Whew. When last I checked in with you all the annual Spring Benefit gala was just about upon us and I was reaching some record levels of stress getting it ready. I think all the stress paid off, because this year’s gala was really something special. It was so springy (unlike the weather today) and beautiful and refined. And I think everyone agreed that the Adler concert this year, in its own separate theatre style venue, was the best concert we have ever had at a Spring Benefit. On my end, things went very smoothly, thanks in no small part to a great group of volunteers. I had a fantastic time and I think everyone there did too. You can see pictures of the event (and really, I know you want to see pictures) here.
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Hamburg is official for Merola graduate Thomas Florio (class of 2010)! Florio will enter into a two-year contract with the Internationales Opernstudio from September 2011 to July 2013. Look for his information later this year at http://www.hamburgische-staatsoper.de/de/1_staatsoper/oper/opernstudio/index.php. Of the seven-member ensemble, there was a single opening available. Fortuitously for the talented Florio, that opening was for a baritone or bass-baritone! Hence, Florio will be the only new member for the 2011-2012 season. His upcoming roles assignments will be:
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April 2011
Dear City Lights and Bright Stars Guests,
They come from all over the world. Humble backgrounds and privileged homes. Someone heard them sing at some point. Maybe sixth grade choir or a school musical. Somewhere that untrained voice found expression and there was something special—tone, pitch or the ability to beautifully carry a melody. Then the training started and the hours upon hours of scales, reading music, learning languages, and singing over and over and over again. The bestteachers told them that they had to be themselves. On the stage they must be totally authentic—everyone can tell. They must treasure and respect their unique talents and bask in the privilege of bringing joy to thousands of people in the audience. Read more »
Phew. What a month.
March is coming to a close, and the Spring Benefit is just around the corner now. It’s been pretty crazy in the office this month, I won’t lie. Auction items have been pouring in, and I’ve been working on getting the auction catalog up to date and off to press so that we can send it to our Spring Benefit guests. Last week saw the staff and a small group of dedicated volunteers stuffing envelopes and mailing out invitations. It was a pretty dangerous undertaking actually and I have the papercuts to prove it! Although perhaps that says more about my own clumsiness than anything else. But at last the invitations are out and the RSVP’s will soon be pouring in! If you haven’t RSVP-ed yet (or even if you have), you still have time to make my dream come true…the dream where my inbox is overflowing with Spring Benefit ticket requests and we have to declare the event sold out. You can get your ticket easily online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/137662.
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A Merola Opera Program event in the winter? Yes! On Tuesday, March 1, Merola is hosting a bring-a-friend special event that takes you behind the scenes of the casting process. You can come if you are a Merola member provided you have a nonmember guest tag along with you (hence the name, bring-a-friend). Haven’t renewed your membership yet? Easy, just go to www.merola.org/join to get back on board for this event (and for a super fun Merola summer coming up soon!)
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Last year the off-season Bring-a-Friend event was my first foray into Merola. It was my first time seeing a Merola event, and my first time seeing opera up close and personal. It was the perfect event for me (a Merola newbie) because Mark Morash, Sheri Greenawald and Jo Ann McStravick walked me (and the audience) through the whole Merola selection process. In one hour I got a pretty clear picture of what Merola was all about. And if I had any doubts about the caliber of training that goes on here, listening to Leah Crocetto and David Lomeli put them all to rest. It was a stunning event. And it was the first time Merola had ever put on an event like that during the “off-season” (not in the summer).
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I love the holidays. Whatever holiday you celebrate, it’s hard not to get caught up in the fantastic energy of November and December. Even putting aside the promise of gifts and the frenzy of holiday shopping, the end of the year brings with it warmth and contentment as family gathers together and we think about the year that is drawing to a close. For me this December is especially poignant as it marks the one year anniversary of my time at Merola. Which is absolutely mind boggling for me since in some ways it feels like I just started. Of course in other ways it feels like I’ve grown so much, and come so far that I must have been working here for years.
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Today is a very exciting day here at Merola. We are officially sending out the Spring Benefit Save the Date e-mail to our mailing list (which you should join if you haven’t already). We are officially revealing the theme of our 2011 spring benefit. We are letting you in on the new concept. I’m so excited. I’ve been working on it for months already, so I’ve been dying to share all the new things in store this year. And now, the moment has arrived. It’s like a big movie premiere! So here it goes…
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Technically this is Merola’s “off-season” but I have yet to see any signs of that. We’ve been furiously finalizing operating budgets, wrapping up the 2010 fiscal year, rasing money for Merola’s 2011 summer and planning the 2011 Spring Benefit gala. All those important behind-the-scenes things that make Merola run. And we are fast approaching my one year anniversary of working here at Merola. Which means finally some things are starting to look familiar. Like maybe I’ve done them before…which is a relief in some ways!
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Time really flies when you are having fun. Or when you have so much to do in such little time. The Merola summer is flying by and the Merolini just get better and better. (It’s just like my montage metaphor!!) Here in the office I don’t get to see the blood sweat and tears (as it were) that go into the daily master classes, rehearsals and voice lessons over at the opera house, but I get to see the results…and they are amazing!
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