In this episode we turn our attention to opera, particular at life away from the major institutions. Beyond the large companies there’s a plethora of small independent opera companies, festivals and ensembles, often working in intimate venues and with limited resources. Today we explore some of that world through the work of one such company, Ensemble OrQuesta, a leading independent opera company operating in London and the South East.
Our guest is Marcio da Silva, Ensemble OrQuesta’s founder and Artistic Director. Marcio is a opera singer, performer, musician, conductor, chorus master, artistic and musical director, composer and educator. We first encountered Marcio and his company a couple of years ago at Grimeborn, the annual fringe Opera Festival in East London, where they were performing their ‘chamber-scale’ production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.
Alongside Ensemble OrQuesta, Marcio is involved in a number of related projects, including the Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra and Hastings Philharmonic Choir, the EO Opera Academy and the conducting courses Marcio also runs. His work then spans performance, training and mentoring, bringing together professionals, students and emerging performers.
We are also joined by Elisabetta Gasparoni, a linguist specialising in Italian language and literature, founder of the Aesthetic Study Group, and a long-time supporter of Arts First. Elisabetta has organised and spoken at discussions on opera and the arts.
Marcio talks about his own background and the development of Ensemble OrQuesta. We discuss the importance of mentoring and training new performers, and more broadly the challenges of trying to sustain both classical and operatic musical traditions.
We touch on how the smaller opera companies relate to one another. Are they competing for audiences and resources, or working within a network of like-minded artists? And what about audiences themselves - who comes to these productions, and how do companies reach them? We discuss the practicalities and difficulties of working on a small scale.
We talk about Baroque opera, Ensemble OrQuesta’s specialism. Does Baroque opera lend itself especially well to smaller venues and more ‘minimalist’ productions? Does Marcio see Baroque opera a niche, or an opportunity to introduce audiences to something different?
This is an audio episode. We had a few difficulties with video this time around, but we do have some video footate from the interview that we may release in the form of a shorter episode in the near future.
We hope you enjoy the show.
Links
Marcio da Silva:
Ensemble OrQuesta
Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra
Hastings Philharmonic Choir
Grimeborn Opera Festival
You can hear more from Elisabetta Gasparoni on opera at the Battle of Idea website. If you would like to find out more about Elisabetta’s work, please get in touch at artsfirstpodcast@gmail.com
Events
Marcio is conducting Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra Saturday 2 May
MOZART: Overture 'Il re pastore', Clarinet Concerto in A majorSerenata Notturna, Symphony No 41 'Jupiter'
More information and tickets here.
Ensemble OrQuesta will be performing at the Cockpit Theatre in Marylebone in June and Grimeborn in Dalston August.
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