New
Devon Opera is a professional opera company and
charity based in Devon. The company's Patron is the world-famous
tenor, conductor and director José Cura.
In
both 2007 and 2008, José Cura’s ‘hands-on’ support
for the company saw him giving a week of his time to an international
opera project for NDO, held in London and Devon, helping
professional singers advance their opera careers through
intensive coaching in performance techniques.
2010
is NDO’s sixth season. The company's main
production is a single opera presented in the last two
weeks of July. The performances take place at indoor and
outdoor venues. The company uses professional orchestra
drawn from the south west; professional singers (with auditions
held in London in the autumn); and a community chorus.
During the year, NDO also runs educational workshops and
a concert programme. The company has strong ethical beliefs,
which sees NDO working in close partnership with several other
charities, raising funds for mutual benefit for a range of
good causes. NDO also has excellent working relationships with
arts organisations and local educational providers.
NDO
is governed by a Board of Trustees and day to day management
is run by an Executive management group.
JOSE
CURA OPERA PROJECT 2008
This
project offered a unique developmental opportunity for 15
opera singers considerably to enhance their performance skills
through one-to-one masterclass tuition by, and with, two
internationally recognised musicians – Professor
José Cura and, repetiteur/accompanist Susanna
Stranders.
The
key aim was that the Project should add value to the professional
reputations of all participants, through the provision of
in-depth tuition and coaching. A further key aim of the Project
was that it should help to grow NDO’s reputation and
artistic standing, building towards NDO’s goal of becoming
the South West region’s premier resident professional
opera company; and, that it should foster a greater
understanding and appreciation of all those elements of opera
which encompass a broad range of creative skills. NDO believes
these aims have been met.
Professor
Cura worked in London over four evenings (1st – 4th
September) with (8) of the international project singers
with whom he worked in 2007, and with (7) new singers.
He built on his previous tuition specifically to enhance
last year’s singers’ ensemble and performance
skills by coaching opera scenes from the romantic repertoire,
in which he himself is a world-renowned performer. With
the new singers, he concentrated on solo arias from the
same repertoire.
Professor
Cura personally approved the selection of eight
singers from 2007. Following an additional selection process
by Anthony Legge, (Director of Opera at
the Royal Academy of Music) through CD and biography application,
seven new singers were chosen to go forward to the intensive
four evening one-to-one private masterclass sessions.
Maestro
Cura has his own production company – Cuibar – based
in Madrid. As well as giving personal in-depth feedback
to all the singers, he has encouraged them to stay in contact
with him, so that he can continue to give them advice.
Singers from the JCOP 07 have been continuing to develop
their careers - performing with Scottish Opera, ENO and
British Youth Opera, as well as other companies across
the globe.
NDO has
been the promoter of the project, but undertook the masterclass
with the Royal Academy as its partner in London. Many volunteers
who took part are continuing to provide considerable administrative
and infrastructure support to the company. In Marketing terms,
this has continued to add value to the company’s brand
and, attracted new ‘Friends’ and supporters. |
