Salon Social with baritone Samuel Chan May 24th at 2:30pm ONLINE!

Baritone Samuel Chan will be the guest singer for our 8th Salon Social, as part of our Fieldhouse programming, with accompaniment by pianist Roger Parton. In observance of COVID-19 guidelines, we’ll be posting the performance online: on the day of the Salon, audience members will be sent two links, one to the prerecorded concert, and the other to the live online chat with Samuel and artistic director Trudy Chalmers. It’s important to provide our at-home audiences with the best possible audio/visual quality, and so we’ve hired a production team to ensure the best sound and video quality – without any lag!

Be sure to join us online, after seeing the concert, for our live Q&A! We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

The concert itself is roughly 30 minutes long, but extra time will be given to view the concert before the online chat begins.

Please email to reserve your space online: operaopulenza@gmail.com
Sunday, May 24th  
12pm – link for the concert will be emailed out (the concert is roughly 30 minutes long; watch anytime between 12pm and 2:30pm)
2:30pm – live chat and Q&A 
Online
Admission is free

Named one of CBC Musics’ Top 30 Canadian Classical Musicians under 30, Calgary born Samuel Chan has been praised by critics for his “naturally produced, forwardly placed, attractive baritone” (Ludwig van Toronto). Most recently, Samuel made a surprise role debut at the Canadian Opera Company as the title character in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, replacing an indisposed Vito Priante. Other recent season engagements include Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus for Saskatoon Opera, Messiah for Kitchener Waterloo’s Grand Philharmonic Choir, and Faure’s Requiem for the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Past engagements include multiple roles with the COC, Elora Festival, The Festival of the Sound, Gala Cantos para Hermanar al Munro, Windsor Classic Chorale, Cincinnati Chamber Opera, Cincinnati Camerata, and City Opera Vancouver. Future engagements include company debuts with Pacific Opera Victoria, Tapestry Opera, Opera on the Avalon, and the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. He is a graduate of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and has had further training with the National Arts Centre’s Young Artist Programme, Highlands Opera Studio, the Vancouver International Song Institute, Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, and the Toronto Summer Music Festival. Competition highlights include 2nd place Lieder/ 3rd Place Oratorio with the 2019 Stella Maris International Vocal Competition, 2nd Place at the COC Centre Stage Competition, and district wins/encouragement awards with the Met National Council Auditions Western Canada/Ohio Districts.

Salon Social with soprano Julie Duerichen April 26th at 3pm – Postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions

Soprano Julie Duerichen will be our next guest singer at the Fieldhouse for our 9th Salon Social with accompaniment by pianist Roger Parton.

Free admission, snacks, and tea. Please email to reserve a seat: operaopulenza@gmail.com.

Sunday, April 26th

3pm – 4:30pm

Oak Park Fieldhouse

Soprano Julie Duerichen is a scholarship recipient of Calgary Opera and a 2008 laureate of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques programme in Montreal.  She was also a finalist in the Marie E. Crump Vocal Competition in Washington D.C. in 2002.

Julie holds a Master of Music Degree in Opera Performance from the University of Maryland, and a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Calgary, both graduating with honours. In 2005, she studied in Hannover and Cologne, Germany, and attended the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart. 

Julie recently appeared in East Van Opera’s premiere of Alma, singing the role of Kelsh.  She performs regularly with Burnaby Lyric Opera at the Pan Pacific Hotel in the Live Opera Buffet Concert.  She was also featured with Burnaby Opera as Euristene in the world premiere of La Spartana Generous and Musetta in highlights from La Boheme. Performances with Opera Pro Cantanti include the roles:  Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, Gilda in Rigoletto, and Violetta in La Traviata.  She has also sung with Calgary Opera, Annapolis Opera, and Washington Opera in Washington, D.C.

Solo oratorio work includes Fauré’s Requiem with Vivaldi Chamber Choir, Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor with the Capilano Unveristy Singers , and Messiah with the Abbotsford Symphony and Handel Music Society.

Julie has trained with such international artists as:  Carol Richardson, Leon Major, Donald Bell, and Delores Ziegler.

Salon Social with soprano Irina Medvedeva March 22nd at 2pm – Cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions

Soprano Irina Medvedeva will be our next guest singer at the Fieldhouse for our 8th Salon Social with accompaniment by pianist Roger Parton.

Free admission, snacks, and tea. Please email to reserve a seat: operaopulenza@gmail.com.

Sunday, March 22nd

2pm – 3:30pm

Oak Park Fieldhouse

Soprano Irina Medvedeva is described as being a “flexible, supple, yet powerful soprano” (The Globe and Mail) and has been praised for having “a large voice with an astonishing range” (Opera Canada).

Ms. Medvedeva is currently part of Vancouver Opera’s Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program for the 2019-2020 season. This engagement includes singing Annina in La Traviata with the Vancouver Opera as well as covering Violetta Valéry, in 2020 she will be covering Rosina in Rossini’s Barber of Seville and the Mother in Another Brick in the Wall as well as singing Alice in the chamber opera The Garden of Alice.. This summer Ms. Medvedeva attended as a Professional Fellow at SongFest in Los Angeles where she worked with renowned collaborators Margo Garret, Graham Johnson, Alan Smith, Kevin Murphy, and esteemed mezzo soprano Susan Graham. This summer she also covered Musetta in Puccini’s La bohème with Brott Opera and was featured in their PopOpera concert singing “Mein Herr Marquis” with orchestra at the First Ontario Concert Hall. Bio continued…

Children’s Sing-along at Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre

Opera Opulenza at the Family Day Festival at Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre (59th ave & Oak st)

Children’s Sing-along

Saturday, February 15th, 2020

1pm to 2pm

Upper lounge

Admission is free

Mezzo-soprano Nadine Cornelius, soprano Trudy Chalmers, and pianist Roger Parton will be performing in the community centre upper lounge and conducting a children’s sing-along. Come find out more about our Fieldhouse programming, and take part in a little vocalizing and breath work and enjoy a free concert!

 

Breathe, Move, Sing at Emily Carr University

Breathe, Move, Sing – February 4th, 1pm at Emily Carr University for 2nd year students in New Media & Sound Arts

A workshop on breathing, movement, and vocalization. No experience is necessary. We will be working on vocal exploration – speaking, humming, singing, screaming.

Memories from the Summer

On September 30th, Opera Opulenza’s Community Opera Chorus joined Opulenza soloists at Cathedral Square for a special concert of opera favourites! This year, Opera Opulenza joined the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association’s outdoor Perch Program to perform concerts throughout the summer.

Guest singers were: Tamar Simon, soprano, Pavol Simoncic, baritone, Thomas Lamont, tenor, Andy Greenwood, baritone, Trudy Chalmers, soprano, and the Opulenza Community Opera Chorus with piano accompaniment by Roger Parton

Monday, September 30th, 12pm to 1:30pm, Cathedral Square – 566 Richards St, Vancouver 

Christmas Concert at Marpole Community Centre Seniors’ Luncheon

Tuesday, November 26th – Opera Opulenza was invited to sing Christmas carols for the Marpole Oakridge Community Centre Seniors’ Luncheon to kick off the festive holidays. Performers were: Katie McCullough soprano, Thomas Lamont tenor, Trudy Chalmers soprano, and pianist Roger Parton.