News

Fifty-five pre-professional and professional opera singers take center stage this month at Portland State as part of Summer Session’s Bel Canto Northwest Vocal Institute, which runs from July 11-31, 2005.

Now in its 13th year, Bel Canto Northwest Vocal Institute (BCNW), housed in the School of Fine and Performing Arts, is an advanced, intensive and individual three-week training program for dedicated young professional and pre-professional singers. Every year BCNW attracts world-class faculty members and students from high schools, colleges, universities and opera houses around the nation. BCNW enables talented young singers to work with the best in European and American teaching in an atmosphere dedicated to training in the classroom, on the concert platform and on stage. Daily instruction in vocal technique, acting for singers, musical skills, diction and style helps prepare young singers for careers in the profession.

This year’s faculty includes Mark Beudert, director of the BCNW; George Shirley, vocal director; Pamela Hunter, dramatic director; Nicholas Carthy, music director; and Timothy Cheek, Ellen Faull, Tom Hall, Carol Lucas, Karen Lykes, Susan McDaniel, Christine Meadows, Jan Powell, Scott Pratt and Douglas Schneider.

Below is a list of upcoming events that are open to the public. All events feature the students of Bel Canto and take place in Lincoln Hall, 1620 SW Park Ave., unless otherwise noted:

July 17, 2:30 PM, Lincoln Recital Hall, room 75, $10 (students free)
A Master Class with Ellen Faull and George Shirley—two of the world's most respected voice teachers work with the young talent of BCNW.

July 17, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Recital Hall, room 75, $10 (students free)
Faculty Recital Featuring George Shirley and Mark Beudert, tenor; Karen Lykes and Christine Meadows, mezzo; music director Nicholas Carthy, and pianists Carol Lucas, Susan McDaniel and Douglas Schneider.

July 18-22, Noon, Multnomah County Central Library, 801 SW 10th Ave., free
PSU's Bel Canto Northwest Vocal Institute is hosting the series "The Art of Song,” free noon concerts featuring the 55 Bel Canto student singers performing lieder, chanson and English art songs.

July 23, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Recital Hall, room 75, $10 (students free)
Dvorak's Moravian Duets
Guest artist Timothy Cheek and students of BCNW present a complete performance of these miniature pieces of vocal chamber music.

July 24, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Performance Hall, room 175, $10 (students free)
Schubert's Winterreise—Featuring Mark Beudert, tenor, and Nicholas Carthy, piano

July 26, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Performance Hall, room 175, $15 general, $12 senior, $8 student
An Evening of Mozart and Strauss—Featuring excerpts from Idomeneo and Ariadne auf Naxos

July 28, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Performance Hall, room 175, $15 general, $12 senior, $8 student
American and Russian Opera—A Hand of Bridge (Barber; complete) and Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky, excerpts)

July 30, 2:30 PM, Lincoln Performance Hall, room 175, $15 general, $12 senior, $8 student
Baroque and Bel Canto—Featuring excerpts from Handel's Rinaldo, Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri, and Act II of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore.

July 30, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Performance Hall, room 175, $15 general, $12 senior, $8 student
Berlioz and Bartok-Excerpts from Béatrice et Bénédict, and a complete performance in Hungarian of Bluebeard's Castle.

July 31, 2:30 PM, Lincoln Performance Hall, room 175, $15 general, $12 senior, $8 student
Gala Ravel—A complete performance of Ravel's L'enfant et les sortileges, and favorite operatic ensembles.

For more information on these events and Bel Canto Northwest Vocal Institute, visit www.belcanto.pdx.edu or call 503-725-9791.

# # #

Source:
Mark Beudert (503-725-9791)
School of Fine and Performing Arts

For Immediate Release (#05-101)