 Issue 10.6.4 ..........
Newsletter of the Colorado Opera Network ........ 28 June 2010
  Soprano Bonnie
Draina is a resident of Boulder, Colorado, where she teaches
studio voice and vocal pedagogy at the University of Colorado.
She will be teaching a class at CU Boulder in Body Mapping next month
(see next below). Bonnie
completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in voice performance and
pedagogy at the University of Colorado, and holds the Master of Music
degree, with honors, in voice performance and pedagogy from Westminster
Choir College. Her undergraduate studies were in music at Drew
University, where she graduated magna cum laude and was inducted into
Phi Beta Kappa. Bonnie is a member of the music fraternity Pi Kappa
Lambda and of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She
actively works with Andover Educators, based in Portland, Oregon, to
promote the health and abilities of musicians through somatic and
sensory training. As an Andover Trainee she studied for four years with
world-renowned Alexander Technique expert Barbara Conable. Her research
on training kinesthesia earned her an invitation to the University of
Indiana, where she presented a webcast lecture as part of the New Vocal
Educators Symposium in 2007. Since then she has presented lectures and
workshops at conferences and universities across the United States and
Canada. Bonnie is an avid interpreter of post-Romantic and
contemporary art song. In April 2006 she sang a recital of Lee Hoiby’s
music in Boulder, featuring the Rocky Mountain premiere of Hoiby’s new
cycle for soprano and string quartet, Sonnets
and
Soliloquies. That same week Bonnie presented the cycle again
on the Pendulum New Music Series and on Colorado Public Radio’s
“Colorado Spotlight.” She has returned to the KVOD studios every year
since, including in 2007 with pianist Mutsumi Moteki, to preview the
world premiere performance of Sayaka Ishiguro's "Hushaby Songs." As a
winner of the
2006 Notes at 9,000 Emerging Artist Competition she has been featured
in several collaborative productions, performing selections from
Granados' Tonadillas with
Helander Dance Company at the Mad Cow Arts Festival in Boulder. In 2008
she was featured in recital and as the soprano soloist in broadcast
performances of Messiah and St. Matthew Passion with the
Bethany (KS) Messiah Festival, performed Mozart arias with the Boulder
Philharmonic, and was soprano soloist in Stravinsky’s Les Noces at the University of
Colorado. This winter, she sang Vivaldi’s rarely-performed solo motet, In turbato mare irato, along with
Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate,
with Boulder Chamber Orchestra. In recital, Bonnie collaborates
frequently with hammered dulcimer expert Lucille Reilly. While earning
her doctorate at University of Colorado, Bonnie performed frequently
with CU Opera, appearing in seven productions in four years and earning
a reputation for her ability to perform roles on short notice. She
mastered the major role of Female Chorus in just two weeks to take part
in CU Opera’s staging of Britten's The
Rape
of
Lucretia. In CU Opera’s 2004 production of L'Elisir d'Amore she received
excellent reviews for her Adina, performed with nine days’ notice.
Other appearances with CU Opera include Despina in Cosi fan Tutte, Iris in Semele, Second Lady in The Magic Flute, Sister Antoine in Dialogues of the Carmelites, and
Widow Glock in the premiere of Sara
McKinnon. Other credits include performances with Opera Festival
of New Jersey, Boheme Opera, Hudson Opera Theater and Delaware Valley
Opera. Bonnie
won scholarships annually in the University of Colorado Graduate
Scholarship Competition, including the Claudia Boettcher-Merthan
Scholarship in 2005-06. In 2004 she sang in New Orleans for the
National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Artist Award
Competition to win the Todd Duncan Award. Bonnie has served the arts in
various capacities, including voice instruction (University of
Colorado, Drew University, Princeton Theological Seminary, Westminster
Conservatory), stage direction (Rocky Mountain Center for Musical Arts,
Delaware Valley Opera), musical direction (Drew University),
development (New York Philharmonic), costuming, and stage and company
management. In addition to her teaching duties at the University of
Colorado-Boulder, she plays an integral role in the growing Musicians'
Wellness
Initiative.  Body Mapping:
Dr.
Bonnie Draina
is offering a Workshop at CU on Body
Mapping for Musicians. The breakthrough of Body Mapping is
the
realization that we move based on how we think we are put together
rather than how we are actually constructed. The information
provided in this course is precisely the information needed by
musicians and music educators to prevent pain and injury and to promote
excellence in practicing and performing. Participants will explore the
structures of balance and movement, investigate how changing movement
changes sound, create a visual representation of their own body maps,
receive individual instruction and participate in group activities
designed to enhance kinesthetic responsiveness and inclusive attention.
For those interested in intensive somatic study, this course is offered
consecutively with Alexander Technique
(July 19-23). Singers interested in registering through Continuing
Education (only $149, compared to $400 plus for grad tuition!) can
contact Dr. Draina directly for a registration form or download a form
from this Body
Mapping page. For additional
information see Musicians'
Wellness
Initiative web page.Course/Registration Numbers: IMUS 5093, Section 601, Call #45700 Credit: 1 graduate credit or 1 CEU credit Dates/Time: July 12-July 16 (1:00-4:15 pm) Location: N180D  Keith Miller stars in the title
role of Don Giovanni and Richard Bernstein will be
Leporello with Opera
Fairbanks
July 9 and 11. Keith will direct the Opera Young Artist Program at Crested Butte
again this summer and will sing Colline in La Bohème July 25 and August
1 and 5 (see Events below).Judith
Christin will be with Santa Fe Opera this
summer singing Mrs. Herring in Britten's Albert Herring. Also in the cast is
Alek Shrader as Albert Herring,
who, in addition, sings Tamino in The
Magic
Flute.Wendy Buzby is studying the role of
Romeo for Bellini's I Capuleti e i
Montecchi with the Bel Canto Institute in Florence, Italy.CCO
Bus
Tour: The Denver Lyric Opera Guild's Annual Opera
Bus
Tour
to Central
City
Opera
is Saturday, August 7,
to attend a performance of Madama
Butterfly. The bus leaves
S.
Colorado Blvd. at 11 am, lunch will be in Idaho Springs at MANGIA!
with several entree choices. Price
of
$125 per person includes bus fare, lunch and tickets to the
opera. Reservations by June
30. Call Helen Santilli 303.948.3609
for
information
or
reservations.
Guests
are
welcome.Featured photos this
week come from Marcia Ragonetti,
the
Cabaret
Concert
by
Janice
Hall last Sunday, where we snapped pictures of attending
celebrities as well as of Janice, and the recital on Saturday by Samantha Staggs. See all in The Gallery.  The gates are about to open for music festivals all over
Colorado!
On Monday evening, June 28, KGNU's Chris
Mohr will feature previews of
operas and concerts at the Colorado Music Festival, Central City Opera,
and the Aspen Music Festival, including the three Figaro/Beaumarchais
operas of Mozart, Rossini and Corigliano. Chris is also trying to line
up a rare interview with Aspen's Alan Fletcher. With dozens of live
opera performances within a day's drive of
Denver/Boulder and over 1000 concerts between July 1 and August
25,
this will be a chance to sift through all these programs and
sample
some of the highlights. KGNU is at 88.5 FM, 1390 AM, and online at www.kgnu.org.> !!! ALERT !!! <  Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades will be
cinecast LIVE from Gran
Teatre
del
Liceu, Barcelona, Spain, to the Fort
Collins Carmike
10
Cinema, 3636 Manhattan (south off Horsetooth two blocks west of
College), Thursday, July 1, starting at 12:00 noon
(MDT).
Tickets will be $20.00. Ft.
Collins is the only Colorado location where
the “Live” equipment for the network carrying the opera has been
installed and tested. The role of Gherman will be sung by Misha
Didyk. Ben Heppner,
who was previously announced in the role, has withdrawn citing personal
reasons. Other cast members: Emily
Magee (Lisa), Lado Ataneli
(Tomsky/Zlatogor), Ludovic
Tézier (Prince Yeletsky), Ewa
Podlés (The
Countess). (Emily Magee is a Boulder resident. The Carmike Cinemas
webpage
incorrectly attributes the opera to La Scala.)***********************
Tschaikovsky's Eugene Onegin,
starring René Fleming, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, will be
encored by the Metropolitan Opera in 14 Front Range theaters, starting
at
6:30
pm on
Wednesday, July 7. It also will be shown in nine theatres on Thursday,
July 8, at different times; see the Fathom
Events website for particular times, theatres, ticketing and
additional
information. A Night
at the Theatre: Bas Bleu Theatre
Company, 401 Pine St., Fort Collins, performs Lend Me a
Tenor
through July 11. The play takes us to 1934, when the Cleveland
Grand Opera Company has invited the world-renowned Italian tenor Il
Stupendo to star for one night only in Verdi’s Otello. The star
arrives late and, through a hilarious series of mishaps, is given a
double dose of tranquilizers and passes out. The result is a three-ring
circus of mistaken identities, improbable liaisons and door-slamming
hilarity that have made Lend Me a Tenor one of the most durable
and perennially popular comedies of the last quarter-century. See the
company website for play dates and ticketing.
 Central
City's
Operas:
Running through August
8, the Central City Opera
Festival includes Madama Butterfly with Yunah Lee
(Butterfly), Chad Shelton (Pinkerton), Mika Shigamatsu
(Suzuki), and Grant Youngblood (Sharpless); Offenbach's Orpheus
in
the
Underworld with Joanna Mongiardo (Eurydice), Edward
Mout (Orpheus), Ryan MacPherson (Pluto) and Matthew
Worth (Jupiter); and Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers with Joyce
Castle (Madeline), Emily Pulley (Beatrice), and Keith
Phares (Charlie). See this page for
ticket information.DLOG Party: On Thursday, July 15, the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Summer Party at Mt. Vernon Country Club, high above Denver, Marcia Ragonetti traces her course to singer stardom in "Mad to Mild to Merry" with Kevin Kennedy accompanying. Members and guests are welcome; the cost is $35.00 per person. Social time begins at 11:00 am, lunch at 11:45 am (with two entree choices) followed by Marcia's program at 1:00 pm. Reservations are necessary by July 8 to Helen Santilli 303.948.3609. Figaro in Aspen: Aspen Opera Theater Center will perform Il Barbiere di Siviglia July 15, 17 and 19, La Nozze di Figaro July 31 and August 2 and 4, and The Ghosts of Versailles August 19 and 21. See the Aspen Music Festival website for information and ticketing. (Nikki Boxer will be brodcasting the three operas live on Aspen Public Radio; we will announce the particular dates in e-Media as we receive them.) Western Slope Mikado: The High Desert Opera Summer production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado opens in Montrose at the Pavilion with a performance at 7:30 pm on Friday, July 16, co-sponsored by The Montrose Arts Council and The Magic Circle Players, and then moves to Grand Junction for an opening night performance in the Avalon Theatre at 7:30 pm on Saturday, July 17, with a second performance at 7:30 pm on Saturday, July 24. Click the Box Office link at the HDO website to purchase tickets on line or by phone. Griffey Recital: CU NOW Guest Recital with tenor Anthony Dean Griffey Sunday, July 25, 2 pm, Boulder Public Library, Canyon Theater, 1001 Arapahoe Ave. Tickets for the performance are $30 (General Admission). Call 303.492.8008 for tickets or more information at CU Presents. Watch these videos to experience compelling performances by Griffey: Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny; Peter Grimes. Aria Concert: Arias@Avos is next scheduled for Sunday, July 25, 4 to 6 pm. Sponsored by the Opera Fort Collins Guild, Arias@Avos presents outstanding local singers in an informal performance at Avagadro's Number restaurant in Fort Collins. National Convention: The 2010 National Association of Negro Musicians Convention in Colorado Springs will feature music master classes, workshops, seminars, roundtable discussions, competitions, live music performance of jazz, classical and opera, and a gala awards banquet, with special guest musical performers (including jazz songstress Dianne Reeves); lecturers and presenters (including Cliff Jackson, Chapman Nyaho, Robert Sims, Rollo Dilworth, and Julius Williams); and honorees (including George Shirley, John Bowen, Charles Burrell, Martile Rowland, and Arthur Jones). A World Premiere of a Chamber Opera by Julius P. Williams will occur on Monday, July 26, and the William Warfield Voice Masterclass will be taught by George Shirley on Tuesday, July 27. Various locations in Colorado Springs with major gatherings held at the Antlers Hilton Hotel, 4 S. Cascade Ave., July 25-28. Tickets, registration and general information: Shivers Fund at Pikes Peaks Peak Library District and Nation Association of Negro Musicians websites. Crested Butte Opera: La Bohème will be performed July 25, August 3 and 5. Conducted by David Syrus, Head of Music for the Royal Opera of Covent Garden, London, and directed by Metropolitan Opera Stage Director Sarah Meyers, with Keith Miller playing the role of Colline, Gregory Gerbrant will be Marcello, Alok Kumar will be Rodolfo and Sara Stewart will be Mimí. 
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