In their final performance this season, Chautauqua Opera Conservatory students will perform for the Sing-Out at 1 p.m. today in Fletcher Music Hall. Like their opening Sing-In, each student will perform; rather than an introduction, however, this concert is a farewell.
Opera Conservatory Director Jonathan Beyer said the Sing-Out “is a fun bookend to the program.”
“It is also an opportunity to use some lighter, fun repertoire, as well,” Beyer said. “There’s a lighthearted nature to the Sing-Out, and it’s a nice way to also see how much each singer has grown during their six weeks in the program.”
Beyer led the Opera Conservatory alongside Artistic Advisor Denyce Graves-Montgomery, an internationally celebrated mezzo-soprano. As their first season at the helm comes to a close, they reflected on this summer at the Opera Conservatory.
“It was a very good season. I think the time goes by quicker than we think. We have a wonderful group of young artists assembled,” Graves-Montgomery said. “We did a lot in that time: there were so many masterclasses and so many concerts and all the different special programs we’ve had at the conservatory.”
The students’ hard work and growth were central in realizing and presenting the many feats of this summer. Between the Lincoln in the Bardo workshop in collaboration with the Chautauqua Opera Company, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, librettist Royce Vavrek and composer Missy Mazzoli; two ensemble shows of Le Nozze di Figaro; and La Vida Breve with the Music School Festival Orchestra and School of Dance, the Opera Conservatory had an exhilarating season.
“Especially from the student standpoint, I think this was a very successful summer,” Beyer said. “I think that they have all grown artistically, dramatically and vocally, and I think they all brought great energy and turned out performance after performance that was just stellar.”
Graves-Montgomery noted how rewarding it was to hear people’s thoughts about the Opera Conservatory’s events this summer.
“The different faculty artists that we’ve had have been fantastic — we’ve had John Holiday, Carol Vaness and Nicole Cabell, and just wonderful people throughout,” Graves-Montogmery said. “We were pleased that they said yes, and in a lot of my exit interviews with some of the faculty artists, all have said that they would love to come back — they would love to return, and they had a wonderful time here — so that has been terrific to see and to hear and to get that feedback, as well.”
While the programming for their next season still must be finalized, she shared there is much to look forward to.
“All I can say is that it’s going to be a really groundbreaking season with a lot of new additions into our programming — some things that we’ve not ever done before,” she said.
In addition to the faculty’s responses, she was elated by those of Chautauquans. For her, she’s enjoyed the interaction and feedback from “just walking around the campus, speaking to people, and hearing their thoughts and getting their reactions about the season, and people telling me all season long what they came to, what they enjoyed and why.”
“One of the highlights has been getting to know the community, really,” Graves-Montgomery said. “People have been so friendly and forthcoming, and I have enjoyed that.”
Something she was truly moved by was the community’s consistent turnout.
“What I was particularly proud of was the attendance at our events,” she said. “It was really, really really wonderful to see so many people coming in, and sometimes we had to turn people away. We had wonderful attendance, and I was so thrilled with that.”
Both Graves-Montgomery and Beyer feel that the Opera Conservatory excelled particularly in its educational purpose.
“To see all of (the students’) personal journeys, even so far, has been quite remarkable. We have singers of varying ages and experiences, and every single one, wherever they were at, took giant steps forward — and that is the point of the program,” Beyer said. “To see from a pedagogical standpoint that giant step forward for each individual student — it’s the ultimate reward for why we do this.”
Beyond the tremendous performances these students presented to Chautauqua, Graves-Montgomery emphasized the significance of everyone’s enthusiasm as well as the experiences and knowledge students gained from their time at the Opera Conservatory.
“I’ve been so pleased with the turnout and the response from people and how well the singers have done. They’ve really done a beautiful job, and it’s been received with so much enthusiasm, so for me, that piece has been really what it’s all about,” Graves-Montgomery said. “It’s what it’s all about. We’ve given a lot of unusual and wonderful opportunities to the young artists — that’s been great — and their work has been appreciated and seen, and the public has really enjoyed the programming.”
