Going to Guildhall! 24/03/2012
 I've received confirmation today that I will be joining the Opera program at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on full scholarship. This means that in September of this year, I will be relocating to London in the United Kingdom to attend the highly regarded Master's program. The 2012/2013 year will mark the beginning of Dominic Wheeler's tenure as the Head of Opera Studies. I look very forward to working with Dominic - his experience in the Bel Canto and Verismo repertoire alone is astonishing! Well, wish me luck! More information on the course is available here at the Guildhall website. The Australian Singing Competition Finals! 31/10/2011
 In the week leading up to the competition, I've flown back and forth between Sydney and Falstaff in Perth no less than five times to ensure I can be present at every rehearsal! Luckily Enough, I fly well and coped under the immense pressure! This competition has provided the chance for me to work with the wonderful Benjamin Northey and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra on the Opera Stage at the Sydney Opera House as well as meet with the Director of the Australian Opera, Lyndon Terraccini; who compered the event. Emma Moore was overall winner on the night taking home the Mathy Award as well as swathe of other prizes - well deserved! Each one of the finalists (Morgan Pearse, Bryony Williams, Naomi Johns) sung wonderfully - I can only hope to meet with them all again in the future! Though I didn't take home the Mathy Award this time, I've come away with some wonderful prizes! - Guildhall School of Music & Drama Award Fees for one year’s study at the Guildhall School in the Post Diploma Vocal Training Course valued at $31,000 - Sheila Prior Australian Opera Auditions Committee Prize of $5,000 - Phoebe Patrick Award of $3,000 - David Harper Award Ten lessons with David Harper valued at $1,200 - David Giles Meditation Award A tailored Vedic Meditation course valued at a total of $4,500 - Lillie Chiropractic Award A posture and voice body control review valued at $1200 Thanks to Bernadette Cullen, the National Adjudicator, I can finally go and study - Thanks, Bernadette! A special thanks must go to Vivian Zeltzer and Ben Oxley for all their support during the competition. Without their tireless effort the competition could not have survived these thirty years - Thanks again! Debut with the West Australian Opera 27/09/2011
 James Clayton as Sir John Falstaff Last month I auditioned for Richard Mills, one of Australia's leading conductors and the artistic director of the West Australian Opera, and as a result, have been cast as Bardolfo in the 2011 Production of Falstaff. Have already had some coachings with the Head of Music, Burhan Guner, and Tommasso Pollio, the repetiteur. Its been a bit of a challenge as the opera is entirely in Italian and my role calls for a great command of the language with its many patter phrases. Season is November 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 at His Majesty's Theatre, Perth. More information is available on the West Australian Opera website  Following my success at the semi-finals I am now a finalist in the Australian Singing Competition. Other finalists include: Naomi Johns, Soprano, 25 (NSW) Emma Moore, Soprano, 23 (NSW) Morgan Pearse, Bass-Baritone, 22 (NSW) Bryony Williams, Mezzo Soprano, 20 (New Zealand) In the running for over $200,000 worth of both study and cash prizes, even getting this far has been an absolute blessing! Hopefully I can convince the national adjudicator, Bernadette Cullen, and the other panellists that I have what it takes t represent Australia internationally! My repertoire fot the finals concert includes Che Gelida Manina from Giacomo Puccini's La Boheme and Kuda Kuda from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. The finals concert will be at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday the 30th of October at 5:30pm. Please refer to the Events section of my website for ticketing information. More information is available at the Australian Singing Competition Website Moby Dick a great success! 07/09/2011
 I've recently finished up the Australian Premiere season of Jake Heggie's new opera, Moby-Dick. I was lucky enough to be cast in a featured soloist role and get the chance to work with Jay Hunter Morris as Captain Ahab, Grant Doyle as Starbuck, Jonathan Lemalu as Queequeg and James Egglestone as Greenhorn. Lorina Gore, Adam Goodburn, Byron Watson, Andrew Turner, Douglas Mcrae, Douglas McNicol and James Scott rounded out the rest of the principal cast. Jake Heggie, the composer, was present for much of the rehearsal period - I can't begin to explain the thrill and privilege one feels when such a talented living composer of Jake's quality is present. It would be rather the same as having Puccini come and see you in La Boheme! More information about the production is available on the State Opera of South Australia website. Found out a couple of days ago that I am going to be a semi-finalist in the Australian Singing Competition. After a successful audition for the National Adjudicator, Bernadette Cullen, and a panel comprised of Antoinette Halloran, David Kram and Claude Ullin I'll be performing in the next stage in Sydney, Australia on September the 7th, 2011. More information is available here 20th Century Masters Concert on July 3rd 08/06/2011
 Im busily rehearsing the title role Benjamin's Britten's St Nicolas cantata and the baritone solo for Gerald Finzi's In terra pax for my debut with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic at the Melbourne Recital Centre on July the 3rd. Written for Peter Pears in 1948, St Nicolas is a challenging cantata, especially for the tenor soloist. The same can be said for Gerald Finzi's 'Miniature masterpiece' In Terra Pax - its very haunting! Other Soloists include: Andrew Wailes - conductor Amir Farid - pianoforte Stefan Cassomenos - pianoforte Jacqueline Porter - soprano Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra Australian Children's Choir Other Works include: Gerard Finzi Eclogue for Piano and String Orchestra Op. 10 Percy Grainger Irish tune from County Derry for choir and string orchestra Percy Grainger Country Gardens Arvo Pärt Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten More information is available on my events page Ticketing Information can be found on the Melbourne Recital Centre website. Opera Gala with the Perth Lyric Opera 07/06/2011
I will be performing as part of an Opera Gala for the Perth Lyric Opera on June the 19th in Kalamunda and on the 26th at Stage Door in Subiaco, Perth. The cast featuring the Opera Chorus, Joanna Norman, Andrew O'Connor, Rabiya Plush-Noad, Victoria Wilkie and myself will sing highlights of Rigoletto, La Traviata, The Pearlfishers, musical theatre and other all time favourites. More information can be found here  I've just finished up a tour of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro as both Basilio and Don Curzio with Australia's oldest touring opera company, Co-Opera. Having worked with the company before as Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte, and Rodolfo in La Boheme, this production was no different. Brian Chatterton OAM is an excellent musical director and I learnt a lot by working with him again. Tessa Bremner, the stage director, was also a sheer joy to work with implementing so many amazing ideas (Transparent plastic on the outside of the costumes and clear perspex in place of walls to juxtapose with the secretive lives of the characters) The production toured throughout SA, VIC, NSW and QLD from March til May. A West Australian tour will occur in November. More information can be found at the Co-Opera website |
| The Offical Website of Tenor Gerard Schneider |
