Brevard

In the summer of 2002, I began my association with the Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, North Carolina. I was first employed as a Guest Director and staged 8 operas and musicals over the next 4 years. After a two year hiatus I was asked to take over and run Janiec Opera Company, as well as the opera training program. I ran the program for 5 years, ending in 2012.

Under my direction, the Janiec Opera Company enrolled 35–40 college-aged and pre-professional singers per season, who aspire to careers in the opera world. Brevard offered stage experience in addition to daily rehearsals, coaching, and classes. Topics in classes included acting, diction, the audition process, and the business of opera. Visiting opera professionals presented Master Classes, and there was a daily movement class.

The opera productions were fully produced: newly designed sets, costumes and lighting. All were performed with full orchestra. In addition there were occasional opera scenes programs performed in alternate spaces with piano. Some students were also given additional opportunities to do concert pieces with full orchestra.

As my career progressed, I found that, more and more, I wanted to pass what I knew on to a future generation. I now see it as one of the goals of my career to train the future generation of opera professionals. At the Janiec Opera Company, I strove to train not only singers, but coaches, directors, designers and production staff.

Starting in the summer of 2013, the program will be run by my associate, Dean Anthony. Dean was on my direciting staff at Brevard for all of my 5 years there. I'm sure there are exciting things in store for students at Brevard under Dean's leadership.

What follows is a representation of a number of the productions that I have directed, and many that I have produced, at Brevard.