DATE: Mediterranean Opera Studio and Festival Summer Program will be held from June 22 through July 25, 2020 (Arrival Catania Fontanarossa Airport June 21st, and departure July 27th).
COVID situation: The coronavirus outbreak in Italy has been very serious, but has largely effected the Northern Regions of Lombardia and Veneto. Sicily with its population of over 5 million has seen less than 100 cases so far, but this may change.
We suggest to all participants to purchase CFAR Travel Insurance (cancel for any reason), and to ensure about $8000 worth of expense. This should cover travel and tuition.
Role Availability: Roles are assigned to qualified individuals on a first come first serve basis. We do not have participants compete for roles. If you are qualified and are accepted into the program, you will receive the role applied for. Please check with us before paying tuition to see if the roles you were assigned on your invitation email to MOSF are still available.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Extended to April 1, 2020 (while deadlines are fluid, role availability will diminish with time)(If tuition is not completed by the extended deadline and no payment plan is in place you will be dropped from the roster).
AUDITIONS: If you are applying for a principal role in one of our opera productions, YOU MUST send a video of you singing the aria/selection from your selected role. However, even if accepted for the role, you must send by June 1 a video of the entire role OFF BOOK to jlivigni@2uarts.com. Failure to do so will automatically disqualify you from singing the role. The video is simply proof that you are off book. Any singer arriving in Sicily not completely off book will become immediately a cover in the role.
Program details
Opera singers, orchestra musicians, conductors, stage directors and managers – all have the chance to collaborate in bringing to life the MOS Festival in Eastern Sicily. MOSF is first and foremost a training program. Our training program has the goal of preparing artists for Opera, and not solely giving performance opportunities. Performing is part of our training, but not the essential ingredient.
Mediterranean Opera Studio and Festival’s program gives training opportunities to:
- Opera singers seeking to perfect their vocal and artistic abilities and wishing to perform in opera roles
- Opera singers seeking technical and artistic development, but not interested in performing in the opera festival
- Orchestra musicians seeking the opportunity to expand their experience and understanding the uniqueness of opera orchestras.
- Assistant conductors and stage directors have the opportunity to collaborate with conductors and directors that have worked with major opera companies to bring to life our productions and play an active role in their realization.
Work in a collaborative way with your mentor and develop a greater understanding of both artistic and practical aspects of your art.
We do not have singers compete for roles. When you are accepted for a role, you sing that role.
Repertoire 2020
- La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini
- Suor Angelica by Giacomo Puccini
- Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini
- Opera concerts featuring selections from operas
Singers will receive assignments to roles in their welcome letter. We will run the operas on our first day and establish who is off-book. All those not completely off book will automatically be moved to cover status and consequently latecomers to enrollment previously assigned to cover status will then be moved into active role assignment (meaning they will be performing and not covering).
ALL PARTICIPATION AS LEAD ROLE SINGERS IS ENTIRELY AT THE DISCRETION OF MOSF. You are selected to sing a role, but if you are sick, or the role seems at the time to be jeopardizing your long term vocal health in our opinion, we will not allow you to go on stage and risk the integrity of your vocal instrument. Because there are multiple casts and covers for any given role, if you cancel your performance you will not have a chance to make it up in a subsequent performance. All soloist will sing chorus. This year the only opera with chorus is La Boheme (some of the chorus part will be cut).
Costs
(Plan A Vocalists) $5,500 [includes breakfast and lunch at our facility every day, housing (single occupancy room), weekly laundry service, transportation to and from airport*, all training (including Italian and recitative training), all performances, transportation to MOSF events, programmed tourism].
(Plan B Vocalists) $5,000 [does not include housing, laundry, breakfast or lunch]
(Auditing Only) $3,000 [Includes all of plan A except studies. These participants will audit all MOSF events.]
Orchestra musicians – $500 (plus $800 deposit refunded at end of program)
Assistant Conductors – $3000
All participants are responsible for their own airfare to Catania.
Failure to follow timetable of tuition payment will result in your exclusion from program.
Tuition is non-refundable under any circumstances.
* In order to be eligible for airport transportation, arrival and departure must occur within a specific window on check in/check out day as follows:
- Arrival Catania Fontanarossa Airport June 21st, pickup at 3:00pm and 7:00 pm
- Departure Fontanarossa July 27th (1st bus to airport will be at 6:30 am – arrival at airport around 7:30 am).