INTERVIEW WITH ‘THE ELIXIR OF LOVE’ DIRECTOR STEPHEN YALOURIS
Can you tell us a bit about your history with ROC?
As a student I had the opportunity to perform some 10 roles with the company under the baton of the late John Leeman. This was such invaluable experience for me as a young singer, fresh out of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Opera School, to have the opportunity to further develop and strengthen my skills in operatic roles, in fully staged and costumed productions with orchestra, alongside more experienced and generous artists from whom I was able to learn so much. In July 2015 I was more than happy to join the ROC Committee to assist and support this wonderful and worthwhile company in any way possible and to help continue the great work they have been doing since 1948.
What have been your career highlights?
In 1984 the company presented Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” in which I sang the role of Figaro. In the cast in the role of Rosina was the wonderful Australian soprano, the late, great Deborah Riedel who went on to International operatic stardom, tenor Jonathon Welch, (choir of hard knocks) and Bass Daniel Sumegi, who also went on to forge a stellar career internationally and in Australia. At that time we were all starting out and it was an unbelievable experience for me to be singing alongside such incredibly gifted and generous artists. I remember we all worked incredibly hard on this difficult opera but we had the best time preparing it.
Similarly in 1985 in Franz Lehar’s “The Count of Luxembourg” in which I sang the role of Brissard, the lead tenor and soprano were the amazing Robert Gard and Maureen Howard who were then long time principal artists with The Australian Opera, (now Opera Australia). I had long admired these incredible artists, having seen many of their performances, and couldn’t believe my luck to be performing on the same stage with them.
In my 40 years of teaching classical voice both at my city studio and for over 20 years as Lecturer in Voice at The Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and knowing of the extreme commitment, sacrifice and demands required to be successful in a professional operatic career, it is always a career highlight for me to see students who have worked so hard with full commitment and passion, achieve their goals and successes in what is a difficult and highly competitive profession.
Do you have any standout memories of a particular performer you saw on the Rockdale stage?
I have, over the years, seen many excellent performances at Rockdale but I have to say that I was blown away in 2016 when International opera stars José Carbo and Emma Matthews generously donated their time and services to sing in support of the company’s Gala Fundraising concert. Blown away not only by their outstanding, thrilling and beautiful singing but also at the generosity, kindness and care they extended towards the young developing but less experienced talented singers who sang with them in this concert. I am sure this boosted their confidence enormously and resulted in that incredible evening of singing at Rockdale Opera.
What drew you to wanting to direct this production?
Whilst the directing of Donizetti’s ”The Elixir of Love” came to me by default, it happens to be one of my favourite operas and one that has been in the main repertory of Opera Company’s worldwide since 1832, when it was composed. It is a sparkling and joyous score filled with meltingly beautiful melodies, rousing duets, trios and ensembles and featuring some very well known and famous arias, including Nemorino’s hauntingly beautiful Act 2 aria, “Una furtiva lagrima”. The original director unfortunately had to withdraw, having been offered a full time professional directing contract with one of the opera company’s in Germany, starting immediately. Of course this is a wonderful opportunity for a young up and coming director and understandably had to accept. There was no time to look for another director so the “gig” fell in my lap!
Can you share your vision for this production?
Well, I don’t want to give too much away because I want people to come and see it but I can say that its themes are still relevant today. “Elixir” is sometimes described as an operatic rom-com where people in love and under high emotional stress do extreme and silly things out of desperation, which results in some very funny, and sometimes poignantly moving and heartfelt situations.
Can you tell us a bit about your musical director?
We are very excited to have Omid Moheb Zadeh making his debut with Rockdale Opera Company as the Musical Director for ”The Elixir of Love”. Omid is a talented and exciting young conductor originally from Iran but now based in Sydney. The recipient of many conducting scholarships, he is currently completing his Masters in Opera Conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He has conducted for North Sydney Youth Orchestra, is assistant conductor with the Metropolitan Orchestra, chief conductor and musical director of Concordia Ensemble and founder and conductor of the Sydney Concert Orchestra.
Can you tell us a bit about your cast for this production?
I am thrilled to be directing such an amazing and wonderful cast of beautifully voiced and talented opera singers. They are so easy to work with and have really taken to their roles and the opera as a whole with such enthusiasm and vitality. In the role of the hopelessly lovesick Nemorino is exciting young tenor Daniel Verschuer, the capricious and flighty Adina is sung by the vivacious and effervescent soprano Camilla Wright, the conceited sergeant Belcore is sung by the robust and strongly voiced baritone Daniel Ott, beautiful and mellifluously voiced soprano Lucy Vallely sings Giannetta and the comedic role of the itinerant charlatan Dr. Dulcamara is sung by company regular, bass-baritone Gordon Costello. The cast also features the wonderful Rockdale Opera Company ensemble made up of dedicated, enthusiastic and hard working community singers who give of their time so generously and willingly in order to bring this fun opera to the stage.
Who will most enjoy this opera?
Look, I think this is an opera for everyone. As mentioned earlier, the themes it explores are still current. Anyone who likes a good rom-com will enjoy it. The music is so very infectious and whilst being beautiful, sparkly and thrilling, it also has such a wonderful “feel good” quality about it . Of course, this is no accident, as Donizetti’s opera is considered to be a masterpiece of 19th century bel-canto opera.
Why do you think ROC plays such an important role in our community?
This is such a good question. I mentioned earlier the invaluable experience it afforded me but it is worth remembering that since 1948, even before our national opera company was formed, there was Rockdale Opera Company. It is staggering to see the amount of talent that has performed at Rockdale over these years. Not only singers but conductors, instrumentalists, designers, and the numerous dedicated and wonderful community singers who have appeared with the company and who have, over the years, been the backbone of the company. Exceptional talents who had their first operatic experiences with Rockdale Opera Company in their early years, at a time when it was crucial to their development to learn their craft and gain much needed stage experience performing operatic roles, and who later went on to highly successful professional operatic careers both in Australia and internationally. Rockdale Opera Company is now even more important in our community today. I can’t think of any other community opera company in Sydney that stages full length operas in costume and with orchestra where, along with community singers, talented developing artists can perform full operatic roles and use the experience to further develop, strengthen and hone their skills. Of course, none of this is possible without the many volunteers who have given so generously over the years and the wonderful audiences that have been attending and continue to attend Rockdale Opera Company performances. It is a remarkable achievement and one we should all be immensely proud of.
Can you tell us a bit about your history with ROC?
As a student I had the opportunity to perform some 10 roles with the company under the baton of the late John Leeman. This was such invaluable experience for me as a young singer, fresh out of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Opera School, to have the opportunity to further develop and strengthen my skills in operatic roles, in fully staged and costumed productions with orchestra, alongside more experienced and generous artists from whom I was able to learn so much. In July 2015 I was more than happy to join the ROC Committee to assist and support this wonderful and worthwhile company in any way possible and to help continue the great work they have been doing since 1948.
What have been your career highlights?
In 1984 the company presented Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” in which I sang the role of Figaro. In the cast in the role of Rosina was the wonderful Australian soprano, the late, great Deborah Riedel who went on to International operatic stardom, tenor Jonathon Welch, (choir of hard knocks) and Bass Daniel Sumegi, who also went on to forge a stellar career internationally and in Australia. At that time we were all starting out and it was an unbelievable experience for me to be singing alongside such incredibly gifted and generous artists. I remember we all worked incredibly hard on this difficult opera but we had the best time preparing it.
Similarly in 1985 in Franz Lehar’s “The Count of Luxembourg” in which I sang the role of Brissard, the lead tenor and soprano were the amazing Robert Gard and Maureen Howard who were then long time principal artists with The Australian Opera, (now Opera Australia). I had long admired these incredible artists, having seen many of their performances, and couldn’t believe my luck to be performing on the same stage with them.
In my 40 years of teaching classical voice both at my city studio and for over 20 years as Lecturer in Voice at The Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and knowing of the extreme commitment, sacrifice and demands required to be successful in a professional operatic career, it is always a career highlight for me to see students who have worked so hard with full commitment and passion, achieve their goals and successes in what is a difficult and highly competitive profession.
Do you have any standout memories of a particular performer you saw on the Rockdale stage?
I have, over the years, seen many excellent performances at Rockdale but I have to say that I was blown away in 2016 when International opera stars José Carbo and Emma Matthews generously donated their time and services to sing in support of the company’s Gala Fundraising concert. Blown away not only by their outstanding, thrilling and beautiful singing but also at the generosity, kindness and care they extended towards the young developing but less experienced talented singers who sang with them in this concert. I am sure this boosted their confidence enormously and resulted in that incredible evening of singing at Rockdale Opera.
What drew you to wanting to direct this production?
Whilst the directing of Donizetti’s ”The Elixir of Love” came to me by default, it happens to be one of my favourite operas and one that has been in the main repertory of Opera Company’s worldwide since 1832, when it was composed. It is a sparkling and joyous score filled with meltingly beautiful melodies, rousing duets, trios and ensembles and featuring some very well known and famous arias, including Nemorino’s hauntingly beautiful Act 2 aria, “Una furtiva lagrima”. The original director unfortunately had to withdraw, having been offered a full time professional directing contract with one of the opera company’s in Germany, starting immediately. Of course this is a wonderful opportunity for a young up and coming director and understandably had to accept. There was no time to look for another director so the “gig” fell in my lap!
Can you share your vision for this production?
Well, I don’t want to give too much away because I want people to come and see it but I can say that its themes are still relevant today. “Elixir” is sometimes described as an operatic rom-com where people in love and under high emotional stress do extreme and silly things out of desperation, which results in some very funny, and sometimes poignantly moving and heartfelt situations.
Can you tell us a bit about your musical director?
We are very excited to have Omid Moheb Zadeh making his debut with Rockdale Opera Company as the Musical Director for ”The Elixir of Love”. Omid is a talented and exciting young conductor originally from Iran but now based in Sydney. The recipient of many conducting scholarships, he is currently completing his Masters in Opera Conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He has conducted for North Sydney Youth Orchestra, is assistant conductor with the Metropolitan Orchestra, chief conductor and musical director of Concordia Ensemble and founder and conductor of the Sydney Concert Orchestra.
Can you tell us a bit about your cast for this production?
I am thrilled to be directing such an amazing and wonderful cast of beautifully voiced and talented opera singers. They are so easy to work with and have really taken to their roles and the opera as a whole with such enthusiasm and vitality. In the role of the hopelessly lovesick Nemorino is exciting young tenor Daniel Verschuer, the capricious and flighty Adina is sung by the vivacious and effervescent soprano Camilla Wright, the conceited sergeant Belcore is sung by the robust and strongly voiced baritone Daniel Ott, beautiful and mellifluously voiced soprano Lucy Vallely sings Giannetta and the comedic role of the itinerant charlatan Dr. Dulcamara is sung by company regular, bass-baritone Gordon Costello. The cast also features the wonderful Rockdale Opera Company ensemble made up of dedicated, enthusiastic and hard working community singers who give of their time so generously and willingly in order to bring this fun opera to the stage.
Who will most enjoy this opera?
Look, I think this is an opera for everyone. As mentioned earlier, the themes it explores are still current. Anyone who likes a good rom-com will enjoy it. The music is so very infectious and whilst being beautiful, sparkly and thrilling, it also has such a wonderful “feel good” quality about it . Of course, this is no accident, as Donizetti’s opera is considered to be a masterpiece of 19th century bel-canto opera.
Why do you think ROC plays such an important role in our community?
This is such a good question. I mentioned earlier the invaluable experience it afforded me but it is worth remembering that since 1948, even before our national opera company was formed, there was Rockdale Opera Company. It is staggering to see the amount of talent that has performed at Rockdale over these years. Not only singers but conductors, instrumentalists, designers, and the numerous dedicated and wonderful community singers who have appeared with the company and who have, over the years, been the backbone of the company. Exceptional talents who had their first operatic experiences with Rockdale Opera Company in their early years, at a time when it was crucial to their development to learn their craft and gain much needed stage experience performing operatic roles, and who later went on to highly successful professional operatic careers both in Australia and internationally. Rockdale Opera Company is now even more important in our community today. I can’t think of any other community opera company in Sydney that stages full length operas in costume and with orchestra where, along with community singers, talented developing artists can perform full operatic roles and use the experience to further develop, strengthen and hone their skills. Of course, none of this is possible without the many volunteers who have given so generously over the years and the wonderful audiences that have been attending and continue to attend Rockdale Opera Company performances. It is a remarkable achievement and one we should all be immensely proud of.
