NATIONAL CAPITAL OPERA SOCIETY Newsletter August 1995 SOCIETE D'OPERA DE LA CAPITALE NATIONALE Bulletin aofit 1995 P.O. Box 8347, Main Tenninal, Ottawa, Ontario KIG 3H8 C.P. 8347, Succursale principale, Ottawa (Ontario) KIG 3H8 Summary of forthcoming local events Le nozze di Figaro, Production by Opera 9,11,13, 20:00 NACOpera p. 6 by Mozart Lyra Ottawa and 15 Sep Dinner with Mario A dinner for members of 10 Sep 18:30 for Van Gogh Room, p.6 Bernardi the NCOS 19:30 1480 Riverside Drive Dido and Aeneas, NAC concert perfomance 28 Nov 20:00 NACOpera by Purcell Figaro Gala Opera Lyra Ottawa--­ 9 Sep 17:00 NAC Panorama Room p.6 dinner, opera, and dessert Opera Favourites, NAC concert 1 Dec 20:00 NACOpera with Tracy Dahl Rita and Betley, Opera Breva production 4 Nov evening Earl of March High p.11 by DonizeUi School, Kanata Amal and the Night Opera Breva production 9 Dec evemng St Andrew's Presby­ p. 11 Visitors, by Menotti; terian Church, Mass, by Saint-Saens Carleton Place In this issue- The new boss at the NAC speaks 3 Twenty-six operas within reach next season 9 Three Treasurer's reports 6, 7, and 8 But, alas, no pictures 1 Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting was held on 28 Ottawa's production of Rigoletto. Within the May 1995 in St Paul's Eastern United Church. luxurious party-room facilities ofLois and Don The results of the elections and of the division of Harper, combined with the catering of Dave responsibilities among Board members at their Smith, about thirty of us welcomed Louis and fIrst subsequent meeting will be clear from the his wife Christina Petrowska. That sparkling listing at the end of the newsletter. Our guest evening heralded a season that was focused on speaker was the new Executive Director of the opera and youth, not unlike the conclusion of National Arts Centre, Joan Pennefather, and we the previous one. After considerable print the text of her encouraging talk below. But investigation your Board of Directors decided to first, fittingly, the President's message. earmark their Opera Lyra Ottawa funding priority to the Young Artists' Program, and President's message $1000 was directed to that work. Prior to this During the dark days of World War II a highly­ time, that program had received no specific placed aide to Winston Churchill suggested to funding in the company's budget. We hope that him that the funds in the United Kingdom we can continue this initiative. budget allocated to the arts at that time might be Much of the fall of 1994 was devoted to more fruitfully directed towards the war effort. preparations for the Brian Law Opera Scowling, Churchill replied 'What are we Scholarship, held in January 1995. You should fIghting for?' The arts in all their fonns enrich realise that the lead time for this enterprise is the soul and nurture the very fIbre of our being. close to a year, from when notices are sent to Opera is unique as it combines so many educational organizations and other groups, to elements-theatre, dance, music, creative art, to the receipt of application, through the name several. You may say that I am preaching preliminary round, to the final competition. The to the converted, but in these days of austerity requirements for potential competitors are quite and realigned priorities we who love opera must strenuous: as well as a tape of three operatic make a loud noise. In Dr. Seuss's Horton arias, one with recitative, people must submit a Hears a Who, all the whos would have been musical CV with repertoire, and a 200-word destroyed, but they shouted loudly and were statement of why they want to be an opera heard. The National Capital Opera Society was singer, along with a nominal deposit. The fonned because some of us wanted to make a preliminary jury, consisting of Barbara Clark, loud noise, and it is most appropriate today that Garth Hampson, and Thomas Annand, advised the National Arts Centre's recently appointed by an NCOS representative, namely myself, met Executive Director should be with us. The in late November to hear and consider Centre has been a focal point of many of our submissions from eight candidates, all ladies, activities and thoughts and we view from which six were chosen for the final developments there with great interest. Our competition. The final jury consisted of mezzo­ support of revived NAC summer festival soprano Diane Loeb from Toronto and activities has never wavered, but some cold conductors Louis Lavigueur and Iwan Edwards economic facts make opera a most special from Montreal. Since we nonnally feed the commodity, requiring special devotion. This is jurors and fete the competitors, we decided to so here in Ottawa, and is the case all over our act on a suggestion from the previous year's country. The arts, and opera in particular, do AGM and have a fund-raising dinner follow the not have the priority here that they have in some competition. Some 45 persons joined us for this European countries, and we who are committed special dinner. must work even harder. January 21st arrived clear and cold, and there Last September we dined in the company of one had been a flurry of interest in the evening, to of our favourite singers, Louis Quilico, in wit, 'six singers will sing eighteen arias.' The Ottawa to perfonn the lead in Opera Lyra attendance was overwhelming, and very 2 heartening both for us and for the six young members for giving me the privilege of serving ladies competing: Marianna Bell, mezzo; this organization. Kimberley Briggs, coloratura; Julie Ann Thank you. Nesrallah, mezzo; Marlene Piitz, coloratura; Mary Ann Swerdfeger, mezzo; and Maria Bobbi Cain Knapik-Sztramko, lyric-spinto. I'm sure you all know the result-after much jury deliberation Mary Ann Swerdfeger was chosen as winner of Joan Pennefather's address the $2000 prize. We tried, to no avail, to secure additional donations so that each finalist could It is a great pleasure to join you this afternoon be awarded $100 to offset expenses. Instead, and to share with you some of my thoughts and Diane Loeb hosted each runner-up the next some of the excitement which we have in store morning, or if they could not meet her, she for you at the National Arts Centre. wrote to them. All appreciated this opportunity. As Bobbi indicated during her gracious As you will hear from our treasurer, the introduction, even though I have been Executive endowment fund is well over $10 000; Director of the NAC for only about five months, however, we want to undertake a corporate my formal association with the Centre dates to fundraising campaign to propel it to the 1989 when I joined the Board of Trustees as an appropriate mark. Can you help us with that ex-officio member. Yet, in spite of this ongoing work? relationship, there has been much learning over In April we hosted the 'Kiev Evening', a the course of the past several months in my new celebration of Ukrainian music and culture role. So, while this is not an official featuring Laura Dziubaniuk and Alexander announcement, I am pleased to have a chance to Savtchenko. It was a fun time with great food, share with you where we are today. great music, great dancing, and great auction We are particularly pleased with the continued items. An unexpected and unresolved conflict close relationship which the National Arts somewhat dampened the evening and we really Centre Orchestra maintains with the local just broke even, so that the party's contribution community and of the high regard in which it is to the Brian Law Opera Scholarship was held in the National capital Region and, as the virtually nil. One of the first tasks facing our Orchestra's recent European tour demonstrates, new Board will be to re-evaluate our fund­ on the international scene as well. raising strategy so that we can achieve more Au cours des douze demieres annees, plusieurs buck for the bang. We also decided a year ago personnes ont joue un role primordial dans Ie that our whole policy concerning tours would be relation entre Ie Centre national des arts et la revamped. We are investigating new sources of Societe d'opera de la capitale nationale. En ce CD discounts, and opera video showings or moment, j'aimerais rendre hommage aune movies. During this past year our Board was personne cle qui demeure un ami et un defenseur quite lean, and we need more willing hands to de l'opera aOttawa, Monsieur Jack Mills, share the work. A lot of stress was put on a Direceur administratif de la programmation du very few people who represent you all. CNA. I wish to thank all those members of the Board As you may recall, back in 1983 there were of Directors-Pat Adamo, John Clegg 'three main pressures' which led to the (newsletter), Murray Kitts (treasurer) Peggy suspension of Festival Ottawa. The Centre's Pflug (vice-president), Chris Sayre (publicity), Parliamentary appropriation had not kept pace Sandy Shea (secretary), David Shore, and with inflation; the federal 6 and 5 anti-inflation Gerda Ruckerbauer (membership). This was a program prevented us from raising ticket prices; very busy year for everyone, and without their and we were left with little option other than to help and support, it would have been much less cut back on artistic programming. It was successful than it has been.