I think of y’all more often than you know

 

Nick Covault rowing on Otsego Lake during a rare break in 2008

Nick Covault rowing on Otsego Lake during a rare break in 2008

This blog is part of a series of posts from patrons, volunteers, former interns, artists and staff discussing how Glimmerglass has enriched their lives. Please consider posting your own stories about how Glimmerglass has impacted you, and make a gift (click here) to help ensure the future of our great festival. Any new or increased gift will be matched dollar for dollar by the Glimmerglass Board from now until the close of the year.

 

 

Nick Covault served as the Glimmerglass Artistic Administration Intern in 2008 and 2009. He worked with the artistic department and the Young Artists Program (YAP).  Since working at Glimmerglass, Nick has received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Arts Administration from the University of Kentucky.  He recently started working at the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts as their Program Coordinator.

Two Life-Changing Summers by Nick Covault

When I found out that Glimmerglass had accepted a 22-year-old boy from Kentucky as their Artistic Administration Intern, I figured there had been some sort of clerical error.  I was very familiar with Glimmerglass’ prestigious reputation, and although I was thrilled, I was also a bit terrified to spend the summer at a place I had only seen on the pages of Opera News.

What I found upon my arrival in Cooperstown was a company of the highest artistic commitment and determination, run by some of the kindest and most down-to-earth mentors I believe I shall ever have.  My supervisors within the artistic department wanted so much to share the ins and outs of “the business,” and they provided a safe and comfortable atmosphere in which I could absorb those lessons like a sponge. I could not walk to the copy machine without exchanging a smile, and a day never passed by where I didn’t learn or laugh.

From the guild members who took me under their wing, to my fellow interns (many are still in touch); there was always someone to inspire me. During my time at Glimmerglass, I’m sure most people knew me as the anonymous boy running flowers to the artists back stage or the guy who always looked at little nervous on the days of the Young Artists’ auditions.  But from my perspective, I was experiencing two life-changing (no hyperbole there) summers that I will always cherish.  I am forever indebted to my many Glimmerglass mentors, and cannot thank them enough for showing a little boy from Kentucky that he can do whatever he sets his mind to. Thank you to Glimmerglass for providing me with this incredible experience. I think of y’all more often than you know.

No Comments

Bridget Rigas, December 29th 2010 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Artistic Department, Education, Summer Internship Program, Young America Artists, Young American Artists, Young Artists Program

There Couldn’t Possibly Be a Better Place to Start Out

This blog is the first in a series of posts from patrons, volunteers, former interns, artists and staff discussing how Glimmerglass has enriched their lives. Please consider posting your own stories about how Glimmerglass has impacted you, and make a gift (click here) to help ensure the future of our great Festival. Any new or increased gift will be matched dollar for dollar from now until the end of the year.  

Sam Helfrich, now an accomplished opera director, was an intern in 1998 for the Glimmerglass Young Artists Program. As a result of his experience at Glimmerglass, he has had a successful career working at Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Boston, Spoleto USA, Portland Opera, Florida Grand Opera and Opera Omaha. He has since returned to direct several Glimmerglass successes, such as Proulenc’s La Voix Humaine (2006), Glass’s Orphée (2007), and Menotti’s The Consul (2009).  “I can’t imagine a better production than Mr. Helfrich’s…” by Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, August 4, 2009, in his 2009 Festival review.

 Here Sam writes about how Glimmerglass “sold” him on opera:

Thinking about Glimmerglass by Sam Helfrich

Helfrich, Sam cropI came to Glimmerglass in the summer of 1998. I was in graduate school at the time, working on an MFA in playwriting, and doing some theater directing. I had always had a passive interest in opera, particularly in certain directors who were moving regularly back and forth between theater and opera. Among other things, I was curious to know what attracted these known theater directors to opera.

My graduate program required several internships, so when the opportunity to apply to Glimmerglass came up, I jumped on it, and was accepted.  I was offered two possibilities – either to intern with the music staff, or to intern for the Young American Artist Program. I chose the latter. In retrospect, the difference could probably be summed up as the choice between shuffling singers around all day or shuffling electric pianos around all day.  Either way, I anticipated that the work would often be tedious, but I looked forward to the inside view of an opera company.

I settled in early that summer as a resident at Limekiln, the young artists’ residence in Cherry Valley. The work itself was, indeed, somewhat tedious, but mostly there was just a whole lot of it, as I remember. Organizing the schedules of 36 young singers cross-cast over four productions plus recital concerts and, in those, days, 21 separate “run-out” scenes concerts spread over New York State… and guess whose job it was to do all the driving?

But the “inside view” of the company that I had been hoping for turned out to reward me in ways I could not even have imagined when I started. In the process of shuffling singers back and forth to rehearsals, I was lucky enough to be able to witness, day after day, the creation of four separate, all-new opera productions. I would grab a half-hour here or an hour there to simply watch and learn as a group of four stellar – and amazingly different – directors went about their work. 

At that point I had never been in an opera rehearsal room before, so everything was a surprise, everything was thrilling. From how to follow a score to the unique rhythm of each director as they worked and reworked scenes, to the complex organizational responsibilities and the handling of so many different personalities that makes the work of stage managers so impressive, and of course, the singers and the music (the shocking discovery that, when you’re sitting 15 feet away, a singer’s voice is really, really loud).  In fact, during all those drives back and forth, during the communal meals at Limekiln, during the late nights out in Cherry Valley after long days of work, it was the constant chatter among the singers, about their voices, about their roles, their physiques, their passions, their hopes and aspirations, that taught me more about opera than any book ever could.

By late July all 4 shows had opened, the recital season was in full swing, the concerts around the state were becoming business as usual, and I felt as if I had never worked so hard in my life. But instead of feeling exhausted, by then I was exhilarated. Every day a new revelation, a new experience, a new person to meet. Subconsciously, I was making friends and connections that would be the foundation of my career for years to come. By the time that summer was over, I had watched the production of The Mother of Us All nine times, Partenope five times, and both Tosca and Falstaff at least a handful of times each.

As I was preparing to return to school for the second year of my MFA, my mind was made up: if this is what opera was, then this is what I wanted to do with my life. The summer was a proverbial “lightning bolt.” I was in my late 20’s, and after years of searching and wondering, traveling, doing odd jobs (I even did a two-year stint as a script reader for HBO!), thinking a lot about theater, writing and directing plays, I finally just knew what I wanted to do. I told myself I was going to return to Glimmerglass in five years and direct a production there. 

Perhaps I was very ambitious, since it actually took me seven, but during the years in between, my relationship with Glimmerglass continued to deepen as I returned in various capacities; first as a last-minute assistant director, then as the director of one of the company’s winter opera tours around New York State, then as a fully vetted assistant, and, finally, to direct.  In my professional career, the time I’ve put in at Glimmerglass and the people I’ve met there over the years have shaped me as an artist more than anywhere or anyone else. There couldn’t possibly be a better place to start out.

No Comments

Bridget Rigas, December 2nd 2010 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in 2010 Festival, 2011 Festival, Artistic Department, artistic team, Education, The Consul, Training & Staff Education, Young American Artists

Kick off National Opera Week

OPERA-tion Arts Gallery opens tonight.

OPERA-tion Arts Gallery opens tonight.

Tonight we open the OPERA-tion Arts Gallery at The Smithy with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The artwork of second grade students from Cooperstown, Cherry Valley-Springfield, Milford and Richfield Springs central schools hangs in The Smithy at 55 Pioneer Street in Cooperstown in honor of National Opera Week.

The students illustrated their impressions of opera after participating in a discussion with Glimmerglass staffers about opera and all it involves.

Next Friday, November 5, Glimmerglass 2010 Young Artist J’nai Bridges will perform at 7 p.m. to help culminate the week.

We hope you will join us in celebrating the hard work of these students. Visit www.glimmerglass.org for gallery hours.

OPERA-tion Arts Gallery displays second graders' thoughts on opera.

OPERA-tion Arts Gallery displays second graders' thoughts on opera.

No Comments

Brittany Lesavoy, October 29th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Community Events, Education, Young American Artists

Young Artist Awarded Richard F. Gold Career Grant

Joseph Barron as Grandpa Moss and Mark Diamond as Top in Glimmerglass Opera's 2010 production of The Tender Land. Photo: Claire McAdams/Glimmerglass Opera.

Joseph Barron as Grandpa Moss and Mark Diamond as Top in The Tender Land. Photo: Claire McAdams/ Glimmerglass Opera.

Young Artist Mark Diamond is a 2010 recipient of the prestigious Richard F. Gold Career Grant.

 Diamond performed this summer as Top in The Tender Land and covered the role of Araspe in Tolomeo. Some of his past engagements include Bob in The Old Maid and The Thief at Capitol City Opera and Dr. Gregg in Gallantry and the Count in The Marriage of Figaro at Georgia Southern Opera. He was also a Southeastern Regional Finalist in the 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He is currently continuing his studies for a Master of Music at the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music.

The Richard F. Gold Career Grant, which assists young, gifted American singers with their career development, was established by the Will of Richard F. Gold. The Shoshana Foundation annually awards The Richard F. Gold Career Grant to young singers through music schools and opera apprenticeship programs.

For a recent interview with Diamond, read this Glimmerglass Blog post.

No Comments

Brittany Lesavoy, August 30th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in 2010 Festival, Young American Artists

Mark Diamond — One of Glimmerglass Opera’s Gems

“Mark Diamond was boisterous and entertaining.”
-Steve Smith, The New York Times
 

Mark Diamond“Baritone Mark Diamond, as the swaggering Top, is a singer with a bright future. Although the character of Top is hardly a sympathetic one, Mr. Diamond’s beautiful voice and striking stage appearance gave the character much redemption.”
-Seth Lachterman, Berkshire Review for the Arts


Mark Diamond is a member of Glimmerglass Opera’s 2010 Young American Artists Program. He performed this summer as Top in Copland’s The Tender Land and can be found attending the opera every night he is not in the show. Though this afternoon was Glimmerglass’s last performance of The Tender Land, Mark Diamond is surely an artist to watch for.

A Conversation with Mark Diamond

Mark Diamond as Top in 'The Tender Land'

Mark Diamond as Top in 'The Tender Land'

Brittaney Brentzel (PR Intern): Mark, tell me a little about your family.

Mark Diamond: I am one of five siblings and we all grew up in the Augusta area or the CSRA (Central Savannah River Area).  My family goes to West Acres Baptist Church in Evans, GA. My mother works as director of Nursing at Alliance Hospice and my Father works at Savannah River Sight(SRS).

BB: When did you first realize you were interested in music?

MD: I first found an interest in music in high school at Greenbrier High at which point I was involved in community theater in Augusta. I then decided to pursue a degree at Georgia Southern University for Music Education. After a few years studying voice there I changed tracks slightly in order to pursue a career in vocal performance.  I did complete my Music Education degree there in May of 2010.

Mark Diamond rehearses at a voice coaching

Mark Diamond rehearses at a coaching

BB: What made you decide to persue the Young American Artists Program at Glimmerglass?

MD: After going to Aspen Music Festival and School last summer I was encouraged to really dive head first into the audition circuit, at which point I auditioned and was offered the role of “Top” in Copland’s The Tender Land.

BB: What is your  favorite food?

MD: My favorite type of food is southern home cooking like fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac ‘n cheese, and casserole.

Mark Diamond as Top in "The Tender Land" opposite Andrew Stenson as Martin

Mark Diamond as Top in "The Tender Land" opposite Andrew Stenson as Martin

BB: If you were stranded on an island and could only have three posessions with you, what would they be?

MD: If I could have only three possessions they would be a Frisbee, a friend and a piano. A Frisbee because I can entertain myself for hours with it and I played ultimate for years now, a friend because I might go crazy if I didn’t have someone to share things with, and a piano because I have always wanted to be better at playing and if I had one I am sure I would.

1 Comment

Brittaney Brentzel, August 21st 2010 | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in 2010 Festival, The Tender Land, Young American Artists

A Conversation with 2010 Young American Artist Jamilyn Manning-White

 

Jamilyn Manning-White

Jamilyn Manning-White

Jamilyn Manning-White is a member of Glimmerglass Opera’s 2010 Young American Artists Program, returning from her Glimmerglass debut last year as Clorinda in La Cenerentola. This season, she has performed the role of Mrs. Jenks and covered the role of Laurie in Copland’s The Tender Land, performed with the chorus in Puccini’s Tosca and sang in Steven Blier’s concert, the Killer B’s: American Song from Amy Beech to the Beach Boys.

Jamilyn was raised in Smithfield, Utah. She studied at Utah State University, where she received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. She went on to receive a Master of Music in Opera Theater Performance from Arizona State University. At the Arizona State Lyric Opera in Phoenix, Jamilyn performed the role of Belinda in Dido and Aeneas as well as the role of Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos.

Jamilyn will return to Arizona in the fall to perform the role of Frasquita in the Arizona Opera’s production of Carmen as well as Edith in the production of The Pirates of Penzance. She will also be covering the role of Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance and Konstanse in the company’s production of The Abduction from the Seraglio.

A Conversation with Jamilyn Manning-White

Jamilyn Sings a Solo in the Killer B's Concert Accompanied by Steven Blier

Jamilyn Sings a Solo in the Killer B's Concert Accompanied by Steven Blier

 

 Brittaney Brentzel (PR Intern): Jamilyn, you’re originally from Utah. Does your family still live there?

Jamilyn: My family is currently spread out throughout the United States. I have a brother studying at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, another brother in graduate school at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky, who is also serving in the military and a sister in Provo, Utah. My youngest sister and my parents are in Lima, Peru.  My father, Roger, has worked in the LDS Church Educational System all his professional life, most recently teaching at the LDS Institute of Religion in Logan, Utah.  My parents are currently serving as Mission Presidents for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Lima, Peru South Mission. My mother, Lyn, has worked at home teaching piano lessons while raising her family, and she is currently finishing her bachelor’s at Utah State University to be an elementary teacher. 

BB: Were you active in your community in Utah?

Jamilyn: I have always been very active in any community I have lived in.  I lived in Fruit Heights, Utah, for a few years growing up and participated in several community service projects to beautify neighborhoods. I raised funds for Food Drives and was a member of the National Junior Honor Society.  In Smithfield, Utah, I served on the Smithfield Youth City Council, participated in the Cache Valley Community Theatre, did community service projects and was a Sky View High School Cheerleader.  From 2001-2002, I served as Miss Cache Valley, a part of the Miss America Pageant.  I attended most elementary and middle schools in Cache Valley to promote youth literacy. I was featured on several local radio broadcasts and local television and performed the song “Tell me a Story,” a song composed specifically for this school tour and other youth literacy outreach by Jay Richards, a local composer in Logan, Utah.  In the course of my year reign as Miss Cache Valley, I received the Spirit of the Valley Service Award.

Jamilyn as Laurie in the Cover Run of The Tender Land

Jamilyn as Laurie in the cover run of The Tender Land

BB: When did you first realize you were interested in music and performing arts?

Jamilyn: Growing up in a very musical family, I’ve always been surrounded by music and the performing arts.  I remember listening to Chopin, Debussy, Gershwin, Beethoven, Mozart, Greig, etc. and learned all the piano classics from listening to my mother play at home.  My parents took me to see ballets and musicals in Salt Lake City and at the Cache Valley Civic Ballet and I absorbed every minute of it.  My Grandma Bennion (mother’s side) was a prominent strings teacher in Cache Valley and Northern Utah, and I remember visiting on Sunday evenings and she would play for us.  I remember telling my Grandma, “One day, I will play the violin and I’ll be good at it!”  At an early age, I’ve always been determined to work hard to pursue my dreams.  I later did study violin with her for several years until deciding to pursue singing  full-time.

I grew up dancing at the age of 5 and started taking piano lessons from my mother at the same age.  My Grandma Manning (father’s side) was an opera singer and I’ll never forget when she gave me my first voice lesson at the age of 8.  I still have her hand-written vocal exercises she wrote out for me and I’ll always cherish that small piece of paper!  I continued studying Tap, and Jazz, but Ballet was always my favorite.  I loved how challenging the technique was and when I did it right, it was so satisfying and so beautiful to watch. 

At the age of 12, I started taking voice lessons and violin lessons from my Grandma Bennion.  I think it wasn’t until I was in high school that I realized I wanted to pursue singing.  I received a full-ride scholarship my senior year in high school to study at Utah State University and I’ve been singing ever since.

Jamilyn as Laurie in the Cover Run of The Tender Land

Jamilyn as Laurie in the cover run of The Tender Land

BB: What made you pursue the YAAP at Glimmerglass Opera?

Jamilyn: Back in 2008, I did a lot of research of several Young Artist programs. Glimmerglass was one of the top of my list.  The 2009 season offered several roles that I could sing, so I applied.  I sang for Glimmerglass in Chicago and had a great audition.  When Don Marrazzo, formerly Glimmerglass’s Director of Casting and Artistic Operations, called me in November to offer my singing contract I was actually about to compete in a competition in Palm Springs, California.  It was all I could do to not burst with excitement!      

Jamilyn Performs Alongside Other YAAP Females in the Killer B's Concert

Jamilyn Performs alongside other YAAP females in the Killer B's Concert

BB: As an opera singer you are frequently traveling. What three possessions do you make sure to have with you while on the road?

Jamilyn: I always keep a picture of me and my husband on our wedding day wherever I travel.  I always keep my music on my person with my roll-up piano keyboard that fits in my music bag.   Lastly, I always bring my vitamins, sinus rinse and medicine with me, just in case I start feeling under the weather.

No Comments

Brittaney Brentzel, August 17th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in 2010 Festival, The Tender Land, Young American Artists

The Beats of the “Killer B’s”

Cast of "Killer B's"

Cast of "Killer B's"

Today kicked off of Glimmerglass Opera’s Seminar Weekend with a packed house at Steven Blier’s free concert, Killer B’s: American Song from Amy Beach to the Beach Boys. Blier, the artistic director and co-founder of the New York Festival of Song, accompanied six members of Glimmerglass’s Young American Artists Program. These young singers included J’nai Bridges, Jessica Cates, Steven LaBrie, Will Liverman, Rebecca Jo Loeb, Jamilyn Manning-White, Alex Mansoori and Zachary Nelson. From the first ensemble piece, the cast was introduced as a cohesive group, each male and female couple wearing color-coordinated outfits. The outfit choices, quirky choreography and overall demeanor of the singers led to an intimate concert filled with both drama and comedy – mostly comedy.

As we can assume from its name, the clever concert was assembled of only composers whose names begin with the letter ‘B.’ As Blier, who fittingly also has a ‘B’ name, said “We can document history, all within one letter of the alphabet.”  Aside from the cohesion in artists’ names, the concert also segmented itself into cohesive themes which progressed throughout the performance— survival, love, higher education, etc. Quotes from B’s in literature also served as segues between songs.

Blier explained many of the more serious song choices. One song in

J'Nai Bridges and Will Liverman in

J'nai Bridges and Will Liverman

 particular stood out with its landmark messages relating to American history. I Too, Sing American/ Okay, Negroes was sung by J’nai Bridges and Will Liverman. This song was compiled by Leonard Bernstein from two poems, each from a different era, juxtaposing racial views. The piece sang like a debate between two characters in our country’s African American history.

Overall, this imaginatively staged and sequenced concert was a hit with the audience from the opening ensemble to the encore pieces of Wishin’ and Hopin’ and I Feel Good. If you couldn’t make it to the concert, see our website for other opportunities during the next few weeks when our Young American Artists will perform.

No Comments

Brittaney Brentzel, August 13th 2010 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in 2010 Festival, Young American Artists

“They Heard America Singing”

Glimmerglass Opera is collaborating with the Adirondack Museum to present “They Heard America Singing” on August 17. Enjoy a box supper, early 20th-century American music, and the incomparable views that surround the Adirondack Museum.

Join Glimmerglass Young American Artists Jamilyn Manning-White, Dominick Rodriguez, Adam Fry and Claire Shackleton for an evening of the music of Aaron Copland and Charles Ives, as well as songs that influenced both of these original composers. The program will include tunes that made up the fabric of American life at the turn of the 20th century: hymns, folk tunes, opera and a liberal sprinkling of ragtime.

The grounds open at 5:30 p.m. for those who have reserved a box supper. The cost of the box supper, including wine and the performance, is $75. The cost of the concert is $25. The performance itself will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets for the concert will be available at the door. Limited seating will be available. We suggest guests bring lawn chairs or a blanket. Purchase tickets online or by calling the Adirondack Museum at (518) 352-7311, ext. 119.

Please be sure to order your box supper by Thursday, August 12, 2010.

The Adirondack Museum is located at Rt. 28N/30, Blue Mountain Lake, NY. If you’re in the area, or feel like taking a drive, we would love to see you.

No Comments

Brittany Lesavoy, August 9th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Community Events, Young American Artists

Oneonta Success

Accompanist Jonathan Kelly

Accompanist Jonathan Kelly introduces the program.

Last weekend, Glimmerglass actually had two performances in one night.  One was our production of Tolomeo.  Later the same evening (not to be confused with our 2011 production, Later The Same Evening), our Young American Artists and music staff descended upon the Oneonta Theatre for an opening gala performance.  The venue itself has a wonderful sense of historicism, evident in both its architecture and its reputation as a longstanding cultural fixture in Oneonta, New York.

At the Oneonta Theatre Open House Gala, Glimmerglass was one of many organizations celebrating the theatre’s reopening.  The variety of acts and performers was surely enough to suit anyone’s tastes – dance, live bands, karaoke, and of course, opera.

Our very talented Young American Artists performing that evening were Alison Bates, J’nai Bridges and Juan José de León, each of whom performed selections from Ernani (Verdi), Carmen (Bizet), and La fille du régiment (Donizetti), otherwise known in English as The Daughter of the Regiment.  The audience was wonderful, and it was great meeting with some of those individuals after the performance.  For some, it was their first taste of opera, and others were longtime fans of the company.

It goes without saying that we were delighted to participate in a performance that not only increases our art-form’s exposure to the public, but that also highlights the varied contributions of Central New York’s many performing arts organizations.  In a time where farmers’ markets are making a comeback, remember that you can also just as easily go local and find some great music (or dance, or theater, or film, or…) right around the corner.

Alison Bates

Alison Bates performs at the Oneonta Theatre Open House Gala.

No Comments

Joshua O Malley, August 7th 2010 | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Community Events, Young American Artists

Now Accepting Applications

Young American Artist Lindsay Russell

2011 Young American Artist Lindsay Russell

Our Young American Artists Program is an important component of our Festival. Members of the Young American Artists Program sing principal and supporting roles, cover all roles in mainstage productions and sing in the chorus. Additionally, Young Artists are presented in concerts and cabarets, receive weekly coachings, participate in master classes, and perform in the community. Young Artists will also have the privilege of working with 2011 Festival Artist in Residence Deborah Voigt.

To apply to the 2011 Young American Artists Program, click here.

No Comments

Brittany Lesavoy, August 3rd 2010 | Tags: , ,
Posted in 2011 Festival, Young American Artists
« Older Posts