Each summer, Festival Opera produces two operas with varying demands for chorus. This most recent season’s sold-out production of Carmen had a chorus of forty-nine adults and eleven boys; the second opera, the critically acclaimed West Coast premiere of Ned Rorem’s newest opera, Our Town, had a chorus of only nineteen adults. Singers are chosen for the two operas based on auditions held in the fall of the prior year. In addition to the two operas, the Festival Opera Chorus is featured in the annual concert at Opera In The Park.Requirements for participation in the Festival Opera Chorus are:
AUDITION ANNOUNCEMENT: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Festival Opera is is seeking 20 treble voices for the second production of this summer season, A Midsummer Night's Dream by Benjamin Britten, which was originally performed with a boys chorus as the treble voices. Interested singers – women, girls, countertenors and boys with unchanged voices – are encouraged to e-mail the Chorus Master.
Singers must be no taller than 5' 8" and a small body type. Singers must be able to read music, have exceptional accuracy of pitch and be able to learn the music independently of rehearsals. Those selected will be expected to have exemplary rehearsal discipline.
Music rehearsals will begin in late April and will be scheduled once the chorus has been selected and rehearsal availability has been established. Staging rehearsals will begin approximately July 21st. Listed below are important production dates which singers must be able to meet.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
- August 4, 5, 6 – Tech and dress rehearsals – 6:00 p.m. call
- August 7 – Preview for invited guests, 7:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. call
- August 9 – 1st Performance, 8:00 pm – 6:00 p.m. call
- August 12 – 2nd Performance, 8:00 p.m. – 6 p.m. call
- August 15 – 3rd Performance, 8:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. call
- August 17 – 4th (and final) Performance, Matinee 2:00p.m. – 12:00 p.m. call
