Harrower Summer Opera Workshop

About

May 27 - June 16, 2019

Discover the Harrower Summer Opera Workshop, a unique program with a relaxed yet professional atmosphere in the heart of Atlanta – the hub of southern culture and hospitality. This intensive three-week workshop began as the brainchild of Peter and Irene Harrower to offer the best training for aspiring opera performers and directors by recognized working professionals. The training culminates in performances of two fully staged and costumed operas and an opera scenes recital. Training includes acting classes, daily movement classes, stage combat classes, foreign language diction, private coaching sessions, seminars and master classes with international artists.

The remarkable faculty at Harrower includes Carroll Freeman, artistic/stage director, Classical Singer magazines’ 2010 Stage Director of the Year and the Valerie Adams Distinguished Professor of Opera Studies at Georgia State University; W. Dwight Coleman, executive/stage director, winner of the National Opera Association opera production competition; and Rolando Salazar, Assistant Conductor/Chorus Master of the Atlanta Opera.

This year’s guest Artist-in-Residence is two-time Grammy Award winning soprano Angela Brown, Metropolitan Opera, National Opera of Paris, Vienna Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin and many more.

Artist in Residence

Angela Brown

Angela Brown personifies the ideal soprano: sheer vocal power; luxurious finesse; and shimmering, high pianissimos. With a charming personality larger than life, she unites opera, pops, and gospel in one sensational voice. A featured artist on the two-time Grammy Award® winning recording “Ask Your Mama,” Angela’s international reputation continues to grow.

Her highly successful Metropolitan Opera debut in the title role of Aida captured instant attention from international print and broadcast media and catapulted Angela onto the world’s prestigious opera and symphonic stages. Headlines from The New York Times read: “At last an Aida,” and CBS Weekend News proclaimed: “the future of opera has arrived!” followed by features on the front page of The New York Times, on CNN, in Oprah Magazine, Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Classical Singer, Reader’s Digest, and Psychology Today.

Recent new milestones for Angela include singing on the Grammy Award®-winning recording of “Ask Your Mama,” composer Laura Karpman’s setting of the poem by Langston Hughes of the same title and co-starring in the new American opera, Charlie Parker’s Yardbird in the 2015 world-premiere performance with Opera Philadelphia. She reprised the role of Addie Parker in historic performances at The Apollo in New York City in 2016, for Lyric Opera of Chicago and Madison Opera, and in London at The Hackney Empire in 2017. She joined the National Chorale as soloist for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at Lincoln Center in November 2016 and Hawaii Symphony for Verdi’s Requiem in April 2017. This season includes solo appearances with The Atlanta Opera, Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Astoria Music Festival, Portland Summerfest, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, American Spiritual Ensemble USA tour as well as performances of Opera…from a Sistah’s Point of View in the USA.

A noted interpreter of African-American spirituals, Angela released Mosaic, a collaborative recording featuring spirituals with guitar and piano, in October 2004 from Albany Records. In 2005, a live Christmas concert with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and Indianapolis Opera Chorus was recorded by WFYI-PBS and broadcast throughout the United States. She guest starred on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor radio show in 2009. In July 2010, Angela was presented in Shanghai at the World Expo 2010 as a guest of USA Pavilion and the United States Consulate. Angela was the only opera singer invited to perform for the USA Pavilion. She also opened the One Nation Working Together Rally in Washington, DC, by singing the National Anthem on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and was selected by Marvin Hamlisch to premier his song composed for her and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir in honor of The Indianapolis Prize.

A 1997 National Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions Winner, Ms. Brown received her Bachelor of Music degree in voice from Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, where she studied with Ginger Beazley. She attended the Indiana University School of Music as a student in the studio of Virginia Zeani. Ms. Brown received the Indiana University African American Arts Institute’s inaugural Herman C. Hudson Alumni Award in 2006, given annually to recognize outstanding contributions made in the arts by former members of the Institute. Ms. Brown is featured in “Nineteen Stars of Indiana,” a book by Michael S. Maurer about nineteen, living Hoosier women with successful and inspirational life stories, released by Indiana University Press in December 2008. Angela is a proud recipient of the Indiana University Distinguished Alumni Service Award, the Governor’s Arts Award from the Governor of Indiana, a Spirit of the Prairie Award from Conner Prairie in Indiana, and a member of the Indianapolis Public Schools Hall of Fame.

For more information, please visit www.angelambrown.com

Tracks of Study

Young Artist Program is for more advanced singers. Applicants admitted to this program will sing roles in the final fully-staged productions.

Studio Program is for singers looking to improve their skills in a nurturing, yet intensive environment. Participants selected for this program will sing ensemble roles in the productions. Studio participants may qualify to move up to the Young Artist Program. If they elect to do so, their tuition will increase to the Young Artist Program tuition.

Directing Internships are designed for a collegiate voice teacher who directs opera or an aspiring stage director. The selected intern(s) will receive an award of full tuition.

Tuition & Fees

Application Fee: $50.00

Young Artist Program Tuition: $1,300.00

Studio Program Tuition: $750.00

All fees are non-refundable.

Housing will be available at an additional cost for those accepted into the program who wish to stay on Georgia State University’s Campus. Daily commuter parking is not provided. Housing information will be available in the Spring of 2019.

Applicants acknowledge that, should they be accepted into the program, all tuition and fees must be paid in full by Friday, May 10, 2019. Participants who are not paid in full by May 10, 2019, will have their slot and housing canceled. For participant cancellations made after May 10, 2019, the full tuition and housing fee is incurred.

Staged Performances

Cosí fan tutte, stage director Carroll Freeman

Le nozze di Figaro, stage director W. Dwight Coleman

Opera Scenes Recital, director Kay Paschal

On-Campus Housing

Georgia State University is pleased to offer on-campus housing and meal plans for participants. Information will be available in the Spring of 2019.

Audition Information

Live Auditions

Saturday, February 2, 2019 – Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi

Saturday, February 16, 2019 – Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia

Auditionees should prepare three short arias, one of which must be in English. Aria selections do not need to be from the repertoire of the current year, although they can be. Selections in similar styles are welcome.

An accompanist will be provided for you. Please bring your music in a secured fashion for the accompanist. There will be no advance rehearsal with the accompanist. All headshots and resumes submitted with your application will be available to the judges; there is no need to bring additional hard copies.

Online Auditions

Online auditions are available as needed for out of town auditionees. Online auditions consist of video performances of three arias, one of which must be in English. Applicants submitting an online audition must upload their videos in the form of unlisted YouTube videos. All videos must adhere to the following guidelines:

Video names should be saved as FirstName LastName 1, 2, 3 (example: Jane Smith 1; Jane Smith 2; Jane Smith 3).
Each aria should be its own video.
Each video should be no more than 5 minutes in length.

Aria selections do not need to be from the repertoire of the current year, although they can be. Selections in similar styles are welcome.

Application Information

Application Deadlines

Thank you for your interest in the Harrower Summer Opera Workshop! This page contains all the information needed to complete the application process. The deadline for each audition follows:

Friday, January 25, 2019: Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi
Friday, February 8, 2019: Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
Friday, March 1, 2019: Online Auditions

Please read the following information carefully before submitting your application. There is a non-refundable application fee of $50.00 due at the time of submitting applications. Be prepared to fill out the application in its entirety. There is no way to save and return to the application. You will be asked to upload the following documents during the application:

Professional headshot
Performance resume
Short, 75-word bio
PantherCard compliant photo (NOT headshot)
Three audition video links (online auditions only)

All participants must be 18 or older on or before the start of the program.

PantherCard Photo Requirements

All participants will be issued a Georgia State University PantherCard upon arrival. The PantherCard issued is your key to most buildings on campus during your time at Georgia State. The PantherCard Office is very strict in their acceptance of photos. Please adhere to the following Georgia State University PantherCard photo requirements:

The photo must be taken in front of a solid white or light to medium blue background.
The photo must be taken centered on full-face view, directly facing the camera, with the image from the base of the neck/top of shoulders, upward to top of head within the photo borders.
You are not permitted to wear a hat or head covering unless worn daily for a religious purpose or for medical reasons supported by medical certification. Your full face must be visible, and the hat or head covering may not obscure the hair or hairline or cast any shadows over your face.
Any jewelry worn must not obscure the face in any way.
Headphones, wireless hands-free devices, or similar items are not acceptable in your photo.
If you normally wear prescription glasses, a hearing device, or similar articles, they may be worn for your photo (make sure to avoid glare if wearing prescription glasses).
Dark glasses or non-prescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons (a medical certificate may be required).
DO NOT SUBMIT A PHOTO OF AN EXISTING STATE OR COLLEGE ID CARD.

If your photo does not meet the criteria, you will be asked to resubmit a photo until an acceptable photo is given.

acceptable-id-photos

Apply Here

Please read the Application Information tab carefully before submitting your application. There is a non-refundable application fee of $50.00 due at the time of submitting applications. Be prepared to fill out the application in its entirety. There is no way to save and return to the application. You will be asked to upload the following documents during the application: