Little London Community Opera

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Little London Community Opera

Opera together.

Little London Community Opera brings a culturally diverse group of musicians of all levels of expertise together to experience opera’s unique power to move people intellectually and emotionally. Through the medium of opera, we provide a space where both the performer and the audience are able to relate to other people around the world from both contemporary and historical contexts.

10/05/2018

He is charming, he is rich, and powerful. Come see Don Giovanni's actions catch up to him this weekend.

Opening tonight at 7pm!
https://www.facebook.com/events/2155134548036332/

Photo by Zachery Hynes

10/02/2018

Don Giovanni runs this weekend and we have a few more cast and crew bios for you! Here is our Leporello, Nicholas Saika-Voivod. Catch Nicolas at TAP centre for creativity this weekend! click here to buy tickets https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/don-giovanni-tickets-49487696031

Born and raised in London, a student of life, Nicholas is excited to make his operatic debut with the LLCO. Coming from a line of musicians and thinkers, he was introduced to the violin and to singing at an early age, and later briefly studied operatic performance with his father, Igor, a former international soloist. Nicholas otherwise considers himself a maverick of sorts and conducts business in a wide range of fields currently including biotechnology development and sustainable design. After many years of dreaming he now has concrete plans to build a fully sustainable 'earthship'-inspired home in the Parry Sound area this coming spring.

10/02/2018

Little London Community Opera presents Don Giovanni After a late night at the office, Don Giovanni’s advances towards his co-worker set a chain-reaction that changes his fate. From successful womanizer to wretched addict assassin, Don Giovanni’s encounters with three women: Anna, Elvira, and Zer...

09/23/2018

Here is our fantastic Stage Director, Margaret Martin, who is working hard with our cast to bring this important story to life.

Margaret Martin is a Southern Ontario native who dreams of reviving the general public’s interest in the world of opera. She believes very strongly in music’s power to promote healing and wellness, and in its power to enrich the lives of everyone it touches. As a soprano who recently completed both her Bachelor of Music and her Artist Diploma at University of Western Ontario’s Don Wright Faculty of Music, Margaret is poised to enter the world of professional performance. Having spent so many years studying at Western, she is deeply invested in the London arts’ community, and jumped at the chance to be a part of the Little London Community Opera. She is thrilled to be working alongside such passionate and gifted local musicians to bring more opera to the Southwestern Ontario area

09/23/2018

Today we introduce Ethan Lacey, the Music Director for Don Giovanni, playing at the TAP Centre on October 5& 6

Originally from Collingwood Ontario, Ethan was interested in music and language from a very young age. Often choosing to improvise and invent at the keyboard instead of following his teachers’ instructions, he aspired to study music seriously at age 10. The study of foreign languages began as a serious interest in high school which led to interest in collaborative musicianship, vocal music, and opera. Ethan spent four years in the Georgian Triangle area as a vocal and instrumental coach before attending Mohawk College, where he completed a degree in Applied Music in Piano Performance with Alexi Gulenco, and studied vocal and instrumental conducting with Laura Thomas. It was during his time at Mohawk College that Ethan developed his improvisational and collaborative interests further in jazz music - frequently sitting in on recording sessions and performing with singers and ensembles. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance at Western University studying with Stéphan Sylvestre, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano Performance.

He is active in the London and Toronto area as a recitalist, collaborative pianist, vocal coach, and chamber musician.

When not attempting to further the revival of improvisation in common musical practice, Ethan enjoys reading, cooking, and gardening ~ despite being mildly allergic to nearly everything green.”

09/22/2018

Tonight we reveal Don Giovanni's last target- the fiesty Zerlina, played by our very own Melina García Zambrano! Don Giovanni goes live October 5th and 6th at the TAP Centre https://www.facebook.com/events/2155134548036332/

Colombian-born soprano Melina García Zambrano is passionate about Canadian art song and opera, especially contemporary works. Raised in Toronto, she now makes London, Ontario her home. Melina holds a Master’s degree in Music Performance and Literature from Western University.

In 2018, she debuted the roles of Aurelia (Padajuca Zviezda), and Lucinda (The Covenant) at Vera Causa Opera's Canadian Opera Fest. Some of her other roles include Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Elvira (Don Giovanni), covering Elvira (L’italiana in Algieri) at MYOpera and Micaela at BrottOpera. Her love for the music industry inspired her to co-found the Little London Community Opera, and she seeks to connect the many artists in the city with the wider London community.

Fun Fact: Besides a newly-found passion for organizing concerts and events, Melina has a great interest in cross-cultural relations. During her university years, she spent a summer in Bangladesh, and a summer in China for student cultural exchanges.

09/20/2018

Don Ottavio stands apart from the rest in both character and voice- he is the only tenor in a sea of Baritones and Sopranos. Watch Marcel van Helden tackle the role in LLCO's production of Don Giovanni on October 5th and 6th at the TAP Centre https://www.facebook.com/events/2155134548036332/

Hailing from the small town of Acton, Ontario, Marcel van Helden is pursuing a Master's degree in Voice Performance at Western University under the tutelage of Torin Chiles. In 2017 Marcel performed in his first operatic role, Monostatos, in Mozart's The Magic Flute and continued his operatic studies in Lucca, Italy where he performed the role of Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni. Last summer Marcel reprised his role of Monostatos at the Opera NUOVA training program in Edmonton. He has sung with various choirs in southern Ontario including the Georgetown Bach Chorale, Musikay, and the Association of Male Choirs of Ontario. Some of his notable solo roles have been in Handel's Messiah, Bach's St. Matthew and St. John Passions, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Choral Fantasy with the Rose Orchestra of Brampton. Upcoming this year Marcel will revisit Don Ottavio with Little London Communicty Opera and perform for the first time Elder Hayes, from Carlisle Floyd's Susannah, with Peck Productions, and the role of Peter Quint in Benjamin Britten's Turn of the Screw with Western University Opera. In addition to singing Marcel possesses a B.Sc. from the University of Waterloo in physics and enjoys discussing and teaching subjects surrounding mathematics, sciences, and music.

Fun Fact: Along with singing I have had many odd jobs. I am currently driving a truck while also attending school, but most notably one of my earliest jobs was working on an ostrich farm. I know more about ostriches than any opera singer ever needs to know!

09/20/2018

A wedding is supposed to be the best day of your life, but for Masetto, Don Giovanni ruins everything! Watch Kieran Kane bring him to life in October 5th and 6th at the TAP Centre https://www.facebook.com/events/2155134548036332/

Kieran is a baritone living and working in Guelph and the Greater Toronto Area. A graduate of the
University of Guelph music programme, he maintains a busy schedule singing, conducting, teaching,
and, occasionally, accompanying. Recent projects include Against The Grain Theatre’s 2018 Summer
Intensive; singing the roles of Bottom and Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Haliax Summer
Opera Festival 2018; singing the role of Boaz in productions of Ruth with Arcady; and singing bass in
The Elora Singers. This fall, he is excited to join the Canadian Chamber Choir for their tour of
Manitoba.

Fun fact: In addition to performing, Kieran enjoys sitting on the other side of the desk. As a music director he has helmed productions of The Drowsy Chaperone and The Gondoliers, alternately playing alto saxophone, piano, and conducting.

09/18/2018

Today we introduce the magnificent Kimly, our répétiteur and Orchestra for the show! Check out Don Giovanni, October 5th and 6th at the TAP Centre https://www.facebook.com/events/2155134548036332/

Kimly Mengyin Wang, born in 1993 in Nanyang, started to play piano at the age of 5, studied piano at Musik Gymnasium C.P. E Bach (music pre-college) in Berlin Germany before she immigrated to Canada. She holds a Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano and a Bachelor’s degree in Solo Piano Performance from Western University, where she studied under Dr. John Hess and Dr. Leslie Kinton. As young artist, Kimly has appeared on stage in North America, Europe and China at festivals such as Bowdoin International Music Festival, La Musica Lirica, Chinese-Canadian Performing Arts Festival and Accademia Europea Dell’Opera among others. She is prizewinner of the KAWAI Music Competition and Germany Youth Music Competition. Kimly is currently working as a collaborative pianist and vocal coach at Western University.

09/18/2018

Wow! There are over 200 likes on the LLCO page! Thank you all for your support, it really means the world to us. We hope to bring lots more incredible opera to London

09/17/2018

Today we reveal the beautiful, vengeful Donna Anna- Played by Jennifer Cyr. Watch Donna Anna's fight for vengeance on October 5th and 6th at the TAP centre https://www.facebook.com/events/2155134548036332/

Jennifer Cyr, soprano, is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance at Western University. Jennifer is an avid performer and is excited to be singing the role of Donna Anna in Little London Community Opera’s production of Don Giovanni. Jennifer was recently selected as one of eight Canadian singers to embark on a concert tour of China. While in China, Jennifer performed Western opera arias and ensembles as well as traditional Chinese folk songs in ten cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Harbin, and Kunming. Jennifer’s past operatic roles include Suor Angelica in Suor Angelica, the Governess in The Turn of the Screw, Musetta in La Bohème, Antonia in Les Contes D’Hoffmann, Micaela in Carmen, and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte. Jennifer has been fortunate to work with many wonderful opera programs and companies including Vancouver Opera, La Musica Lirica, AEDO, ViVace, COSI, Opera Nuova, and Opera on the Avalon.

Fun fact from Jennifer: "I like to surf in Hawaii!"

09/16/2018

Today we reveal our Donna Elvira, played by Natalie Gassi! For more information on the show and how to buy tickets, check out our event https://www.facebook.com/events/2155134548036332/

Acclaimed by Opera Canada as “a lovely, powerful soprano with a tremendous range,” soprano Natalie Gassi is quickly becoming one of Canada’s bright young opera stars. Since completing her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance at the University of Toronto, and Masters of Music in Performance at Western University, Natalie has appeared as a soloist with various opera companies in the Greater Toronto Area and in London.

Over the past few years, Natalie has performed numerous operatic roles, including: Suor Angelica, Madama Butterfly, Violetta (La Traviata) and Mimì (La Bohème).
Natalie is the cofounder and head instructor at London's “Gassi Voice Studio.” She hopes to continue sharing her love of opera with her students, as well as on national and international stages.

Fun Fact: Along with performing and teaching, Natalie keeps very busy at home with her 4 year old son Leonidas, 2 year old daughter Leanora, and Shih Tzu puppies Khaleesi and Gannicus.

Natalie has a great love for language, learning Greek, French and English, (in that order!) She studied Italian and Spanish at University.

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London, ON

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http://www.littlelondoncommunityopera.ca/

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