Sopranos Catherine Thornsley, Elaina Moreau and Julie Duerichen, mezzo-sopranos Alyssa Samson and Taryn Plater, tenors Justin Cho and Wassym Zaz, bass-baritone Andrew Greenwood, and the Opulenza Community Opera Chorus, with accompaniment by Roger Parton. A wonderful concert of opera duets, ensembles, and solos!
Free admission
Sunday, September 19th (alternate day if raining – Saturday, September 25th, time TBA)
3pm-4:30pm (weather permitting)
Please email to reserve a seat: operaopulenza@gmail.com or bring your own chair or blanket
Oak Park – 7575 Fremlin St, Vancouver
Health guidelines will be in effect with physically distanced seating. This concert will take place outside in the park.
With the help of Opera Opulenza’s Artistic Director, Trudy, learn how to reconnect with your body and breath through this hour-long experience. Stop by Connaught Park for a lesson in stretching, relaxation, energy work, and vocal exploration (speaking, humming, and singing). No experience necessary! Whether you’re a beginner or a more advanced learner, come join Kits House in comfortable clothing and prepare to experiment with your voice!
Wednesday, August 11
1pm-2pm
Connaught Park -2390 W 10th Ave, Vancouver (outside in the park)
DVBIA Perch Concert Series at Lot 19 – Friday, July 30th at 12pm!
A mostly Mozart concert sung by soprano Julie Duerichen, mezzo Alyssa Nicole Samson, mezzo Taryn Plater, baritone Matthew Kim, accompaniment by Roger Parton.
Free admission, no reservation necessary
Friday, July 30th
12pm-1:30pm
Lot 19 – 855 W Hastings St, Vancouver
Outdoor seating is available
Salon Social Concert & Chat with Madison Craig – Sunday, July 25th at 3pm!
Soprano Madison Craig will be the next guest singer at the Fieldhouse with accompaniment by pianist Roger Parton.
Southern Alberta-born soprano, Madison Craig, holds a Master of Music in Opera from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Lethbridge. Her versatile voice has allowed her to perform in operatic works from baroque to contemporary. Most recently she appeared as Anna Sørenson in Kevin Puts’ Pulitzer Prize winning opera, Silent Night. Past highlights include her performance as Elvira in Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri with the European Music Academy, Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, and Soprano Soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana. In addition to her concert and operatic work, Madison has also been the recipient of multiple awards, including third place at the Federation of Canadian Music Festival’s National Music Festival in 2017 and an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2016.
Free admission
Please email to reserve a seat: operaopulenza@gmail.com
Sunday, July 25 (weather permitting)
3:00pm-4:00pm
Oak Park – outside
Health guidelines will be in effect with physically distanced seating. This concert and talk will take place outside in the park and unfortunately, food will not be provided.
DVBIA Perch Concert Series at Lot 19 – Friday, July 23rd at 12pm!
A selection of opera favourites sung by soprano Shadan Saul Guerrero, mezzo Alyssa Nicole Samson, soprano Julie Duerichen, and baritone Matthew Kim with accompaniment by Roger Parton.
A selection of concert favourites sung by tenor Dae Hyun Justin Cho, soprano Julie Duerichen, mezzo Taryn Plater, with accompaniment by Roger Parton. Seating is limited and you must register by emailing operaopulenza@gmail.com.
Free admission
Saturday, July 17th
3pm-4:30pm (weather permitting)
Please email to reserve a seat: operaopulenza@gmail.com
Oak Park – 7575 Fremlin St, Vancouver
Health guidelines will be in effect with physically distanced seating. This concert will take place outside in the park and unfortunately, food will not be provided.
Opera Opulenza presents “Seasons of Love” with soprano Katie McCullough and pianist Roger Parton, a concert celebrating love in all its joys and struggles for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s Day of Music. From Musetta’s coquettish waltz in “La Bohème” to Pamina’s heartrending lament in “The Magic Flute”, these jewels of the repertoire remind us that nothing lasts forever, and the heart changes like the seasons.
As a follow-up to the online concert, we are hosting our next Salon Social chat with Katie McCullough scheduled for May 30th via Zoom.
What is a Salon Social? It’s an intimate concert of opera arias and/or art songs with time for tea, snacks, and a chat with our guest artist. It’s a chance to hear and meet professional or upcoming opera singers and musicians up close, and to also meet other community members. Normally, we hold these concerts in the Oak Park Fieldhouse, but in observance of the COVID-19 guidelines, we’ll be posting the chat online.
In partnership with the Faculty of Culture + Community and supported by the Audain Faculty of Art at Emily Carr University.
Salon Social – chat with Katie
Free, online
Sunday, May 30th at 2:30pm via Zoom
To register and receive the Zoom link for the chat email: operaopulenza@gmail.com
Canadian soprano Katie McCullough, has always been passionate about connecting with others through music. Her love for music led her to complete a Master’s Degree in Opera Performance at the University of British Columbia. She is honoured to have been the Winner of the 2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions-Western Canada and People’s Choice Award. https://www.katiemcculloughsoprano.com/
Roger Parton is a composer, arranger, and pianist. A student of Theo Goldberg and Wolfgang Bottenberg, Roger has been Opera Opulenza’s music director since the company’s beginnings, in 2014, and is glad to appear with Katie McCullough for this year’s “Day of Music”.
Concert program:
“Je veux vivre” from Roméo et Juliette by Gounod
“Quando m’en vo” from La Bohème by Puccini
“Chi il bel sogno di Doretta” from La Rondine by Puccini
“Ach, ich fühl’s” from Die Zauberflöte by Mozart
“Ah, Love, but a day!” from 3 Browning Songs, op.44, no. 2 by Amy Beach
Opera Opulenza:
Katie McCullough, Soprano, Program Curator
Roger Parton, Pianist
Trudy Chalmers, Artistic Director, Producer
Armoury Studios:
Paul Silveira, Engineer
Spencer Bleasdale, 2nd Engineer
Ricardo Germain, Assistant Engineer
Film Crew (students and alumni of Emily Carr University):
Tamas McGillivray, Director of Photography, Editor
Saturdays 11:30am-12:30pm at the Oak Park Fieldhouse outside
We have resumed chorus rehearsals outside and in keeping with Worksafe guidelines. Chorus members are socially distanced by 2 metres, are not sharing music, do not touch equipment, and use masks. Hand sanitizer and extra masks are available. Currently, only 8 chorus members may attend at a time until restrictions lift.
Come join our Community Opera Chorus! There’s no experience necessary and no membership fee. We are building a chorus from the ground up! We will help you with group breathing and singing exercises, movement and score reading. It’s like choir, but eventually you’ll be in costume and acting as well as singing! If you love to sing and to be part of a group come join us! Saturdays 1:301am-12:30pm at the Oak Park Fieldhouse on Fremlin Street. To register email: operaopulenza@gmail.comwith “Community Opera Chorus” in the subject line. We will be working on repertoire from “The Tales of Hoffmann”, “Rigoletto”, “Don Carlo”, “Tosca”, and “Carmen”.
Feb 15 – Family Day Children’s Sing-along at Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre
With soprano Trudy Chalmers, mezzo-soprano Nadine Cornelius and pianist Roger Parton. We even wore costumes!
May 24 – Our first online Salon Social Concert and Chat with guest singer, baritone, Samuel Chan.
Due to COVID-19, we had to move our Salon Social online, so we booked a recording studio and filmed the concert portion then set up a Zoom meeting for the live chat. All those that registered for the event received a link to the recorded concert then met us online to chat with our guest singer Samuel Chan, pianist Roger Parton, and artistic director Trudy Chalmers.
July – The Community Opera Chorus reunites for rehearsals outside of the fieldhouse!
COVID-19 forced us to cancel our indoor rehearsals. We stopped rehearsing for months until it was okay to rehearsal outside with social distancing, hand sanitizer, and masks. We brought the keyboard outside and sang to the birds and squirrels. We also gained new chorus members from curious passers-by.
Opera in the Parks!
Throughout the summer months, we performed mini concerts in parks across Vancouver. The concerts were no longer than 15 minutes in length so as not to draw a large crowd during the pandemic. People were so thankful to hear live music again after months of being shut-in.
July 30th – Queen Elizabeth Park and Riley Park with soprano Tamar Simon, baritone Geoff Schellenberg, and pianist Roger Parton.
August 13th – Harbour Green Park and Lost Lagoon with soprano Katie McCullough and pianist Roger Parton. We were even captured in a travel video being filmed by YOUZANG at Harbour Green park.
August 19th – Oak Park outside the fieldhouse with tenor Justin Cho and pianist Roger Parton.
August 28th – We returned to Lost Lagoon with soprano Katie McCullough and pianist Roger Parton.
September 2nd – Memorial South Park with baritone Matthew Kim and pianist Roger Parton. The geese joined the audience.
September 10th – Memorial South Park with soprano Madison Craig and pianist Roger Parton.
August 30th – Our first Salon Social concert and chat outside with mezzo-soprano Taryn Plater and pianist Roger Parton.
Everyone was socially distanced and wearing masks.
September 27th – Salon Social with soprano Julie Duerichen and pianist Roger Parton.
October 4th – Opera Gala Concert
We closed our concert season with an outdoor gala concert at Oak Park behind the fieldhouse with sopronos Katie McCullough and Elaina Moreau, mezzo-soprano Nadine Cornelius, bass-baritone Andy Greenwood, and pianist Roger Parton.
December 22nd – Community Opera Chorus online rehearsal and Christmas party.
We moved the chorus rehearsals online in November and ended the year with an online party and mini recital. We also had a guest singer, soprano Katie McCullough, pop into our Zoom party to sing us a couple of Christmas carols.
Catch us where you can! Mini pop-up opera concerts in parks across Vancouver featuring local singers.
Thursday, August 13th at 12p in Harbour Green Park and 1pm at Lost Lagoon with soprano Katie McCullough and pianist Roger Parton
Wednesday, August 19th at 3pm in Oak Park with tenor Justin Cho and pianist Roger Parton
Please practice physical distancing, be kind, and be cautious. Thank you!
Salon Social with mezzo-soprano Taryn Plater – Sunday, August 30th, outdoors at Oak Park
Mezzo-soprano Taryn Plater will be the next guest singer at the Fieldhouse for our 10th Salon Social with accompaniment by pianist Roger Parton.
Free admission
Please email to reserve a seat: operaopulenza@gmail.com.
Sunday, August 30th (this date may change depending on the weather forecast)
2pm – 3:30pm
Oak Park – outside
Health guidelines will be in effect with physically distanced seating. This concert and talk will take place outside in the park and unfortunately, food will not be provided.
Mezzo-soprano Taryn Plater’s involvement in opera is multifaceted as she possesses an affinity for both performance and management. Taryn is currently studying opera performance with Marisa Gaetanne while simultaneously completing degrees in business management and linguistics. In her time at UBC, she has performed the roles of Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Second Lady (Die Zauberflöte), and most recently, Marta in the Canadian premiere of Weinberg’s Pasażerka. She is an alumna of the Opera NUOVA summer program and this past summer travelled to Hawaii to sing Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) with the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival. Taryn’s varied musical foundations range from musical theatre to choral singing and she continues to perform as a jazz pianist/vocalist. In addition to her performance endeavours, Taryn has worked as Marketing & Communications Assistant at the Chan Centre and enjoys applying her arts management experience to the production of her own opera concerts and performances.
Salon Social with soprano Julie Duerichen – Saturday, September 12th, outdoors at Oak Park
Soprano Julie Duerichen will be the next guest singer at the Fieldhouse for our 9th Salon Social with accompaniment by pianist Roger Parton.
Please email to reserve a seat: operaopulenza@gmail.com.
Saturday, September 12th (this date may change depending on the weather forecast)
2:30pm-4pm
Oak Park – outside
Health guidelines will be in effect with physically distanced seating. This concert and talk will take place outside in the park and unfortunately, food will not be provided.
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.
On-going
Community Opera Chorus – rehearsals resume Saturdays outside
Saturdays 11am-12pm outside the Oak Park Fieldhouse
Health guidelines will be in effect with physically distanced seating. Singers are not to share music, touch any of the equipment, or move the chairs. Hand sanitizer and masks are available. We encourage singing with a mask.
Come join our Community Opera Chorus! There’s no experience necessary and no membership fee. We are building a chorus from the ground up! We will help you with group breathing and singing exercises, movement and score reading. It’s like choir, but eventually you’ll be in costume and acting as well as singing! If you love to sing and to be part of a group come join us! Saturdays 11am-12pm at the Oak Park Fieldhouse on Fremlin Street. To register email: operaopulenza@gmail.com with “Community Opera Chorus” in the subject line. We will be working on repertoire from “The Tales of Hoffmann”, “Rigoletto”, “Don Carlo”, “Tosca”, and “Carmen”.
Saturdays 11am-12pm at the Oak Park Fieldhouse outside
We have resumed chorus rehearsals outside and in keeping with Worksafe guidelines. Chorus members are socially distanced 3-5 metres, are not sharing music, do not touch equipment, and use masks. Hand sanitizer and extra masks are available.
Come join our Community Opera Chorus! There’s no experience necessary and no membership fee. We are building a chorus from the ground up! We will help you with group breathing and singing exercises, movement and score reading. It’s like choir, but eventually you’ll be in costume and acting as well as singing! If you love to sing and to be part of a group come join us! Saturdays 11am-12pm at the Oak Park Fieldhouse on Fremlin Street. To register email: operaopulenza@gmail.com with “Community Opera Chorus” in the subject line. We will be working on repertoire from “The Tales of Hoffmann”, “Rigoletto”, “Don Carlo”, “Tosca”, and “Carmen”.
