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St Andrews Opera

St Andrews Opera offers an opportunity to gain experience of singing on stage in both workshop and fully staged productions. Recent productions include The Rape of Lucretia, A Dinner Engagement, The Judgement of Paris and Dido and Aeneas.

St Andrews Opera’s project for 2011–12 will be Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, sung in a modern English translation by David Lloyd-Jones.

The project will take place in two phases:

1. A ‘workshop’ semi-staged production of a shortened version of the piece, to be directed by Ella Ormerod and performed with piano accompaniment by Walter Blair. Performances will take place in the Younger Hall on Weds 8 and Thursday 9 February (tbc), with an intensive rehearsal period from Sunday 29 January to Friday 3 February (the week before semester 2). The entire cast for this phase of the project will be drawn from singers based in or near St Andrews.

2. A fully staged production of the entire piece, to be directed by Kally Lloyd-Jones (Company Chordelia, Scottish Opera, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). This will be a joint production with the London-based university opera group, Bloomsbury Opera. Performances, accompanied by orchestra, will take place in the Byre Theatre, St Andrews on Thursday 14, Friday 15 and Saturday 16 June (to be conducted by Michael Downes, Director of Music), and at Goodenough College, London on Weds 27, Thursday 28 and Saturday 30 June (to be conducted by Jessica Cottis; BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). There will be an intensive rehearsal period from Wednesday 23 May until the first night. This production will be cast jointly between St Andrews and London-based singers. Transport and accommodation for the London phase of the production will be provided without cost for all St Andrews singers. 

    Please note that all singers offered parts will be expected to be available for the entirety of the relevant rehearsal period(s).

    Auditions for both productions will take place in the Music Centre, Younger Hall, on Wednesday 16 November between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Singers should be prepared to sing a short piece of their choice (preferably, but not necessarily, from the operatic repertoire). Please sign up for an audition time in the Music Centre office.

    For any queries about the production or auditions, please contact Michael Downes (mjd14)