University of Adelaide Presents HANSEL AND GRETEL Opera, Oct. 2-5

By: Sep. 13, 2014
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Elder Hall presents its first fully-staged opera in its 100+ year history: Hansel and Gretel, By Engelbert Humperdinck, Oct. 2-5, performed by Two Casts from The Elder Vocal School, The Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, Keith Crellin OAM Conductor David Lampard, Director and Designer and Guila Tiver, Producer.

7.30pm Nightly Thurs - Sunday 2,3,4 and 5 October 2014
Tickets Adult: $28; Concession $22, Student $18
Book online www.elderhall.adelaide.edu.au or phone: 08 8 313 5925

Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel is a landmark in the history of the University of Adelaide's elegant Elder Hall. It is the first fully staged opera performance presented in the Hall in its entire 100+ history and is part of the Evenings at Elder Hall series.

The opera, with scenery, costumes, and orchestra, is in two acts, sung in English by the Elder Vocal School, with the impressive Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra conducted by Keith Crellin; The production is directed by David Lampard and runs for four performances only from 2nd - 5th October.

Claire Oremland, Concert Manager says: " Elder Hall seems to be the very centre of the Adelaide fine music scene. Lunch hour concerts, the recent very successful Bach Festival, Three Choirs in Concert and now its first ever fully staged Opera presented by the Elder Conservatorium of Music.

"The ever- popular Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck certainly presents some new production challenges for the 100plus year old Hall but thanks to the ingenuity of Director David Lampard, it is going to be really exciting. Lights, sound and plenty of action will make it utterly enthralling. Seats in the stalls have been removed - creating an orchestra pit and special lighting brought in to enhance the production. Elder Hall like never before!! Can't wait."

The Brothers Grimm's fairytale of Hansel and Gretel was very grim tale indeed. Children abandoned in an enchanted forest by a wicked stepmother and trapped by an equally wicked witch who planned to eat them! Not so in the romantically lush and lavish 19th century opera of Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck!

However, Director David Lampard isn't pulling any punches with this latest production at the Elder Hall, there are some cautionary and salutary notes in this 2014 version. But, as he hastens to reassure: "there are also magic moments, spine-tingling moments and some fun characters the audience will love."

"I have chosen to set our version of this opera between 1930 and the early 1940s, the Great Depression years, to give the story more realism, making it more contemporary. Like all families Hansel and Gretel's have problems but through it all there is the resonance of honesty, responsibility and love as they face real life problems.

"Engelbert's music is wonderful and the singers and orchestra certainly do it justice. It's such as great opportunity for students to perform in a fully staged opera like this, providing the experience of the process of taking an opera from rehearsals to stage.

"Credit must go to lecturers Guila Tiver, Keith Crellin and the other Elder Conservatorium teachers who created this opportunity enthusiastically and energetically for their students, as part of the performance studies. They are to be greatly commended. I'm hoping we see a large audience of supporters attending to watch tomorrow's professionals explore their limits as they walk that difficult pathway into a career in the arts."

Biographies
Award winning director, designer and performer David Lampard has the theatre in his blood. After study at the Elder Conservatorium with Guila Tiver he went on to perform with State Opera of SA, Adelaide Cabaret Festival (on a number of shows with visiting Broadway composers), plus pantomime. David was also a children's television presenter with Channel Channel 9 and Nexy, and ABC TV Asia Pacific. His work as a designer and director is consistently praised for its creativity, playfulness and originality. He is the co-founder of Six Foot Something Productions where he directs and designs. More details about David can be found on his website www.davidlampard.com

Guila Tiver - Mezzo-Soprano
Since 1985 Guila has been on the vocal staff of the Elder Conservatorium of Music and as Head of Voice from 2009 until this year. With the vocal students she has now been the Producer of three stage productions: Sondheim's "Little Night Music" in 2010, Mozart's "The Magic Flute" in 2012 and this year Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel".
Guila studied in Switzerland and was engaged as a Principal Singer at the Basle Opera. She performed frequently for the ABC, in principal roles for State Opera of SA, Victorian State Opera and was a soloist in several Adelaide Festivals of Arts and Barossa Music Festivals. On two occasions she was invited back to Europe to perform Berlioz's song cycle, Les Nuits d'Eté in a series of orchestral concerts in Italy and has given master-classes and a solo recital in China. She has performed regularly as an oratorio soloist with all the major choral societies of Adelaide and toured throughout Australia in the title role of Bizet's Carmen with Co*Opera.

Keith Crellin, OAM, Conductor Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra
Associate Professor Keith Crellin OAM is Head of the String Department and Conductor-in-Residence at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, The University of Adelaide. As the first violist to win the ABC Young Performers Award in 1972, Keith Crellin soon established himself as one of Australia's leading soloists and chamber music players.
In 1985, he became a founding member of the Australian String Quartet based in Adelaide, a position he held for sixteen years and with which he performed in many countries, travelling widely throughout Australia and made numerous recordings. As well he has conducted concerts and recordings with the Tasmanian and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras and has been conductor of Australian Youth Orchestra's Young Symphonists.
In 2003, he took up the position of artistic director and conductor of the Adelaide Youth Orchestra. In 2004 he was awarded the University of Adelaide's Stephen Cole prize for excellence in teaching and in 2006 was appointed Adjunct Professor in Strings and Chamber Music at the Tasmanian University. In 2008 was awarded the Order of Australia medal for his contribution to music and education.



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