The Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1, April 2011 On Wednesday April 27th, join us for an intimate and exciting evening of music! We are very proud to be presenting Stephan Moccio-Internationally renowned composer of “I Believe” for an intimate fundraising concert, benefiting the Canadian Children’s Opera Company. Art imitating life, Moccio’s music cannot be confined to one genre. A beautiful blend of classical and contemporary pop, the result is something exceptionally unique. Billboard Magazine aptly states that, “Moccio’s piano acts as the poet’s pen” positioning him as one of the world’s premier talents. Moccio is still reveling from the success of first album, Exposure which has sold over 45,000 copies. His latest achievement, Color is a collection of 29 romantic solo piano compositions. Mr. Moccio will be performing his latest musical selections in a very intimate setting. Adding to this exciting concert will be the beautiful voices of the CCOC’s Principal Chorus and Youth Chorus under the direction of Ann Cooper Gay. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Children and initiatives of the CCOC. We Need Your Support to Succeed! Join us on Wednesday April 27th, at the beautiful Crescent School Learning Centre. Doors Open at 7:00pm Silent Auction Begins at 7:00pm NEWS AND EVENTS FROM THE CCOC THE FROM EVENTS AND NEWS Intimate Concert at 8:00pm Silent Auction Ends at 10:00pm All Tickets $125 Get your ticket for this intimate and exciting event today, and remember 100% of the proceeds go to support your CCOC! 1 A Message from our Executive Artistic Director by Ann Cooper Gay It's been a busy, but wonderful year for the CCOC! Following a huge success with the fourth production of A Dickens of a Christmas involving all six divisions, seven PC girls distinguished themselves, in various trio combinations, in the COC's Die Zauberflöte (aka Mozart's The Magic Flute). All six divisions are heavily engaged in preparation for the Spring Concerts with choral repertoire and staged excerpts -- May 27-29 and June 3 and 5. Please check the website for details. OPERAtion KIDS, CCOC's outreach program, is going strong and has even expanded to Toronto's east end reports Coordinator, Sophia Perlman. We welcome Joanne Mitchell, Dr. Erik Ross and Linda Gallant to this newest program. We are gearing up for a smashing Gala fundraising event April 27th with Stephan Moccio, performer, arranger, composer, producer and songwriter who wrote “I Believe”, the epic Vancouver Olympic Games anthem. He will be joined by CCOCʼs Principal and Youth Choruses! We look forward to seeing all of you there! The War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration begins for the CCOC with a newly commissioned opera entitled Laura's Cow: the Legend of Laura Secord. The creative team from Dickens returns: Michael Patrick Albano (librettist) and Dr. Errol Gay (composer). Plans are to premiere the opera in June of 2012 and perhaps tour the work to the Niagara region in 2013. This opera will involve all six divisions plus a few surprises... For the past 43 years, the CCOC has been a fixture in Toronto as well as being recognized internationally. On June 28th, 53 choristers and an assortment of adults will depart for Austria and Italy for an exciting musical and educational tour complete with joint and single concerts, a competition in Vienna, sight-seeing and attending Aida in Verona! Get in touch with us online at our website, on facebook, or twitter. Warmest regards, Ann 2 What’s On? Upcoming Events and News from the CCOC Fiddling With Mozart Saturday, May 28 - 7:30pm Principal and Youth Chorus Featuring excerpts from Fiddler on the Roof (Principal Chorus), and Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Youth Chorus) Fiddling With Mozart & The Best of Broadway Sunday, May 29 - 7:30pm Spring Concerts Principal and Youth Chorus Our spring season is coming soon, and this year we are planning a record FIVE performances. Featuring excerpts from Fiddler on the Roof Come out and support the CCOC and receive a (Principal Chorus), Mozart’s The Magic Flute discount when you check out all five Concerts! (Youth Chorus) plus excerpts from the golden age Remember where you’ve been and where you’re of Broadway (Youth Chorus). going when you support all levels of the CCOC! All concerts are at First Unitarian Congregation – The Operatunists & The 175 St. Clair Ave. W (at Avenue Rd) Mikado Friday, June 3 - 7:30pm Choral Concert Sunday, June 5 – 3:00pm Friday, May 27 - 7:30pm Intermediate, Apprentice, Principal and Youth Chorus Ruby and Butterfly Choruses Featuring highlights of repertoire we will be Featuring choral repertoire touring to Europe in June, including the premiere by all four junior and training performance of Ogopogo, a new CCOC choruses, plus The commission, by Toronto composer Norbert Palej Operatunists (Apprentice Chorus) and The Mikado (Intermediate Chorus). Come to our Open House! the CCOC office at 416-366-0467 for more Our annual open house will be held on Saturday, information and to schedule an audition time. May 14. Join us for two and a half hours of Another fabulous season of the CCOC will be drama, singing, mask-making, and a special starting soon! Join us and be a part of the magic! character workshop taught by John Easterlin who will be performing as A Dancing Master and Brighella in the upcoming COC production of Ariadne auf Naxos . He also recently appeared with the COC as Monostatos in The Magic Flute. It’s Audition Time Again! It’s that time of the year! Auditions for the 2011/2012 season will begin on May 7. Ages 3-20 are welcome – find our application form on our website and fill it out today! Contact Diana in CCOC Members enjoy skating on Marlies home ice 3 Touring with the CCOC European Tour Over 50 members of the Principal and Youth Choruses will be touring Austria and Italy from June 28 to July 13. Highlights include: July 1 – Salzburg, Austria Joint Concert: Salzburg Boys and Girls Choir July 3 – Vienna, Austria Summa Cum Laude Festival Public Performance #1 July 4 – Vienna, Austria Summa Cum Laude Festival Competition performance Public Performance #2 July 7 – Deutschlandsberg, Austria The Chorus takes a break during the 2008 European Tour. Joint Concert: Deutschlandsberg Music School CCOC choristers will be returning to Austria and Italy from June 28th to July 13th! July 9 – Venice, Italy Concert: Basilica di San Pietro di Castello NEW CCOC Commissions Coming for 2011 and 2012! Following the overwhelming annual success of Dickens of a Christmas and the critical acclaim of The Secret World of Og the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus will be commissioning two new works for it’s 2011-2012 season. The team that brought you A Dickens of a Christmas, Errol Gay and Michael Patrick Albano, will return as the Composer/Librettist team for Laura’s Cow: The Legend of Laura Secord. This is another one-act opera for the Joel Ivany and a chorister in rehearsal, 2010 company joined by two soloists commemorating the War of 1812 and the courageous works of Canadian heroine Laura Secord. Donʼt miss this exciting new piece which premieres in the Spring of 2012! Ogopogo By Norbert Palej is a short piece for Children’s Choir piano,flute and cello, about the Lake Okanagan Monster. Ogopogo premieres this spring! Rehearsing for Dickens 2008 with Michael Albano 4 Alumni News and Events CCOC Alumni Kate Applin is the Founding Artistic Director of Metro Youth Opera, a company that Soprano Veronika Anissimova has been invited to focuses upon providing professional performance take part in the prestigious Salzburg Vocal opportunities for emerging artists. Their inaugural Festival. Ms. Anissimova will present free production of Così fan tutte was a critical concerts with her twelve esteemed colleagues at success! some of Salzburg’s most prestigious concert halls. She will also have the opportunity take part in masterclasses and audition prep seminars with Stephanie Domingues presented her world renown coaches. undergraduate recital at the University of Toronto’s Walter Hall, on April 20th at 7:30pm Do you have Alumni News or an upcoming event? Feel free to contact us with your information! Kimberly Rose Pefhany will be performing a recital on May 18th at 8pm, in the Conservatory Theatre Canadian Childrenʼs Opera Company at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Ms. Pefhany 227 Front Street East will be joined by collaborative pianist Jennifer Toronto ON, M5A 1E8 Tung and flutist Aysha Willis. [email protected] The CCOC would like to thank the Ontario Arts Council, who have provided funding through the The director of Dean Burry’s The Secret World of Arts Investment Fund which makes this newsletter Og Joel Ivany will be directing an English possible. The grant allows the CCOC to embark language performance of La bohème as part of on a 3-year project to establish ourselves in social the inaugural season of his new company Against media and to reconnect with our alumni. Find us the Grain Theatre, performances run from June on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/ccocfacebook 2nd-5th at the Tranzac Club, visit www.againstthegrain.com for details..