Opera Notices

This week, Vancouver Opera’s Development team took part in the 49^thannual Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference. This year, AFP Vancouver had the privilege of hosting nearly 3,000 fund development professionals from numerous organizations and backgrounds at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The conference was definitely global in scope; we met colleagues who had come from as far away as Bangkok, the Netherlands and Moscow!

AFP is a global professional association, designed to connect development professionals at all career levels with the resources, tools and insights needed to perform at a high level, thereby providing maximum benefit to the organizations they serve. Headquartered in Arlington, VA, AFP has a rich history which spans nearly half a century and encompasses over sixty regional chapters in seven countries worldwide. The organization places emphasis on ethical fund development policies, ongoing self-development and the mentorship of emerging fund development professionals. It also offers professional certifications, an array of publications and a variety of awards designed to draw accolades and acclaim to exceptional work within the industry.

This year’s conference took place from April 1^st – 3^rd, 2012, and featured a wide variety of workshops and panel discussions facilitated by established leaders in the field. Nearly every conceivable topic was addressed throughout the panel programming: ethical fundraising, operational best practices for organizations of all types and sizes, how to handle challenging situations and how to plan for the future. Each of us enjoyed the opportunity to take part in workshops and discussions specifically tailored to our individual roles at Vancouver Opera. It was also fun to meet friends and colleagues – both new and old - and share perspectives and insights. Being among the few representatives of the arts and culture community present at the conference, we especially enjoyed the opportunity to meet colleagues from Manitoba Opera!

Jeff Sodowsky, Vancouver Opera’s Chief Development Officer, delivered a unique presentation on April 3^rd, relating his perspective on the need for both creativity and authenticity when working to secure a gift. Jeff encouraged attendees to consider how approaches inspired by the arts community could enable them to deliver effective, compelling and memorable “performances” when making presentations, holding meetings or conducting other activities in support of fund development. He demonstrated that a fundraiser doesn’t need to make their “ask” a solo performance; rather, they can consider utilizing a diverse ensemble cast of Board members, colleagues and other stakeholders, all choreographed to achieve maximum impact and resonance. Jeff’s presentation (and wardrobe) proved to be both well-received and highly memorable.

Congratulations, Jeff, and thank you to AFP Vancouver for hosting a fantastic conference!

Joseph Bardsley
Development Manager, Grants & Proposals

Last Saturday was very busy day at The Michael and Inna O’Brian Centre for Vancouver Opera.

It started with our 2:00 pm Sitzprobe of The Barber of Seville. A Sitzprobe is a seated rehearsal in which the singers sing with the orchestra for the first time, after several separate rehearsals. The idea is to integrate the two groups into a seamless performance.

 

On Saturday, Maestro Tweten brought the singers and orchestra together, where they worked musically through the entire opera for the first time.

Enjoying the Sitzprobe was small group of donors, along with students in our Work Experience program. We also had a group of students from West Coast Mammals, a division of the Mammalian Diving Reflex company that has done “Haircuts by Children” and “Eat the Street” with the PuSh Festival.

As the Sitzprobe started, a video crew set up cameras and lighting in our wardrobe department to interview kids for an upcoming video that will highlight our education programs.

During the Sitzprobe, our loading dock was busy too. A trailer containing the costumes and properties for our upcoming rehearsals of Aida (starting in less than 2 weeks!) was being unloaded into our production space. At the same time. another trailer was being loaded with our Barber of Seville set, props and costumes, to be taken to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. A wonderfully busy day at the O’Brian Centre -  we love our new home!

Director of Artistic Planning

I was in Toronto last week for auditions and meetings, along with Company Manager Adrianne Wurz and Associate Conductor / Chorus Director Les Dala. We also took in a couple of productions at the Canadian Opera Company, including Kaija Saariaho’s Love from Afar (L’Amour de Loin).  

Finnish composer Saariaho composed this work in 2000 and since its debut it has become one of the most produced operas of the 21st Century.

It is important that opera companies produce traditional operas of the past, but in order to keep the art form vibrant and relevant we must also produce operas written in our lifetime.

We applaud the COC for mounting this production. We were all taken with the beauty of the music and the excellent artistry of the three lead singers, all Canadian (Erin Wall, Krisztina Szabó and Russell Braun), along with the COC Orchestra and Chorus. Seeing this work makes us very excited to be presenting Tan Dun’s Tea: A Mirror of Soul next season.

The COC's Tosca

The next night we took in Tosca. This was a traditional presentation with world class singers. The COC Orchestra and Chorus were in top form and the smaller roles were all performed well by members of the COC ensemble, many we of whom we had heard in audition earlier in the day. The sets, props and costumes had been refreshed for this production and maybe this production will make its way to Vancouver someday in the future.