Free master class with Elizabeth de Trejo

The Patel Conservatory will offer a free vocal master class with Elizabeth de Trejo.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the renowned soprano who will be a featured soloist in Opera Tampa’s upcoming L’amour Toujours A Popera! Concert at the Straz Center in Tampa.

De Trejo performed with Opera Tampa in La Traviata, Romeo et Juliette, Lucia di Lammermoor and Faust, and with North Carolina Opera as Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte and the title role in Bellini's masterpiece, Norma.

She recently performed in Carnegie Hall as the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana, as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, in a tour with the Florida Orchestra as guest soloist, and in concerts of zarzuela in Mexico City and Lincoln Center. She has worked with the Metropolitan Opera in Lulu, and made her Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist under the baton of composer John Rutter.

De Trejo has performed with several opera companies nationally and has performed internationally across Europe. She has received numerous awards from prominent vocal competitions, including the Gerda Lissner Opera Competition in New York, the MacAllister Opera Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in the Connecticut and Gulf Coast Regions, the Jenny Lind Soprano Competition, the Rosa Ponselle Competition and the Giulio Gari Foundation Opera Competition and the Liederkranz Competition. She received her Bachelor of Music from Loyola University, New Orleans and her Master of Music from Yale University.

The free master class will be Sat., Mar. 1, 2014 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

RSVP is required no later than February 28. Participants are asked to submit repertoire selections at the time of registration.

For more information, or to RSVP, please contact the Patel Conservatory registration office at 813.222.1002 or patelconservatory@strazcenter.org.

Auditions for Opera Tampa Children's Chorus

Opera Tampa Children's Chorus members in last year's Opera
Tampa production of La Boheme

The Patel Conservatory is hosting auditions for the Opera Tampa Children's Chorus to be part of the cast of Opera Tampa’s production of Carmen!

Auditions for Opera Tampa Children's Chorus

Mon., Oct. 28, 2013

5 p.m.

Rehearsal Hall at the Straz Center

The audition is open to boys with unchanged voices and girls in grades 2-8.

Students who are selected will be part of the distinguished cast of professionals and join them on stage for the fantastic performances of Bizet’s famous dramatic opera, Carmen. 

Children’s chorus participants will get to work side by side with professional singers, wear ornate costumes and gain experience in a professional show in the amazing Carol Morsani Hall at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.

The performance dates are March 14, 2014 at 8 p.m. and March 16, 2014 at 2 p.m. Students will need to be available for these dates as well as the required rehearsals. Click here for the full rehearsal schedule. 

For the audition, students will not need to prepare music. They will be asked to vocalize with the piano and read a short musical excerpt to assess their aural and reading skills.

The chosen students must register for the Opera Tampa Children’s Chorus class at the Patel Conservatory. The class will meet Mondays from 5 to 6 p.m. to rehearse for the production. The tuition is $25, and scholarships may be available.

The Opera Tampa Children’s Chorus is a fantastic opportunity for students to enhance their performance skills and get to be part of a professional show, as well as work with opera singers from around the world! 

In addition, students who complete the rehearsal and performance requirements will receive a $50 scholarship towards another Patel Conservatory music class.* 

For more information about Patel Conservatory’s music programs, or to RSVP for the audition, contact Opera Tampa Children’s Chorus Director, Kavanaugh Gillespie at kavanaugh.gillespie@strazcenter.org or call 813.222.6452.

*Restrictions may apply.

Free tickets for current students

Patel Conservatory is offering tickets to current students for two events this weekend:

Master Class with Sherrill Milnes and the Opera Tampa New Artists- Fri., April 15, 7:30 p.m. in the Jaeb Theater. Get a chance to watch new artists train with renowned opera star Sherrill Milnes.

Opera Tampa Prelude concert for La Traviata - Sun., April 17, 2 p.m. in the TECO Theater. This prelude concert is an eclectic mix of music from our Opera Tampa New Artists and will give a peek at La Traviata.

                                                                                                                   

Three tickets per ID badge are available at the box office.

(Discounts do not apply to prior sales and cannot be combined with any other offer. Subject to availability. No rain checks. No cash value. Additional fees may apply.)

Get up close and personal with Sherill Milnes

Join world-renowned operatic baritone and Opera Tampa artistic advisor Sherill Milnes next weekend as he leads opera singers through a master class at the Patel Conservatory.

The class, open to the public for observation, gives the audience a rare opportunity to watch singers perform and be guided by Milnes as he shares his experience and knowledge with the performers. The five performers were selected through auditions around the world in early October.

Winner of three Grammy® awards, Milnes is internationally recognized as the leading Verdi Baritone of his time. He performed in every great opera hall in the world, such as La Scala in Milan and Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, and performed for every United States president since Gerald Ford. His remarkable voice, artistic integrity, commanding stage presence and rugged looks made him a favorite for all audiences.

Teaching young singers has been a passion for Milnes, who has led master classes at the Julliard and Manhattan Schools in New York and at many major universities throughout the country. He’s taught more extensively at the Yale University School of Music and other universities internationally.

Come enjoy the amazing talent of vocal artists next Friday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the TECO Theater. Tickets are free for season subscribers and $15 for non-subscribers.  Call 229-STAR, or visit our website.