Published in Philadelphia Music Makers:

The Atlantic Coast Opera Festival

New summer festival aims to revive local—and worldwide—opera scene. 
 

In 2004, the first year of the Atlantic Coast Opera Festival's inception, the organization received 487 applications from aspiring opera singers.  Ever since then, the number of applications has almost doubled annually.  Over 800 applied in 2005.  1,400 applied in 2006.  In 2007, more than 4,000 DVDs and CDs were sent in.  Not only do these numbers attest to the rapid growth of the company; these figures also evince an enormous thirst for opera-- thousands of hopeful talented voices looking for a place to sing.  Of the thousands who applied this year, there was only room for 32. That's less than one percent.  While this paints a disheartening picture of how difficult the opera world can be, the high selectivity also enables the festival to hire only the best of the best.  

Conceived by Robert McFarland, the Atlantic Coast Opera Festival aims to become one of the Nation's premiere summer opera festivals.  McFarland is an internationally renowned dramatic baritone who sang at virtually all of the world's top opera companies, often alongside legends such as Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, and Joan Sutherland.  He has broadened his scope in the music world and is now a master teacher, stage director, conductor, and owner of an artist management agency.  To top it all off, he has now started his own opera company, which has taken off.  "Robert McFarland's passion is to discover new talent, to provide outstanding unknown artists the "breaks" they deserve - an extremely bold and unique move in the world of opera." Says Béatrice Beer, co-founder of the festival. 
 

Originally from Nice, France, Ms. Beer is also an accomplished singer in her own right who sang with the Atlantic Coast Opera on several occasions, and has been involved in the administration of the organization from the beginning.  "The major young artists programs," says Ms. Beer, "Santa Fe, San Francisco, Central City, Lake George, Sarasota, De Moines, Chautauqua , etc-- the springboard to the professional stage, select singers with one main goal: to use as chorus for the company’s main stage productions. As a result, major talent is overlooked. Additionally, opera companies mostly use veterans, making it extremely hard for fresh new voices to break into the business.  Many opera companies hire based on resumes and reputations because they don't trust their ears.  Robert trusts his ears and his instinct to hire the best voices even if they are not well known." The Atlantic Opera Festival provides musicians with an opportunity for young artists to enter the opera scene in prominent roles, and gives music lovers a chance to hear tomorrow's voices, today.  Many of the young artists who debut at Atlantic Coast Opera go on to worldwide careers; three of last year's artists were approached by the New York Metropolitan Opera with job offers on the spot. 
 

Working with younger, lesser-known singers in no way compromises the artistic product-- rather the contrary.  While veterans are generally resistant to different ideas about classic masterpieces, young artists are more pliable and adventurous.  They bring energetic freshness and bright ambition that is unique to the excitement of the "first time."  The new artists are also free of the pretentious air that is so often associated with opera.  "When opera is done honestly, and passionately, without pretension," says McFarland, "I have no doubt that it can move anyone."  Ms. Beer adds: " The mission of the Festival is to discover and give voice to hundreds of unknown exceptional artists by providing them the stage experience and exposure they deserve, creating a world-class summer opera venue in the United States à la Glyndebourne or Salzburg Festival in Europe." 
 

The Atlantic Coast Opera Festival thus replenishes both the supply-- with new voices--  and quality-- with revitalized freshness-- for the opera scene.  But it also fills another important void-- summer music for the Philadelphia-New Jersey-Delaware area.  "The region is lacking," says Ms. Beer.  "All that is available here during the summer is the Mann center featuring orchestral music, no opera. Opera fans have to travel to NYC or much further to catch anything of quality opera-wise."  In addition to the summer festival, Atlantic Coast Opera provides a free educational outreach program, reaching out to new audiences as well as new artists.  The organization is featured in concerts on the first Wednesday of every month at the Church of the Holy Trinity at Rittenhouse Square, among other year round performances.  In the summer, venues include the Academy of Vocal Arts and the Gershman Y in Philadelphia, Haddonfield in New Jersey, and the University of Delaware at Newark.   
 

In past years, the festival has garnered rave reviews.  Jim Rutter of the Broad Street Review: “Local music lovers interested in seeing the future stars of opera need look no further than Robert McFarland’s Atlantic Coast Opera Company. It’s the rare opera singer who can make the transition from the highest levels of international performance to an equal stature in directing their own company.”  The Courier post called the festival “well-sung and dramatically potent.” 
 

For the 2008 season, planned operas include well-loved works such as Tosca, Barber of Seville, Magic Flute, and Rigoletto, as well as a possible premiere of an opera by Joseph Beer, father of Béatrice Beer.  Dr. Beer composed in Vienna in and was widely played throughout Europe since the 1930's, but his brilliant start was cut off by the Holocaust.  Now, Ms. Beer plans to revive her father's work in time for the centennial of his birth.  McFarland was impressed by the body of unknown work and is looking forward to bringing forth great music that has been around for over half a century but has never been heard. 
 

New artists, new locations, new operas (as well as old ones), and new audiences; the Philadelphia area's ambitious and exciting new opera festival promises to quickly become a world class company with a passionate purpose.  The major hurdle currently is funding-- there is a half-million dollar budget to balance, and a lot of work to be done. In the past, Ms. Beer and Mr. McFarland have given their own family money and savings, and are currently fund raising and spreading the word.  For more information visit their website, www.atlanticcoastopera.com.