College of Charleston Opera

Thank you Laurel Hill Primary and Laurel Hill Primary PTA!

Thank you for hosting us, Drayton Hall Elementary School and CCSD Fine Arts Office!!

What great audiences you have! 😉 👏🤩

Our students are busy making lots of music this time of year! Check out the CofC Concert Choir performance coming up this Sunday, April 16.

The CofC Concert Choir* will perform a program of carefully crafted moments of 20th- and 21st-century composers, such as Poulenc, Gershwin, Whitacre and Saygun – showcasing songs in English, Turkish and Latin.

Sunday, April 16 at 7:30pm | Church of St. Luke & St. Paul, 126 Coming St., FREE

*The students worked selflessly to meet the standards during this interim year under the direction of Dr. Nisan Ak. They sang for the Charleston Symphony twice and prepared for very challenging programs. After the spring concert, they will professionally record a selected program with Grammy winning alumnus Quentin Baxter.

We had a fun show this morning at the Angel Oak Elementary! Thank you for being an amazing crowd 🤩

As Children's Opera season gears up, we are pleased to partner with Kiawah's Arts, etc.. council! Arts, Etc. sponsors our performances at Johns Island and Wadmalaw Island elementary schools. Learn more about their annual Art and House Tour, which supports many arts initiatives, including College of Charleston Opera! https://kiawahartsetc.org/art-house-tour/

*Arts, etc. and presenting sponsor F.N.B. Corporation welcome you to the 2023 Kiawah Art & House tour on Friday, April 14th. Five distinctive Kiawah homes showcase the Kiawah lifestyle through art, architecture, unique materials and furnishings and natural landscapes. In conjunction with the tour, the on-line auction opens March 20 and runs until Saturday April 15 at noon. A wide variety of original art by local artists, sculpture, jewelry, glass works, in-home dining and restaurant packages, and golf packages will be available for bidding. For more information about the auction and to purchase tickets for the house tour, visit www.kiawahartsetc.org. Arts, etc. is an all-volunteer 501© 3 organization whose mission is to bring literary, performance and visual arts educational programs to the K-12 students of Johns and Wadmalaw Islands in South Carolina. Click here to see our mission video, which describes the programs and highlights their benefits: https://youtu.be/47GzvEBcHqQ.

We are so proud and happy to have such dedicated and passionate students who are willing to have a quick pick-up rehearsal even during spring break! And who doesn’t love a morning Crumbl cookie? Thank you Dr Castellone for the yumminess! ‘Little Red’s Most Unusual Day’ starts touring Charleston County schools from mid-March and will run all the way until summer! Get in touch with us if you’d be interested in having our children’s opera visit your school next season!

And that’s a wrap everybody! We finished The Tales of Hoffmann with a School Matinee Monday morning. Swipe to see a photo of talkback with HS students at yesterday’s matinee. We are encouraged by the thoughtful questions and comments by this next generation of theatre artists! Thank you for being a wonderful and curious crowd!

What a great opening last night! Don’t miss our matinee tomorrow - Feb 26 at 2pm, Sottile Theatre.
Director: Saundra DeAthos-Meers
Lights and set design: Daniel Chapman
Costume design: Savannah Fatigante

Photos by Catie Cleveland

https://today.cofc.edu/2023/02/22/college-of-charleston-opera-to-perform-the-tales-of-hoffmann/

College of Charleston Opera to Perform 'The Tales of Hoffmann' Romantic love can be complicated with all of its elated feelings and fantasies of happily ever after. The College of Charleston Opera will explore one man's outlandish quest for love during performances of The Tales of Hoffmann, Friday, Feb. 24, and Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023. Written by Jacques Offenbac...

Our stellar students Chloe Henderson and Meleana Cabales performing "Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour" from Offenbach's 'The Tales of Hoffmann' on Fox 24 News Now. Come see them perform this beautiful piece live this Friday, Feb 24 at 7:30PM or Sunday, Feb 26 at 2:00PM at Sottile Theatre!

College of Charleston Opera Members Perform "Belle Nuit"

Photos from last week's room run before loading into Sottile Theatre!
Tickets: https://music.cofc.edu/concerts/cofc-ensembles/index.php

Happy Valentine’s Day from Hoffmann 💕🤭

Sneaky-peaky clips from our staging process in January! 👀 Shows on Feb 24 & 26! We are taking big leaps and getting very excited for what’s ahead - orchestra rehearsals and moving into the historic Sottile Theatre ✨
Tickets: https://music.cofc.edu/concerts/cofc-ensembles/index.php

Tales of Hoffmann - Rehearsal Outtakes - CofC Opera Director: Dr. Saundra DeAthos-MeersConductor: Prof. Wojciech Milewski Accompanist: Dr. Lorna Barker

CofC Day is all about celebrating what you love about the College of Charleston on our Founder’s Day! Help celebrate our 253rd birthday by joining us for 24 hours of giving!
CofC Opera’s goal this year is to raise $8K to cover the cost for HD video recording of our upcoming production - “Tales of Hoffmann.” This is a wonderful outcome of our live performance that otherwise would be lost. Opera students will receive a high quality recording of their performance to boost their careers. It is also a wonderful way of connecting to faraway family and friends who cannot make it to the performance in person.
If you’d like to make a big difference today, this is your chance! Take a look at the high-quality product we were able to secure with your donations last year for our full production of “The Magic Flute.”
Please consider supporting the Artistic Heartbeat of Charleston - donate to CofC Opera: https://cofcday.cofc.edu/campaigns/cofc-opera

We are exactly ONE MONTH away from the opening night! “The Tales of Hoffmann” is Jacques Offenbach’s fantastical opera based on the thrilling short stories from the mind of the poet E.T.A. Hoffmann. Follow Hoffmann on a surreal journey as he searches for love, meaning and reality. Performances will be sung in French with English supertitles and are presented alongside musicians from partnering Charleston Symphony. Performances of “The Tales of Hoffman” take place at the Sottile Theatre (44 George St) on Friday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, February 26 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $50, with discounts for seniors (60+), military/veterans, and youth under 18, as well as CofC students, faculty and staff. Tickets can be purchased through the George Street Box Office online, by emailing
[email protected], calling (843) 953-4726 or in person.

Give a gift that makes a difference - give the gift of opera!
CofC Opera presents a fully staged production of "The Tales of Hoffmann" by J. Offenbach.
This beautiful French opera contains various operatic 'hits' such as "Belle nuit" and the Doll Song "Les oiseaux dans la charmille".
It is a great production to come see even if you're not too familiar with the art form.
Support our talented CofC musicians collaborate with a professional orchestra of Charleston Symphony players.
You won't want to miss this operatic masterpiece at the Sottile Theatre!
Tickets available at: https://cofc.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=MUTH&linkID=cofc-multi&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode=

We are very proud of our CofC Opera student Meleana!
"The project will culminate on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, at 3 p.m. with Cabales presenting a lecture and recital on kundiman at Trinity United Methodist Church, 273 Meeting St. The 45-minute recital will highlight five art songs along with a presentation on the historical and musical significance of the genre. A reception with Filipino food will follow."

Music Major Connects with Cultural Heritage Through Filipino Art Song Meleana Cabales was scrolling through YouTube earlier this year when the song “Madaling Araw” by Francisco Santiago popped up in her recommendations. Curious, she clicked on the link. "I was hooked from the first listen," she recalls. "It vaguely sounded like something I’d sung before, but it ...

We are honored to be featured in the Arts, etc informational video.
The Kiawah-based, all volunteer non-profit raises funds to bring high quality art programs to local schools.

Thank you for sponsoring our last Children's Opera production of The Billy Goats Gruff in the John's Island and Wadmalaw area schools.
We look forward to our continued close partnership!

Arts, etc, Informational Video Learn how Arts, etc., a Kiawah-based, all volunteer non-profit, raises funds to bring high quality arts programs into local schools.

If you haven't made up your mind about where to donate on this Giving Tuesday - CofC Opera is a great choice!

Applications for Music Scholarships are open NOW and will close on Jan 2! Start your application before Nov 28 and receive $5 off your application fee (full price $15). The coupon will be sent via email by Acceptd. Applications started after the 28th will not be eligible for the discount. This Cyber Monday deal won't last long - you'll also need to complete your application by the 30th! Link to scholarship information can be found on CofC Opera’s Linktree (link in bio).

Two more shows today @ 2 PM and 5:30PM! Also - our students are taking over the Instagram Stories to show you the action behind the curtains! It’s going to be a fun day, don’t miss out! 🎟️ gsbo.cofc.edu

🦋OPENING NIGHT🦋
🕖 7PM
📍Chapel Theatre, 172 Calhoun St

Thank you, The College Today, for our awesome feature! We love the action shots included in the article, and we're proud of Meleana and her love for opera and leadership in our cast. Tickets are still available for our shows this weekend!

"Life is made up of many moments and decisions that lead to the next. But how would things have played out if we made a different choice, gone in a different direction, decided to pursue another opportunity in a different city? College of Charleston Opera explores the power choices can have in shaping our lives with the showcase “What If,” featuring popular selections from opera and music theater that represent the student-performers’ hard work and perseverance.
Featuring works by Richard Strauss, Gioachino Rossini, Georges Bizet, and Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, among others, “What If” gives voice students an opportunity to put what they’ve learned into practice. “What If” is a part of an opera workshop course that gets these students ready for future productions."
Read more from the article attached below:

Opera Workshop Showcase Explores 'What If' Above: Meleana Cabales, far left, rehearses with her castmates for the upcoming opera workshop showcase "What If." Life is made up of many moments and decisions that lead to the next. But how would things have played out if we made a different choice, gone in a different direction, decided to pursue...

CofC Opera students invite you to come and experience a series of personal “What If’s..” The stories will be intertwined with staged musical songs and opera arias as well as ensemble numbers. Come witness a truly unique and personal performance in the cozy Chapel Theatre. Only 3 performances with limited seating! Secure your ticket at gsbo.cofc.edu
We can’t wait to take you on this musical flight 🦋

College of Charleston Online Ticket Office

📣CofC Department of Music opens our doors on Nov 12 for our inaugural Vocal Experience Day!
📣We welcome all high school singers— free of charge!
📣What’s included? Everything you see on the poster!
📣Important fact: College of Charleston offers a BA in music and encourages double majoring in another field.
📣Come out and experience a day at your future college!
📣Applications due by Nov 1!

CofC Vocal Experience Sign Up Form This form is to apply for the CofC Vocal Experience happening on November 12th! The day will include a pizza party, tour of the campus, a voice masterclass, and a free ticket to the CofC Opera scenes program later that evening!

It’s that time of year - we are now accepting Music Scholarship Applications! The College of Charleston offers a BA in Music with scholarship opportunities for students majoring in all areas of Performance, Musicology/Ethnomusicology, and Music Theory/Composition. Surf around our voice page and check out the link to Music Scholarships!