OF CONTENTS Friday, November 1, 1985 WELCOME 1 Margo H. Bindhardt, Central Opera Service Katharine T. O'Neil, Metropolitan Opera Guild Martin E. Segal, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts KEYNOTE ADDRESS 4 John Brademas, New York University MOVERS OF OPERA I 11 Byron Belt, Newhouse Newspapers - Moderator Bruce Crawford, Metropolitan Opera Ardis Krainik, Lyric Opera of Chicago Beverly Sills, New York City Opera Sir John Tooley, Royal Opera Covent Garden GUEST SPEAKERS 37 Martin E. Segal, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts - Introduction Mrs. Mario M. Cuomo - Personal Greetings from The Governor Robert L.B. Tobin, Central Opera Service - Introduction Kitty Carlisle Hart, New York State Council on the Arts NEW FRONTIERS I 45 John Ludwig, National Institute for Music Theater - Moderator Dominiek Argento, Composer Christopher Keene, New York City Opera; Artpark, Lewiston, NY MOVERS OF OPERA II 59 Byron Belt - Moderator David Goekley, Houston Grand Opera Evelyn Lear, Soprano Nikolaus Lehnhoff, Stage Director Wolfgang Sawallisch, Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich Saturday, November 2, 1985 NEW FRONTIERS H 77 John Ludwig - Moderator John Eaton, Composer; School of Music, Indiana University Peter Sellars, American National Theater, Kennedy Center MOVERS OF OPERA HI 89 Maria F. Rieh, Central Opera Service - Moderator John O. Crosby, Santa Fe Opera Italo Gomez, Teatro la Fenice, Venice Lotfi Mansouri, Canadian Opera Company, Toronto Gerard Mortier, Theatre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels Thea Musgrave, Composer; Virginia Opera GUEST SPEAKER 115 John T. Lawrence, Jr., Metropolitan Opera National Council - Introduction Harold Prince, Stage Director; National Institute for Music Theater NEW FRONTIERS HI: IN SEARCH OF YOUNG TALENT 124 Byron Belt - Moderator Betty Allen, Harlem School of the Arts Grant Beglarian, National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Margaret Harshaw, Indiana University, Bloomington Joseph Polisi, Juilliard- School of Music CLOSING 147 Laurence D. Lovett, Metropolitan Opera Guild COS ANNUAL OPERA SURVEY (Appendix A) 149 COS MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION & PUBLICATIONS LIST 151 Notes to this Issue The TRANSCRIPT OF THE COS INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM is published in response to the many requests for a permanent record of this unique meeting. Rarely does one find so many distinguished, diverse opera leaders together, and rarer still are we allowed to share in their frank and open discussions. The written record is therefore extremely valuable - especially since listeners not infrequently miss some of the points made or discussed in so large a forum. We hope that this transcript will offer not only fascinating reading, but that it will also act as a guide and stimulant to opera producers, directors, conductors, performers, composers, audiences and supporters alike. In addition, the attentive reader will find a number of surprises in the positions taken by some of the speakers, and will also discover several occasions for chuckles and amusement. This is the second COS Conference Transcript published complete in the COS BULLETIN. The first was a record of the 1981 St. Louis Conference "A Guide for Opera Admnistrators, Boards of Dirctors, Trustees and Volunteers." We believe that the current volume will prove equally informative, and will be found to contain many useful facts with practical application for opera professionals and supporters. When quoting from this publication, credit must be given to '1985 Central Opera Service National Conference' and to the speaker(s). This is Number 1 of the new Volume 27 series. The next issue of the COS BULLETIN will be again a regular news issue (Vol. 27, No. 2) with the customary variety of subjects and a performance listing. -IV- ILLUSTRATIONS photos by Maury Englander front inside cover (left to right) John Brademas Bruce Crawford, Beverly Sills Byron Belt, Ardis Krainik, Martin Segal, Mar go Bindhardt, Bruce Crawford Katharine O'Neil, Bruce Crawford Sir John Tooley Mrs. Mario M.Cuomo, Kitty Carlisle Hart Nikolaus Lehnhoff, Evelyn Lear John Ludwig, Christopher Keene, Dominick Argento back inside cover Harold Prince, Peter Mark, Thea Musgrave Kitty Carlisle Hart, Robert L.B. Tobin, Betty Allen Peter Sellers, Gerard Mortier Nikolaus Lehnhoff, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Evelyn Lear, David Gockley Maria Rich, Italo Gomez 500 in the Sheraton Centre Ballroom Grant Beglarian, Margaret Harshaw, David Polisi, Lotfi Mansouri Sherrill Milnes -v- Friday, November 1, 1985 - 9:00-9:30 a.m. WELCOME MARGO H. BINDHARDT, National Chairman, Central Opera Service KATHARINE T. O'NEIL, President, Metropolitan Opera Guild MARTIN E. SEGAL, Chairman, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts MARGO BINDHARDT Good morning ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of Central Opera Service, a vital part of the Metropolitan Opera National Council, I welcome all of you to the annual Central Opera Service National Conference. We are truly delighted to have this marvelous registration and this miraculous line-up of panelists and speakers. A record four hundred and fifty attendees representing the United States, Canada, Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Over 200 organizations are represented. The registrants include general directors, composers, stage directors, artist managers, service organization members and officials, singers, educators, trustees, Guild and Metropolitan Opera National Council members, music publishers, press and patrons. In fact, the registration is exemplary of what Central Opera Service represents. A true cross section of the entire opera world. Our annual conferences have taken us to San Francisco, Houston, Miami, St. Louis, Toronto, San Diego, and Washington. In 1983 we held our conference here in New York City to celebrate the Metropolitan Opera's Centennial. Last year we had the privilege of being in Chicago to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Lyric Opera Company of Chicago and now here in New York, our 1985 Conference has the honor to be held in conjunction with Opera News to celebrate the first half century of the Metropolitan Opera Guild. We all join in the congratulations on this milestone fiftieth anniversary. We have a few program changes. We received the following telegram: "You may have heard that I was recently elected Mayor of the City of Florence. I am truly overtaxed by the duties of my new office and this is why I find myself forced to cancel my visit to New York. Would you please accept my sincerest apologies and also convey them equally to the participants. I am wishing you a great success in your undertaking.' Signed, Massimo Bogianckino, Administrator General of the Opera of Paris. We are, however, very fortunate to welcome Italo Gomez, Artistic Director of Teatro La Fenice in Venice- He will be on the panel in Mr. Bogianckino's place. Jo Ann Forman, Director of Education for the Metropolitan Opera Guild will graciously replace June Dunbar. Bob Jacobson is recovering nicely and sends his greetings to all of you. We will certainly miss his presence. His moderating tasks will be covered by Byron Belt, John Ludwig and Maria Rich. We look forward to a very superb conference and I thank you all for being here. It is now my great privilege to introduce the President of the Metropolitan Opera Guild, Katharine O'Neil, a dynamic lady. [Applause] KATHARINE O'NEIL Thank you Margo and congratulations to you Margo for pulling this wonderful symposium together and for bringing so many people from all over the world here to the Sheraton Center. I would also like to say a hearty congratulations to a dynamic woman. I am sure that you have all met her even though it is just a little after nine o'clock. You will continue to meet her as she is a mover and shaker of the Central Opera Service, the Metropolitan Opera Guild, and the Metropolitan Opera, Maria Rich. [Applause] She has done a whale of a job bringing people in from all over the world. It is not an easy task. She has done it extremely well and she deserves enormous credit for this job well done. I believe this symposium is going to be fascinating, enlightening and I hope that you all agree that it is kind of a once in a lifetime. I have never seen such a roster of speakers -1- as well as of attendees. I can not think of a more important and more appropriate person to kick off this conference than Martin E. Segal. He is the Chairman of the Board of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and is a very distinguished man of arts and letters in his own right.