American Opera Projects (AOP) is proud to announce the return of its popular Composers & the Voice program for its 2011-2012 season. We will select 6 composers or composer/librettist teams for a year-long fellowship, working with the company’s Resident Ensemble of Singers and Artistic Team.
The primary focus of Composers & the Voice is to give composers and librettists extensive experience working collaboratively with singers on writing for the voice and contemporary opera stage. The 2011/12 series is being expanded to incorporate training for composers and librettists in acting, improv games, and libretto development. There will be a total of 15 workshop sessions between September 2011 and April 2012.
Eight New Works Sessions will take place approximately every 4 weeks, and will focus on vocal writing. In an introductory session, each of the six Resident Singers (Coloratura Soprano, Lyric Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone and Bass) will sing and discuss details of their specific voice type. Over the subsequent sessions each composer or composer/librettist team will write a short piece for each voice type and piano, which will be rehearsed, read, and discussed. The primary focus will be on how well suited the composition is to the voice, and clarity of text setting. Composers & the Voice Artistic Director Steven Osgood will lead the workshop series, consulting with the composers, and moderating the feedback sessions. These sessions will be closed to the public. There will also be three pianists serving as music directors and coaches.
An additional series of Skill Building Sessions will occur approximately every 2 weeks throughout the season. Composers and librettists will train in acting and improv games, gaining in-depth and firsthand knowledge of how singers build characters, and deliver text. Steven Osgood will lead sessions in role analysis. Guest directors and librettists will investigate successful opera libretti from both standard and contemporary repertoire, and will provide on-going fostering of each participant’s libretto in development. Composers & the Voice Librettist Fellows will be called on to generate new material for use throughout the Skill Building Sessions.
There will be two public performances as part of Composers & the Voice. Each composer or composer/librettist team will have several solo works performed in May 2012 at the end of the workshop sessions as part of AOP’s First Glimpse series. Each will also write a 15-20 minute scene or extended work using up to three of the voice types and piano. The participants will have 3 months to complete these extended works. The 6 works will be rehearsed and presented by the Resident Singers on AOP's First Chance series at the start of the 20012-2013 season.
AOP is encouraging applications from both composers working alone, and composer/librettist teams. Composers and librettists applying jointly need not have prior collaborative projects. Effort will be made to have both composers applying alone and composer/librettist teams reflected in the fellowships granted.
Workshop dates are
2011: 9/12, 9/26, 10/11, 10/24, 11/7, 11/21, 12/12, 12/19;
2012: 1/17, 1/30, 2/13 2/27, 3/12, 3/26, and 4/16.
All workshop sessions will be from 3-6pm and 7-10pm. All sessions will be in New York City. All participants must be present for all of the workshop sessions.
Application deadline: May 27, 2011 (postmark).
Notification of participants will be made by June 30, 2011.
There is a $50 application fee. There are no stipends available for selected composers.
Download the application & guidelines (COMPOSER)
Download the application & guidelines (COMPOSER-LIBRETTIST TEAM)
Applications can also be obtained by calling (718) 398-4024, or emailing mgray@operaprojects.org. Please include a fax number or mailing address.
