2008 HSOW Poster

I’d like to thank graphic designer Tanya Barry of Lighthouse Publishing, Bridgewater, NS, for her superb work on this year’s HSOW poster.

Headshots by Manuel Schnell

I have the pleasure of knowing Manuel Schnell, who has just joined Maritime Concert Opera as a Board member. Manuel is a busy international photographer who has recently relocated to Nova Scotia and he has generously offered a special deal to anyone connected with HSOW who would like a new headshot taken.

Here’s the deal:

Photo shoot (Manuel prefers to work outside and in black and white) scheduled after his return from Montreal July 10.
You get your choice of two photos from the shoot, with or without white border and name (post production tweaking included in the package price)
You’ll get the digital files so you can print copies yourself.
If you want any extra shots from the shoot (beyond the two included in this package) they will be $50 each
Any other extras are negotiable.

I’m not going to publish the price here, because it’s a special, one-time deal for HSOW participants. Contact us for more info :)

You can see many examples of Manuel’s work at his website
http://www.manuelschnell.com/

If you’re interested in booking some time with Manuel, please email our Admin Assistant Marja Ernst, and she’ll keep track of who’s interested.

(By the way, HSOW doesn’t get a cut of this, or anything — it’s just that I thought that some people might be interested in getting new headshots taken during the programme.

New HSOW logo

It’s been over four years since its founding, and HSOW has been without a real logo for all that time. That’s just changed. I’d like to thank Nicole Byrkit at nbcreative for all the work she did on this project: she was great to work with, and we now have a fresh, new look. Anyone for t-shirts?

Tickets for HSOW 2008 on sale now

It’s a little less than a month before HSOW 2008 starts rehearsals, and tickets for the shows are now on sale through the Dalhousie Arts Centre Box Office. We don’t, of course, know the precise performances a particular cast member will be appearing in, yet (we’ll announce the casts at the end of the first week of performances), but you may want to get your tickets early, anyway.

You can get tickets through the Dalhousie Arts Centre Box Office at 6101 University Avenue, either in person or by phone at 1 800 874-1669. You can also buy them online.

• Tickets for all events are available at the Box Office, located in the lobby of the Dalhousie Arts Centre.
• The Box Office is open Monday - Friday from 12 noon to 6:00 pm and for two hours before each performance (July & August).
• The phone number for ticket orders is (902) 494-3820, or 1-800-874-1669.
• A $2.50 per ticket handling fee (max. $12.50) will be charged for orders taken by phone (and internet, I believe)

Welcome Lynette Wahlstrom!

HSOW is pleased to announce the music director for our 2008 production of Le nozze di Figaro: collaborative pianist Lynette Wahlstrom. Originally from Saskatchewan, Lynette has worked and studied extensively in Montreal, and is relocating to Halifax to join the Vocal Music staff of Dalhousie University in the fall of 2008.

Welcome to Halifax, Lynette: we’re really looking forward to working with you this summer!

Schirmer edition of The Consul

My apologies to Consul artists — of course we’re going to be using the Schirmer edition of The Consul, since it’s the only one that exists :)

Nina

Thanks to all auditioners!

We’ve begun making offers to successful applicants for HSOW 2008.  As participants confirm, we’re posting their names on the 2008 Workshop page.

We’ve had a huge number of applications this year, and I want to thank every single auditioner for his or her interest in the program.  The competition was very strong, and it was very difficult to make my final choices.   I wish I had more roles to offer all the talented and deserving singers I heard!

For those accepted into the program, your packages will be mailed out tomorrow or Monday.

Once again, thank you ALL!

Nina

Street Address for UPS

If anyone is trying to courier his or her application materials to us, our street address is:

Halifax Summer Opera Workshop
177 York Street
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada
B0J 2C0

Thank you, auditioners!

I want personally to thank every performer who came out to sing for us this weekend, in spite of some very challenging weather! Thanks, too, to the accompanists, including one marvellous fellow who stepped in and played for a couple of singers who had been unable to find pianists.

I’m now waiting to receive the final mailed-in audition packages, and I expect we’ll start announcing the casts within the next two weeks.

Thanks again to you all!

Nina

Auditions still on!

In spite of the storm currently hitting Southern Ontario, we’re going ahead with the auditions as scheduled.

I’ve just had a cancellation due to the weather — and I will make the same offer to all our Toronto auditioners that I made to this cancelling singer:  if you have to cancel your Toronto audition you may have an extension of our regular deadline for mailed-in CD applications.  We’ll accept mail in applications that are postmarked March 17 or earlier.

If you have to cancel, please email Marja (see the Contact page).  If you’re running late tonight or tomorrow, please give me a call at 902-541-7310.

Thanks!

Nina