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Da Capo Magazine WINTER 2012 Da Capo Magazine WINTER 2012Melba ScholarsEngaged ByOperette -A Fusion of Fashion and OperaSamuelSakkerMargaret SchofieldOpera ScholarshipWhen tenor Samuel Sakker receivedhis first scholarship from the Trustin 2011, he was aiming to make thetransition from opera chorister to soloperformer. His role last year as Fentonin Verdi’s opera Falstaff with theWestern Australian Opera proveshe’s well on his way.“I did a number of years in chorus,and it’s such a dynamic shift in theway you present yourself, sing, andact on stage. Falstaff gave me theopportunity to sing a larger role thanI had previously, and I realised thatI actually do have the skills to tacklesomething even larger than that.”The ‘something even larger’ isimminent. This year, Samuel will singthe role of Don Ottavio in Oz Opera’stour of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, whichwill keep him occupied for severalmonths. Rehearsals begin in June,and July, August and September willbe spent on the road. But the longbus rides on tour will not be wasted– he will fill them learning German.In early October, he’ll take a leap intothe unknown, having bought a onewayticket to Berlin.“I’ve got some good industrycontacts there, so I’m going to try myhand, and expose myself to more ofthe industry. It’s kind of terrifying,but luckily the excitement overridesthe terror!”Samuel is very happy with his overalldevelopment, and acknowledgesthe significant contribution made byhis teacher, Glenn Winslade, coachRaymond Lawrence, and the Trust’sArtistic Advisor Sharolyn Kimmorley.He particularly appreciates what he’slearning through the Trust’s MentorProgram:“There were things I didn’t knowI didn’t know, and those gaps arebeing filled, or I’m more awareof how to fill them. I had no ideawhat I was doing with make-upand clothing – how to look betterand stand out more. I’ve alsolearned more about stagecraft andmovement, business skills and timemanagement.”The freedom allowed by thescholarship is something Samuelvalues above all:HannahDahlenburgMelba Opera Trust ScholarshipMel and Nina Waters AwardHannah was kept very busy in 2011,her first year as a Dame Nellie MelbaOpera Trust scholarship recipient, andat The Opera Studio in Melbourne.She feels very fortunate to havehad the opportunity to work withAustralian and international directors,singers and artists:“This provided me with newexperiences and insights that I canmeld into my performing. It was alsothrilling to be a semi-finalist in theGerman Australian Opera Grant, andto receive the Encouragement Awardin the Herald Sun Aria.”Hannah feels she gained a lot fromthe Trust’s Mentor Program:“One of the most exciting thingsabout the Mentor Program forme was actually the non-musicalaspects. The Program has allowedme to work with mentors from thebusiness world to provide structureand strength to what will be notonly a career, but a life. It’s helpedto provide direction and purpose,necessary when there are so manypossible paths.”Plans for 2012 are no less intense:“2012 for me is about taking myown steps. I am excited aboutmy involvement with Oz Opera,performing the roles of the Queenof the Night, Papagena and FirstLady for the Schools Company’sproduction of Magic Flute. Thosewill keep me on my toes, but I alsowant to perform in other recitalsand concerts, and I’m planning areturn study trip to Europe at theend of the year.”Her Trust scholarship is providingessential support for these ventures:“But equally important are therelationships formed among Trustscholars, and with the people wemeet through the Program andthrough our performances.”Supporters will have the opportunityto see Hannah perform in solo recitalas part of the Richmond UnitingChurch Concert Series on July 15 2012.Oz OperaThe MelbaOz Opera plays its own, vital lead role “It was really satisfying to bein bringing opera to metropolitan, inspiring and educating a newOpera Trust’sregional and remote communities generation of opera audiences.connections with across Australia, and to audiences I found that children are very honest,Opera Australia are many of whom have never before and express their emotions freelyseen an opera. It also provides a during a performance. Within thebroadening. Notfirst experience of opera to children space of an hour, they can cross theonly does Opera in many schools across Victoria and spectrum from loud excitement toAustralia sponsor New South Wales. Since 1996, the timid fright. They also have shortcompany has travelled the equivalent attention spans, so I needed tothe Melba Operaof the circumference of the earth four develop the ability to keep themTrust in kindly times over, performing in venues engaged. Each performance isproviding muchneededincluding aircraft hangars, circus different, which teaches you to berehearsaltents, hay sheds and basketball a flexible and adaptable performer.”courts – and the occasional town hallspace, but thisor theatre! In doing so, it provides The highlight of her schools touringyear three ofwork for numerous technicians and experience in 2011 was one Staceyartists, including, of course, Samuel, didn’t necessarily expect:our singers haveStacey and Hannah, who are allbeen selected to looking forward to gaining invaluableplay lead roles inproductions ofperforming experience as well as anincome.our national operacompany’s touringarm, Oz Opera.Samuel Sakker will play the roleof Don Ottavio in Mozart’s DonGiovanni, which will tour regionallocations across Victoria, NewSouth Wales, Australian CapitalTerritory and South Australiafrom July to September. StaceyAlleaume will participate for thesecond time in Oz Opera’s Victorianschools tour, running from Mayuntil September 2012. On thisoccasion, she will sing Pamina inMozart’s The Magic Flute. HannahDahlenburg will join Stacey on the2012 tour for her debut with OzOpera, taking on the roles of TheQueen of the Night, Papagenaand one of the Three Ladies.Although Samuel has previously hadexposure to Opera Australia’s stage asa member of the chorus, he is lookingforward to a completely differentchallenge, and is not quite sure whatto expect, since he’s been told that“what happens on tour stays on tour”:“But I’m going to be a goodboy, because I’m heading off toGermany, and I’ve got to be readyfor auditions. I also need to learnGerman on the bus!”Hannah is excited at the prospectof the schools tour ahead, and nodoubt has learned something of theprocess from Stacey, who enjoyed anenormously rewarding experiencelast year playing Gretel in the schoolscompany’s tour of Humperdinck’sHansel and Gretel:“Our director, Dean Bryant,incorporated some AUSLAN intothe performance for the hearingimpairedchildren in the audience.The one moment I will never forgetwas simultaneously singing andsigning the prayer in Hansel andGretel. The children could focussolely on us as performers instead ofhaving to rely on interpreters, so wewere actually communicating directlyto them. That was an incrediblyspecial feeling. I look forwardto another rewarding year!”We greatly look forward tohearing later this year about whatour scholars have learned andencountered during their participationin Oz Opera’s 2012 program.On March 5 this year, several of ourscholars and alumni took part in ahighly original and creative event –a “conceptual reinvention of operaand fashion”. As part of the L’OréalMelbourne Fashion Festival’s CulturalProgram, our singers combined withyoung designers, artists, models,dancers and other singers to presentOperette at the Athenaeum Theatre.The idea came from iconic figure onthe Australian fashion scene, LindaBritten, whom the Trust is fortunateenough to count among its mentors:“I’ve done many performance gownsfor Melba Opera Trust Scholars. As Iwatched them come on stage at theHerald Sun Aria competition, andsaw how beautiful they looked, theidea came to me to try and combinea fashion show with an operaticperformance. It hadn’t been donebefore, and I thought it could bequite spectacular.”The Trust shared Linda’s enthusiasmfor this event, as did Laura Anderson,Chair of the L’Oréal MelbourneFashion Festival, who recognised it asan “inspiring and original” concept:“Linda’s commitment to celebratingexcellence in the arts, fusing fashionwith other creative art forms providesthe next generation of designers,artists and performers with uniqueopportunities to showcase theirtalents.”Such a commitment naturallyharmonises well with the Trust’s ownaims of encouraging talented youngsingers. Alumni representativesAngela Brun and Jacqueline Porterfound it to be a valuable experience,and for our current scholars – KylaAllan, Stacey Alleaume, Lauren Faganand Janet Todd – it was an excitingevent and an excellent learningopportunity.Lauren found that it was “a big eyeopener to be working not only withsingers, but also models and dancers,and working to a much tighterschedule than normal, putting theentire show together in a day”. Janetloved getting dressed again in Linda’sbeautiful, haute couture gowns, andbeing part of “such a glamorousevent”. She also found it a novel anduseful experience having hair andmake-up done courtesy of L’Oréal’scontinuing generous sponsorship.Stacey almost forgot which professionshe belonged to “as we were treatedlike models, but as soon as I set footon stage at the Athenaeum Theatre,I remembered I was an opera singer”.She was particularly interested toobserve the stage presence of themodels and dancers, and their graceand elegance. Kyla felt “privileged tobe part of this unique fusion of thefashion and opera worlds – it wasan almost surreal to be part of suchbeautiful art-making, and workingalongside such talented artists”.For Linda, the event itself provedboth worthwhile and fulfilling:“Everybody was enormouslysupportive, especially theAthenaeum Theatre. Our CreativeDirector, Cameron Menzies, andProducer and ChoreographerChristopher Horne were fabulous,generous with their time andeffort. The young fashion internswho were involved loved workingwith the gowns. And there wasan enormous response from avery mixed audience. Many youngpeople adored it – people whohadn’t had exposure to operabefore. They seemed converted,and are now looking forward toattending an opera.”The evening concluded with areception, with luscious winesprovided by the Trust’s regularwine sponsor De Bortoli – a perfectfinish to what was a rewardingevent from many perspectives.Stacey Alleaume with Linda BrittenLaurenFaganDame Nellie Melba ScholarshipPatrick and Vivian Gordon AwardLauren’s operatic career is progressingbeautifully, and she is grateful to theTrust for its role in her burgeoningsuccess:“In 2011, the scholarship fundingenabled me to work intensively withlanguage and movement coaches,my singing teacher and vocal coachto prepare for competitions andauditions for opera colleges inLondon at the end of last year. TheMentor Program provided holistictraining in the areas required for anoperatic career, and the performanceopportunities were invaluable inhelping increase my confidence.”The many hours of hard work Laurenput in last year culminated in heracceptance into all four major operacolleges in the UK for which sheauditioned. Her university degreeis not in music, but she is certainthat her Dame Nellie Melba OperaTrust scholarship stood her in goodstead, as it was viewed favourably,and the panels were very impressedwith what she had achieved with itin 2011.Lauren will again put her Trustscholarship to good use in 2012prior to her departure for Londonin September:“I’ll study with my teacher GlennWinslade and coach SharolynKimmorley to build my repertoireand strengthen my vocal technique.I’m working towards the McDonald’sOperatic Aria in the City of SydneyEisteddfod, and the Opera FoundationAwards, and I’m also enjoyingstudying German. And in my sparetime, I’m learning the role of theCountess in Mozart’s Marriage ofFigaro!”In May this year, Lauren will returnto her (and Sharolyn Kimmorley’s)alma mater, Monte Sant’ AngeloMercy College in North Sydney to singin a concert. Another highlight willbe a performance in ‘Opera Stars forthe Future’ in Gloucester, NSW, alsoin May.While Lauren’s growing musicalcareer means she has no time to playher beloved soccer this year, she’s stilltraining at the gym, which keeps herfit for singing!KylaAllanMelba Opera Trust ScholarshipIt’s often the case that there’s aninfluential teacher who loomed largein a musician’s formative years. Thiswas certainly so for mezzo sopranoKyla Allan, who is a first-timerecipient of a Trust scholarship in2012. From the age of 7, she was ashy, back-row singer in the local girls’choir, looking up to the older girlswho were given solos. Noticing Kyla’senjoyment of and talent at singing,her mother asked her if she’d like tohave lessons:“I began singing lessons when I was13 with a wonderful, encouragingand inspirational teacher whohelped me gain the confidence tosing solo, and provided me withmany opportunities to do so. Sheintroduced me to classical repertoire,and made sure I heard good singersperform. I was overcome by thepower and beauty of the music andthe voices, and I’ve loved classicalmusic ever since.”In 2011, this really started to happenfor Kyla. She played the role of Babathe Turk in Stravinsky’s The Rake’sProgress at the State Theatre Centrein Perth. Later in the year, Kyla was asoloist in Rossini’s Stabat Mater withthe Western Australian Academy ofPerforming Arts’ Faith Orchestra:“Singing with a full orchestra isamazing. It’s sent me on a pursuitto gain many similar experiences.”Kyla also had her first taste of therecital platform in 2011, performingwith associate artist Alexander Seftonat the Stuart & Sons piano factory inNewcastle, accompanied by SharolynKimmorley AM.But the icing on the 2011 cake wasthe news that she had receiveda Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trustscholarship:“I wasn’t sure whether it could bea ‘real’ career. This scholarship notonly provides the funding to continuethe training I need, but it allowsme access to a wonderful networkof industry professionals andmentors whose support, guidanceand encouragement help motivateand inspire me to continue workingtowards my dream – a career as anopera singer.”“To be able to create my ownschedule and goals has beenabsolutely amazing, because I’vebeen able to take charge of myself,my own destiny and my owndevelopment.”Accommodation PartnerOur interstate scholars are alwayswell-rested and ready to give theirbest performance thanks to thecomfort and convenience of stayingwith our Accommodation PartnerMint Rhapsody Melbourne.“It’s like a home away from home!The King sized beds are fantastic andI love that there is a full kitchen. Notthat we always use it with the CBDand wonderful restaurants just ashort tram-ride away!” Kyla AllanFor your next short/long termMelbourne stay, rememberMint Rhapsody Melbourne,located at 568 St Kilda Road.www.staymint.comor call 1800 742 776Honing her German and Italian, andthe development of an efficientvocal technique are important goalsfor Kyla in 2012. She also wants toexpand her repertoire and performas much as possible.Page 10 Page 11