Celebrating 66 Years of Opera Education for Children Winter 2019 Newsletter

Twin Cities Opera Guild Music Education Grants for 2019

Our 2018 Donors, Members and Friends have made it possible for

22,407 young students to experience the magic of opera and quality music that will remain with them forever. Thanks to you, our supporters, TCOG just approved grants to 29 programs and student opportunities for the first eight months of 2019. (See pages 4 and 5)

A key component of fulfilling the education mission of the Twin

Cities Opera Guild is awarding grants that bring opera and other music to students of all ages. Cantus

Vocal Essence ¡Cantaré!

Mixed Precipitation

Chanson Music Academy

Urban Arts Academy

Minnesota Opera

Opera For The Young

Murray Middle School

ComMUSICation

Lundstrum Center

Mill City Opera

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Letter from the President of TCOGEditor’s Note: Barbara Belk, President of Twin Cities Opera Guild since 2015, has resigned due to health reasons. The following is her last column for

this newsletter. We will miss her capable and caring guidance and are grateful for her leadership.

In this letter, my last one, I’ve decided to write about music as a “Silver Bullet”, a simple solution to a complicated problem! There is much documentation on the correlation between exposure to music and its impact on the brain. The reason most used by schools that decide to cut music from their curriculum is that they must focus on test scores. Ironically, music may actually be one way to improve test scores.

A study at San Francisco State University found that elementary students who learned fractions through a music-based curriculum scored 50 percent higher on math tests than students who didn’t. Additionally, a study in the scientific journal Nature found that low-income children who took

a skill-building music course showed marked improvement in reading and math skills.

In an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune 1/7/18, the reporter talks about “tuning into music’s healing effect on the brain”. She states “music increasingly is becoming a part of patient care”. Georgetown’s National Institute of Health is bringing together musicians, music therapists and neuroscientists to tap into the brain’s circuitry and figure out how stroke survivors who can’t speak can sometimes sing, and exactly why music therapy helps to retrain brain pathways to communication.

There are many more examples of “music as a silver bullet” and how music helps and benefits the health and quality of all lives.

We in Twin Cities Opera Guild can take great pride in the sixty-plus years of our existence! We provide music to children at a young age, thereby giving them years to build on that exposure! As we receive more and more requests for our grants, we continue to work to meet this need. Music is truly a Silver Bullet!

Barbara Belk, President

The Guild is so grateful to its strong membership. We hope to welcome more music lovers to

our organization. Become part of the many activities and projects planned for 2019.

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Twin Cities Opera Guild 1043 Grand Avenue Suite #189 • St. Paul, MN 55105

651-227-2409Visit our website for a membership form:

www.twincitiesoperaguild.org Newsletter Editor: Jan Schueppert

Graphic Design: Paula Woychikpwoychik@yahoo.com

The Fall Members and Friends Luncheon and Program was held at Midland Hills Country Club on November 12, 2018. The singers, soprano Madison Holtze and baritone Mark Billy, thrilled the guests with their beautiful voices and their connection to the audience. These events are always well attended and a real opportunity to hear great music by local performers singing original programs.

Kathryn Keefer, Mark Billy, Madison Holtze and Karen Johnson.

Memberships Fund All Administrative Expenses

Join!

YOUR MEMBERSHIP HELPS MAKE YOUNG LIVES BETTER

11:15 AM SociAl Hour

12:00 PM MuSicAl ProgrAM

12:45 PM luncH

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you are invited to the tCoG Winter LunCheon and MusiCaL ProGraM

Songs To Warm Your Heart

Opera favorites and Valentine love songs!

WedneSdAy, FebruAry 13tH, 2019Town and CounTry Club

300 Mississippi river bouevard n.sainT paul, Mn 55104

Open to all MEMBERS and FRIENDS COST $35 ($40 at the door)

To register go to twincitesoperaguild.org

IF YOU BECOME A MEMBER AT THIS EVENT YOUR

MEMBERSHIP WILL BE FREE.

Questions: 952-426-4292

Featuring

The Twin Cities Opera Guild (TCOG) is dedicated to opera education and outreach, both in the schools and for the general public, in the seven-

county metropolitan area and throughout the State of Minnesota and some adjacent states. During 2018, nearly 22,500 students participated in 34 TCOG education programs with over $80,000 in grants made to schools and other arts organizations. TCOG helps finance musical productions staged by students who work on their own sets, costumes, and perform as members of the orchestra and cast. We sponsor special student dress rehearsals at operas produced by Minnesota Opera and other local performing groups. Professional singers and musicians visit schools for interactive programs with students. In addition to our school programs, TCOG supports summer music camps and workshops, and supports the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions program with awards to young singers.

Area young people participated in Lundstrum Performing Arts’ high-quality

integrated curriculum in dance, voice and drama.

David Walton tenor

Linh Kauffman soprano

Mark Bilyeupianist

2019 Grant Awards and Student Opportunities Are Announced

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Two times each year our Education Committee comes together to review all the requests received for music education grants. The requests are always for more funds than we can

support, but we found many valuable projects to fund for January through August of 2019.

METROPOLITAN OPERA AUDITIONS SINGER AWARDS: Metropolitan Opera District and Regional Auditions N/A

IN SCHOOL OPERA PROGRAMS: Opera For The Young 10 Performances of Super Storm • Feb-March K-5Linwood Monroe Arts Plus School 4th Grade Original Opera K-5Folwell School Performing Arts Magnet 4th & 5th Grade Original Operas coached by Minnesota Opera Artist • January-June K-6

SPECIAL PROJECTS – IN SCHOOL OPERA Fargo-Moorhead Opera Company School Performances by Young Artists Quartet in Fargo Area • February 20-April 19 K-12Fargo-Moorhead Opera Young Artists Quartet School Performances in Twin Cities Metro Area • April 22-May 3 K-12University of Minnesota Opera Theatre – Scenes from Menotti’s The Consul in schools, late March – early April 6-12

OTHER OPERA FOR STUDENTS: Brookwood High School, Ontario WI, Met Opera screening of La Fille du Regiment 7-12Minnesota Opera Dress Rehearsals of three operas 6-12

CHORAL PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS – IN SCHOOL: Cantus High School Residency Program in three schools 9-12Vocal Essence ¡Cantarè! Hispanic Choral Program 2-12

SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL MUSICALS: Murray Middle School Student Musical • March 6-8Roseville Area Middle School Student Musical • May 6-8White Bear Lake Middle School Players Student Musical • April 6-8Capitol Hill Middle School Musical • February 6-8Waldorf School, Maplewood Spring Student Musical 4-8

CHOIR/MUSIC OUT OF SCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS: Minnetonka Chamber Choir Program Expenses 9-12Metropolitan Boys Choir Program Expenses K-12Northfield Youth Choirs Program Expenses K-12St. Paul Conservatory of Music After School Program at six schools and Choral Program on El Sistema model at seven schools K-12ComMUSICation Chorale Concert: Twin Cities Youth SongShare 4-8Urban Arts Academy weekly 2 hr classes with MacPhail Music Center PreschoolLundstrum Performing Arts Center after-school/weekend classes K-12

SUMMER MUSIC PROGRAMS FOR KIDS: Lundstrum Center Summer musical theater program 4-12University of Minnesota Summer Opera Theatre Workshop 9-12Mill City Summer Opera Workshops and Dress Rehearsal 7-12Mixed Precipitation Five One Week-Long Summer Camps 1-9Lakes Area Music Festival, Brainerd, Music Day Camp 1-5Chanson Music Academy Arts Training Camp with Performance 7-12

TOTAL GRANTS – WINTER/SPRING/SUMMER 2019 $68,384

Type of Project/Grantee Organization Grades Type of Project/Grantee Organization Grades

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2019 Grant Awards and Student Opportunities Are Announced

The Mill City Summer Opera will be offering the “Opera for All…Opera is Epic” program to students at the Lundstrum Center for Performing Arts, Project Success, and Cristo Rey High School as well as other organizations that focus on serving an underserved population. Students will also attend a Mill City Opera dress rehearsal on July 17th and 20th.

ComMUSICation (CMC) will use TCOG funds to support diverse performance experiences in an after school choral program, Twin Cities SongShare. They will perform with several other choirs in a festival on March 21.

With TCOG support, the Urban Arts Academy will offer a series of twelve music classes to preschool students in partnership with MacPhail Center for Music. Entitled Opera and the Arts, this program will help to build a stronger internal music curriculum. They will also host a professional development session with MacPhail and a spring festival performance on March 21st.

TCOG Supports Innovative Programs to Bring Music to Young and Underserved Youth

TCOG is Booking Two Outstanding Opera Groups for Spring Metro School Tours!

Twin Cities Opera Guild is proud to offer public and private schools TWO outstanding in-school performance groups:

• TCOG is scheduling a group of singers from the University of Minnesota Opera Theatre for late March-early April to perform scenes from Menotti’s The Consul.

• Call early to book the Fargo-Moorhead Opera Company’s Young Artists Quartet April 22-May 3 in the Twin Cities area. The Young Artists are four outstanding singer/actors chosen from auditions in New York who will perform scenes for elementary and secondary schools. Last year’s Quartet earned rave reviews from over 4,000 students in NW Minnesota and the greater Metro Area.

Bookings are first-come, first-served. To schedule your school today: specialprojects@twincitiesoperaguild.org

Or call Margaret Hottinger 651-492-8009

2019 Young Artists from Fargo-Moorhead Opera who will perform in the Twin Cities: (from top) Rachael Marino (soprano), Kara Morgan (mezzo), Miles Herr (tenor), and Lloyd Reshard (bass-baritone), Carson Rose Schneider, Young Artist Director

Donors to the 2018 CanDlelight DinnerTwin Cities Opera Guild wishes to express its appreciation to the many donors to our 2018

Candlelight Dinner Benefit, held October 20 at Edina Country Club. These contributions make possible our extensive programs of opera and musical education for the students of

Minnesota, Western Wisconsin and the Fargo-Moorhead Area.

Bravissimo $1500 to $2000Margaret and Mark Hottinger

BRAVO $1000 TO $1400 Barbara BelkJudy BoylanJanet and Robert BrackeyGisela CorbettBonnie and Bill FrelsKathryn KeeferBarbara NelsonColleen NelsonJan and Jim SchueppertSharon and Thomas StoffelPirkko VanskaJeanne and Don Wickens

OVATION $500 TO $900 Dorothy BrewerDon and Cathy DonahueJane DudleyEster FeslerPat FreeburgJoan and Bill GackiKaren and Joel JohnsonMargee and Phil JohnsonWarren and Patty KellyJudy LeeDorothy and Roy MayeskeKay and Bill McReavyAlice M. O’Brien FoundationJodell RahrJudith StoneWendy and Bill Wustenberg

ALLEGRO $225 TO $450 Arlene and Tom AlmMarvel AndersonBarbara BaumanCarmen BellDonna Carlson

Charlotte DavisJoanne DeanNorma DolliffDouglas and Kathe DrakeSheila FaricyPat and Frank FarnhamEldon Feist/Jean DeatrickAlison and Michael HildTamara and Rob OlsenIngrid and Frank SchroderFrank and Lynda SharbroughDon Helgeson and Sue ShepardJoanne Wang

SCHERZO $150 TO $200Barbara and David BakerIris BauermeisterCarol BergesonKim and John BlairEdward BorkonCarol BowditchElizabeth BuschorAlice CederbergJohn DonaisJoAnne DunstanTom EiffLudmila and John EklundRosemary FurstJane GalbraithGretchen GanfieldSophie HallauerDenise KettelbergerArlene and Howard KursIrina and Bruce LinderMarie MekoAnn MillerMinnesota OperaGinny and Andrew Sall

Lois SchamppRoma and Thomas Stocks

PRESTO $100Bert AndersonJoyce AndersonBetty AndrewsMaria BalesLynne BeckGerald BensonJudy BergeCynthia ChapmanByron DouglassSara DrinaneDiane DuvallRod and Barbara FosterDaniel FreemanElfrieda HintzeNancy HopfEric KingGail LaFaveDawn LovenMary McDiarmidVelia MelroseNancy NegaardJoe PerfettiDee RayBea SextonArlene SkorichWarren StrotroenCleone SwanbergMadalyn Staupe TraunEllen Wehrman

ADAGIO UP TO $99Gail BremerRosemary Geist SeniorPablo and Tija Ramos

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TCOG also wishes to express appreciation to our Board members, who worked so hard on this event, and to the many contributors to our Silent Auction, especially Gisela Corbett and Peter Hyman, and Don and Cathy Donahue. We also wish to thank the following companies for their generous in-kind donations to

our benefit: Donahue Estate Sales, Event Group, Tomas’ Hardy Piano Tuning, and Wells Pianos.

www.bankcherokee.com • 651.227.7071Member FDIC

Proudly Supports The Twin Cities Opera Guild, Inc.

“It is so important for people at a young age to be invited to embrace classical music and opera.”

Luciano Pavarotti

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MeMorials, gifts anD DonationsRemember or honor someone special with a gift to

Twin Cities Opera Guild Education Fund. A card will be sent to commemorate your gift.

Send your contribution to TCOG, 1043 Grand Avenue, #189 • St. Paul MN 55105

In memory of Jodell RahrArlene AlmLois SchlamppJan SchueppertTwin Cities Opera Guild

In memory of Marvel Anderson’s sisterDonna Carlson Twin Cities Opera Guild

Lois SchamppRoma and Thomas Stocks

PRESTO $100Bert AndersonJoyce AndersonBetty AndrewsMaria BalesLynne BeckGerald BensonJudy BergeCynthia ChapmanByron DouglassSara DrinaneDiane DuvallRod and Barbara FosterDaniel FreemanElfrieda HintzeNancy HopfEric KingGail LaFaveDawn LovenMary McDiarmidVelia MelroseNancy NegaardJoe PerfettiDee RayBea SextonArlene SkorichWarren StrotroenCleone SwanbergMadalyn Staupe TraunEllen Wehrman

ADAGIO UP TO $99Gail BremerRosemary Geist SeniorPablo and Tija Ramos

DONATE TO TCOG WITH EVERY PURCHASE YOU MAKE AT AMAZON!

Did you know that every purchase you make on Amazon can provide a donation to Twin Cities Opera Guild’s education programs for children?

The Amazon Smile program donates a portion of each purchase to a charity of your choice. Just go to smile.amazon.com to register for the program, and enter Twin Cities Opera Guild as your choice of charity to support. Then continue with your

order as usual. Just be sure that every time you use Amazon you start your order at AmazonSmile.com

Questions call Arlene Alm at 651-699-1105.

2019 Performance Dates to Remember February 23 Lundstrum Performing Arts Vocal Cabaret February 23 & 24 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions MN District & Upper Midwest Region, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Benson Great Hall March 7 Linwood Monroe Arts Plus School 4th Grade Opera, 6:30–7:30 p.m. March 21 Urban Arts Academy Spring Fest 4:30–6:00 p.m., MacPhail Center for Arts March 30–31 Lundstrum Performing Arts Student Showcases April 22–May 3 Young Artists of Fargo Moorhead Opera perform in Metro area schools May 13 Cantus – High School Residency Final Concert, Westminister Presbyterian Church • time TBD May 21 Vocal Essence ¡Cantaré! Choir Concert at Ordway, 7:00 p.m.

Dates for Summer Programs/Camps & Related Performances TCOG Supports July/August Mixed Precipitation summer camps • dates to come

June 26–27 Lundstrum Performing Arts Summer Musicals and August 2–4

July 20 Mill City Summer Opera Cosi for Kids public performance

July 29–August 10 Summer Music Theater Workshop, University of MN Opera Theatre

July 29–August 2 and August 5–9 Explore Music Camp summer camps, Lakes Area Music Festival, Brainerd

August 2 & 4 and August 9 & 11 Explore Music Camp camp performances, Lakes Area Music Festival, Brainerd

July 22–August 4 Chanson Voice and Music Academy Summer Performing Arts Training Camp

Twin CitiesOpera Guild inc.

1043 Grand Avenue, #189Saint Paul, Minnesota 55105

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

WINTER 2019

Non-profit org.U.S. Postage

PaidTwin Cities, MNPermit No. 2368

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOROUR SPRING BENEFIT LUNCHEON

EXCITING MUSICAL PROGRAM SILENT AUCTION • LUNCHEON

AND GREAT SOCIALIZING

Tuesday • May 21, 2019INTERLACHEN COUNTRY CLUB

6200 INTERLACHEN BLVD • EDINA

Invitations will be mailed in the spring

A MUSICAL

BOUQUET

Songs to Warm Your Heart Winter Luncheon and Musical Program

FEBRUARY 13, 201911:15 am

Town And CoUnTRY ClUB300 north Mississippi River Boulevard, Saint Paul, Mn

More inforMation inside

Plan to attend and bring your friendsQuestions: Arlene Alm 651-699-1105

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