OCTOBER 25-30, 2021 | ONLINE
KATHLEEN PARKER
Red Tape Translation, Founder & Owner
(Opera Cologne, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Theater Nordhausen,
Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater)
THOMAS FLORIO
Red Tape Translation
(Bayerische Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Hamburg,
Opéra national de Lorraine, Staatsoper Hannover, Theater Magdeburg)
REBEKAH ROTA
(Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Landesbühnen Sachsen)
MICHAEL SCHOPP
Steuerberatung Schopp
JULIE WYMA
Opera Programs Berlin, Co-Founder & Executive Director
(Berlin Wagner Gruppe, Irrational Entertainment, Voci Inglesi, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera North,
Dicapo Opera, Opera By Request, Choriner Opernsommer, Berliner Philharmonie, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Opera Classica Europa, Brandenburgisches Konzertorchester Eberswalde)
ANASTASIA NIKOLOV
Opera Programs Berlin, Co-Founder & Artistic Director
(Berliner Philharmonie, Berlin Wagner Gruppe, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Central Florida Lyric Opera,
New London Opera Players, Brandenburgisches Konzertorchester Eberswalde)
Red Tape Translation, Founder & Owner
(Opera Cologne, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Theater Nordhausen,
Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater)
THOMAS FLORIO
Red Tape Translation
(Bayerische Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Hamburg,
Opéra national de Lorraine, Staatsoper Hannover, Theater Magdeburg)
REBEKAH ROTA
(Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Landesbühnen Sachsen)
MICHAEL SCHOPP
Steuerberatung Schopp
JULIE WYMA
Opera Programs Berlin, Co-Founder & Executive Director
(Berlin Wagner Gruppe, Irrational Entertainment, Voci Inglesi, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera North,
Dicapo Opera, Opera By Request, Choriner Opernsommer, Berliner Philharmonie, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Opera Classica Europa, Brandenburgisches Konzertorchester Eberswalde)
ANASTASIA NIKOLOV
Opera Programs Berlin, Co-Founder & Artistic Director
(Berliner Philharmonie, Berlin Wagner Gruppe, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Central Florida Lyric Opera,
New London Opera Players, Brandenburgisches Konzertorchester Eberswalde)
JULIE WYMA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ANASTASIA NIKOLOV, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
ANASTASIA NIKOLOV, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Germany is a great place to be for singing, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy!
In this program, we take you through everything you need to know about relocating to Germany for singing, including:
Join us for the five INTERACTIVE, ENGAGING & INFORMATION PACKED presentation and Q&A sessions covering all topics above. An array of resources, information and samples will be shared with all participating artists.
- visas and immigration – options for how to stay in Germany legally
- what to bring and what to expect in Ausländerbehörde (immigration office) appointments
- types of singing work – fest, guest, freelance, & everything in between
- insurance – what it all means and what to get
- bank accounts – choosing what’s right for you
- pension, taxes & financial planning for freelance and employed singers
- language acquisition – learning German before and after you move
- finding an apartment – having success and avoiding scams
- setting up utilities and registering your residence
- families – how to bring your family with you, or start one once you’re here
- audition tours – the facts, myths and fallacies
- structure of the German theatre system - how it is financed, how interacts with agents, managers, etc.
- opera, oratorio & concert work differences
- casting for the German market
- living in Germany – integrating into society, making friends, and building a life
Join us for the five INTERACTIVE, ENGAGING & INFORMATION PACKED presentation and Q&A sessions covering all topics above. An array of resources, information and samples will be shared with all participating artists.
All sessions held on:
IN COLLABORATION WITH
For this program we are thrilled to partner
with
RED TAPE TRANSLATION
Berlin’s best resource for all things bureaucracy!
Founded in 2012 by Kathleen Parker, Red Tape Translation
specializes in live translation, coaching, life admin,
and written translation services for almost
any need you may have in navigating life in Germany.
Their website also features a blog with posts on topics
including self-employment, renting an apartment,
learning German, family, driving, and more.
with
RED TAPE TRANSLATION
Berlin’s best resource for all things bureaucracy!
Founded in 2012 by Kathleen Parker, Red Tape Translation
specializes in live translation, coaching, life admin,
and written translation services for almost
any need you may have in navigating life in Germany.
Their website also features a blog with posts on topics
including self-employment, renting an apartment,
learning German, family, driving, and more.
AND WITH:
TUITION & REGISTRATION
Program tuition is €150
To register please choose the payment method below. After tuition payment, please send an email to operaprogramsberlin@gmail.com. We will send a confirmation of tuition receipt and complete your registration.
Nikolova-Wyma GbR
operaprogramsberlin@gmail.com IBAN: BE74 9671 7325 5807 BIC: TRWIBEB1XXX Avenue Louise 54, Room S52 Brussels 1050 Belgium |
|
N26
Julie Wyma IBAN: DE40 1001 1001 2629 3903 16 BIC: NTSBDEB1 Krüllsstr 3 12435 Berlin Deutschland |
Electronic receipts are issued after each payment.
FACULTY
KATHLEEN PARKER
Praised as “an ideal Wagner soprano” (The Straits Times),
Kathleen Parker thrilled international audiences with her portrayals of Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer (Victoria Theatre, Singapore) and Elisabeth in Tannhäuser at the Seoul Arts Center. The Yonhap News lauded her “bell-like high notes” and “rich, expressive voice,” and the Thüringer Allgemeine touted her performance as “powerfully acted and sung.”
Kathleen has enjoyed a varied career as a guest singer with a special interest in Wagner roles. She has performed as a soloist at Opera Cologne, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Theater Nordhausen, Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden and Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater. Senta, Elisabeth, Woglinde, Helmwige, Ellen Orford, Vitellia, Elettra and elle (La Voix Humaine) feature among the roles she has performed in theatres internationally. Notable awards include the Wolfgang Wagner Prize and the Audience Prize at the International Singing Competition for Wagner Voices in 2015 in Karlsruhe, Germany and the Opera Foundation of Australia’s German-Australian Opera Grant in Sydney.
In addition to her work on stage, Kathleen is the managing director of Red Tape Translation UG, a Berlin-based company dedicated to helping English-speaking expats navigate through German bureaucracy. Kathleen started the company in 2012 and now has a team of 15 interpreters, translators, coaches and administrative staff behind her. Red Tape Translation has now assisted thousands of musicians, artists and freelance creatives with registering, working, starting a business, getting married and obtaining visas and work permits in Germany.
Born in Canada and raised in Australia, Kathleen studied at the University of Queensland, graduating with a Bachelor of Music with Honours I in 2003. She then received a full scholarship to train at the Australian Opera Studio, graduating in 2008 with the Dux Prize.
Praised as “an ideal Wagner soprano” (The Straits Times),
Kathleen Parker thrilled international audiences with her portrayals of Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer (Victoria Theatre, Singapore) and Elisabeth in Tannhäuser at the Seoul Arts Center. The Yonhap News lauded her “bell-like high notes” and “rich, expressive voice,” and the Thüringer Allgemeine touted her performance as “powerfully acted and sung.”
Kathleen has enjoyed a varied career as a guest singer with a special interest in Wagner roles. She has performed as a soloist at Opera Cologne, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Theater Nordhausen, Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden and Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater. Senta, Elisabeth, Woglinde, Helmwige, Ellen Orford, Vitellia, Elettra and elle (La Voix Humaine) feature among the roles she has performed in theatres internationally. Notable awards include the Wolfgang Wagner Prize and the Audience Prize at the International Singing Competition for Wagner Voices in 2015 in Karlsruhe, Germany and the Opera Foundation of Australia’s German-Australian Opera Grant in Sydney.
In addition to her work on stage, Kathleen is the managing director of Red Tape Translation UG, a Berlin-based company dedicated to helping English-speaking expats navigate through German bureaucracy. Kathleen started the company in 2012 and now has a team of 15 interpreters, translators, coaches and administrative staff behind her. Red Tape Translation has now assisted thousands of musicians, artists and freelance creatives with registering, working, starting a business, getting married and obtaining visas and work permits in Germany.
Born in Canada and raised in Australia, Kathleen studied at the University of Queensland, graduating with a Bachelor of Music with Honours I in 2003. She then received a full scholarship to train at the Australian Opera Studio, graduating in 2008 with the Dux Prize.
THOMAS FLORIO
Baritone Thomas Florio has been hailed as “powerful, flexible, and sensitive” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung). His work has also been celebrated as “the most brilliant vocal moment” (Scherzo Magazine), and “the vocal event of the performance” (Orpheus Opera International). In particular, his interpretation of Peter Maxwell Davies’ Eight Songs for a Mad King has been hailed as “peerless” (NRC Handelsblad), and “vocalism seamlessly combined with physical expression” (Rondo Classic).
On the operatic stage, Thomas has performed across Europe with the Bayerische Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Hamburg, Opéra national de Lorraine, Staatsoper Hannover, and Theater Magdeburg, among others. From 2011 to 2013, he was a member of the Internationales Opernstudio at the Staatsoper Hamburg; his early career highlights include young artist programs with Wolf Trap Opera and San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program.
An avid chamber musician, Thomas has appeared with the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival and the Tapiola Sinfonietta (Finland), the Stift International Music Festival (Netherlands), Les sons intensifs (Belgium), and the Staunton Music Festival (USA).
In 2021, Thomas opened a private counseling practice in Berlin. Working with Internal Family Systems therapy, his client focus is English-speaking immigrants.
Baritone Thomas Florio has been hailed as “powerful, flexible, and sensitive” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung). His work has also been celebrated as “the most brilliant vocal moment” (Scherzo Magazine), and “the vocal event of the performance” (Orpheus Opera International). In particular, his interpretation of Peter Maxwell Davies’ Eight Songs for a Mad King has been hailed as “peerless” (NRC Handelsblad), and “vocalism seamlessly combined with physical expression” (Rondo Classic).
On the operatic stage, Thomas has performed across Europe with the Bayerische Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Hamburg, Opéra national de Lorraine, Staatsoper Hannover, and Theater Magdeburg, among others. From 2011 to 2013, he was a member of the Internationales Opernstudio at the Staatsoper Hamburg; his early career highlights include young artist programs with Wolf Trap Opera and San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program.
An avid chamber musician, Thomas has appeared with the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival and the Tapiola Sinfonietta (Finland), the Stift International Music Festival (Netherlands), Les sons intensifs (Belgium), and the Staunton Music Festival (USA).
In 2021, Thomas opened a private counseling practice in Berlin. Working with Internal Family Systems therapy, his client focus is English-speaking immigrants.
REBEKAH ROTA
Rebekah Rota is a multi-faceted artist whose career encompasses performing, teaching, directing, and arts administration. Rebekah combines intellectual rigor with emotional connectivity in whatever she does, striving to fill Structure with Heart. After completing her Master’s and Doctorate studies at the University of Michigan, she embarked on the first stage of her professional journey as a performer.
She sang throughout Germany and the United States, bringing life to such great roles as Violetta in La Traviata (Verdi), Mimi in La Bohème (Puccini), Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck), and Margarethe in Faust (Gounod), among others. She was consistently recognized for her ability to combine secure technique, beautiful singing, and moving interpretations. "Natural acting and deeply-felt singing… dreamy, soft high notes…" "Believable and moving… masterful coloratura." "Silvery high notes, sparkling coloratura, powerful in all registers and with great acting ability."
Invitations to teach and coach soon followed. In addition to maintaining a private studio, Rebekah has been invited to give workshops and master classes in the US (University of Michigan, Loyola Marymount University, Utah Valley University) and Germany (German Opera Experience, James Madison University study abroad, Berlin Opera Academy).
Her deep grounding in technique and powerful emotional connectivity support the student’s journey to use the voice as an instrument for communication. "Rebekah is an insightful and intuitive teacher who has the ability to recognize each student’s individual struggles. Not only is she an amazing technician, she believes in connecting your physical and emotional energy to everything you sing, making your experience extremely personal." "Rebekah has one goal as a teacher: to achieve a natural sound for an authentic, honest interpretation that serves the music. Every second of her pedagogical and technical work is focused on this goal – providing both consistency and freedom.”
While still a student at the University of Michigan, Rebekah was selected to receive a specially tailored scholarship in stage direction. Bringing perspective from both “sides” of the stage, Rebekah’s unique vision couples depth of understanding with breadth of emotional connection. She was soon selected to direct various productions at the University (Davidson’s The Fourth Wise Man; Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte) and received internships and assistant stage director positions with such companies as Opera Grand Rapids, Pine Mountain Music Festival, Indianapolis Opera, and the Los Angeles Opera.
After focusing exclusively on her singing career for a number of years, Rebekah returned to stage direction in 2014 with Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at the Mittelsächsische Theater. The following year, her staging of the mono-opera The Diary of Anne Frank by Grigor Frid at the Mecklenburgischen Landestheater Neustrelitz received national attention. The production was selected for the Polish language premiere of the opera at the International Penderecki Festival in Poland in September 2016 and it was revived in June 2017 in Krakow. She will be directing again this fall at the Landesbuehnen Sachsen; Peter Lund’s children’s opera Der Frosch muss Weg. "That this was all accomplished so unpretentiously, technically brilliantly, musically and dramatically convincingly, is in large part the merit of stage director Rebekah Rota from Canada {sic}. Under her direction, something grand that touches us all, “tua res agitur”, was coaxed out of polyphonic brevity and received resounding applause at the premiere." "This year - Opera Underground and the Polish premiere of the operatic monodrama The Diary of Anne Frank by Grigor Frid, directed by American Rebecca {sic} Rota. Sensitive, delicate, with girlish charm - very movingly designed to touch, not "hammer", something the director wanted to avoid.”
Fall 2017 saw the beginning of yet another professional chapter for Rebekah as she accepted the position of Referentin des Operndirektors at the Landesbuehnen Sachsen in Dresden. Her long experience as a singer, teacher, and director inform her new duties as artistic administrator as she helps to manage daily operations, long-term planning and casting, and strategic planning at the theater. Outreach and Education are also important areas for her and she has initiated several in-school programs to introduce school children to the history and skill of classical singing.
From April 2020, Rebekah will join Staatstheater Karlsruhe as the company's Stellvertretende Operndirektorin (Deputy Head of Opera).
Rebekah Rota is a multi-faceted artist whose career encompasses performing, teaching, directing, and arts administration. Rebekah combines intellectual rigor with emotional connectivity in whatever she does, striving to fill Structure with Heart. After completing her Master’s and Doctorate studies at the University of Michigan, she embarked on the first stage of her professional journey as a performer.
She sang throughout Germany and the United States, bringing life to such great roles as Violetta in La Traviata (Verdi), Mimi in La Bohème (Puccini), Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck), and Margarethe in Faust (Gounod), among others. She was consistently recognized for her ability to combine secure technique, beautiful singing, and moving interpretations. "Natural acting and deeply-felt singing… dreamy, soft high notes…" "Believable and moving… masterful coloratura." "Silvery high notes, sparkling coloratura, powerful in all registers and with great acting ability."
Invitations to teach and coach soon followed. In addition to maintaining a private studio, Rebekah has been invited to give workshops and master classes in the US (University of Michigan, Loyola Marymount University, Utah Valley University) and Germany (German Opera Experience, James Madison University study abroad, Berlin Opera Academy).
Her deep grounding in technique and powerful emotional connectivity support the student’s journey to use the voice as an instrument for communication. "Rebekah is an insightful and intuitive teacher who has the ability to recognize each student’s individual struggles. Not only is she an amazing technician, she believes in connecting your physical and emotional energy to everything you sing, making your experience extremely personal." "Rebekah has one goal as a teacher: to achieve a natural sound for an authentic, honest interpretation that serves the music. Every second of her pedagogical and technical work is focused on this goal – providing both consistency and freedom.”
While still a student at the University of Michigan, Rebekah was selected to receive a specially tailored scholarship in stage direction. Bringing perspective from both “sides” of the stage, Rebekah’s unique vision couples depth of understanding with breadth of emotional connection. She was soon selected to direct various productions at the University (Davidson’s The Fourth Wise Man; Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte) and received internships and assistant stage director positions with such companies as Opera Grand Rapids, Pine Mountain Music Festival, Indianapolis Opera, and the Los Angeles Opera.
After focusing exclusively on her singing career for a number of years, Rebekah returned to stage direction in 2014 with Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at the Mittelsächsische Theater. The following year, her staging of the mono-opera The Diary of Anne Frank by Grigor Frid at the Mecklenburgischen Landestheater Neustrelitz received national attention. The production was selected for the Polish language premiere of the opera at the International Penderecki Festival in Poland in September 2016 and it was revived in June 2017 in Krakow. She will be directing again this fall at the Landesbuehnen Sachsen; Peter Lund’s children’s opera Der Frosch muss Weg. "That this was all accomplished so unpretentiously, technically brilliantly, musically and dramatically convincingly, is in large part the merit of stage director Rebekah Rota from Canada {sic}. Under her direction, something grand that touches us all, “tua res agitur”, was coaxed out of polyphonic brevity and received resounding applause at the premiere." "This year - Opera Underground and the Polish premiere of the operatic monodrama The Diary of Anne Frank by Grigor Frid, directed by American Rebecca {sic} Rota. Sensitive, delicate, with girlish charm - very movingly designed to touch, not "hammer", something the director wanted to avoid.”
Fall 2017 saw the beginning of yet another professional chapter for Rebekah as she accepted the position of Referentin des Operndirektors at the Landesbuehnen Sachsen in Dresden. Her long experience as a singer, teacher, and director inform her new duties as artistic administrator as she helps to manage daily operations, long-term planning and casting, and strategic planning at the theater. Outreach and Education are also important areas for her and she has initiated several in-school programs to introduce school children to the history and skill of classical singing.
From April 2020, Rebekah will join Staatstheater Karlsruhe as the company's Stellvertretende Operndirektorin (Deputy Head of Opera).
MICHAEL SCHOPP
Michael Schopp is passionate about taxes. Thanks to successful training as a tax official with the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen and the passing of the examination for tax consultants in 2015, he has very good tools of the trade. Thanks to his professional status he communicates at eye level with tax authorities and gets to the heart of the matter for his clients without unnecessarily complicated tax German.
Michael worked as coordinator in the financial administration of Nordrhein-Westfalen from 2009-2011, where he primarily assessed income and sales tax for sole proprietors and non-commercial partnerships, as well as employee income tax and settlement of appeals. He then worked as an assistant accountant, and since 2015 as an independent tax consultant, preparing annual financial statements and income tax declarations.
No matter what situation you find yourself in, taxes take up a small or large part of life. Whether you are successfully self-employed, run a business or are employed, the state wants a piece of your pie. In addition, the subject of taxes and duties leads to bureaucratic tasks that must be fulfilled.
Michael Schopp has gotten to know the topic of taxes from different perspectives – both the approach of the tax authorities and the way entrepreneurs and tax consultants think. With this knowledge and his team of experienced tax consultants, he can defend your piece of the cake against the tax authorities so that you can concentrate on what you do best: your business.
https://steuerberatung-schopp.de/en/welcome/
Michael Schopp is passionate about taxes. Thanks to successful training as a tax official with the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen and the passing of the examination for tax consultants in 2015, he has very good tools of the trade. Thanks to his professional status he communicates at eye level with tax authorities and gets to the heart of the matter for his clients without unnecessarily complicated tax German.
Michael worked as coordinator in the financial administration of Nordrhein-Westfalen from 2009-2011, where he primarily assessed income and sales tax for sole proprietors and non-commercial partnerships, as well as employee income tax and settlement of appeals. He then worked as an assistant accountant, and since 2015 as an independent tax consultant, preparing annual financial statements and income tax declarations.
No matter what situation you find yourself in, taxes take up a small or large part of life. Whether you are successfully self-employed, run a business or are employed, the state wants a piece of your pie. In addition, the subject of taxes and duties leads to bureaucratic tasks that must be fulfilled.
Michael Schopp has gotten to know the topic of taxes from different perspectives – both the approach of the tax authorities and the way entrepreneurs and tax consultants think. With this knowledge and his team of experienced tax consultants, he can defend your piece of the cake against the tax authorities so that you can concentrate on what you do best: your business.
https://steuerberatung-schopp.de/en/welcome/
JULIE WYMA
Julie Wyma has been described as a Renaissance Woman of opera, having worked in both Europe and the United States as a singer, director, stage manager, wig/makeup artist, costume designer, producer, and educator.
Julie has produced and directed operas including Wagner’s Lohengrin, Das Rheingold and Die Walküre (Berlin Wagner Gruppe), Wagner’s complete Ring Cycle (Opera By Request, semi-staged) Massenet’s Werther (Irrational Entertainment), Händel’s Semele (Midwest Early Opera Works), Jonathan Stinson’s The Three Bears and Ryan Oldham’s The Emperor’s Madness (University of Missouri-Kansas City), as well as Jason Robert Brown’s musical The Last Five Years (Voci Inglesi) and numerous opera scenes programs. She has assistant directed Albert Herring and Giulio Cesare at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, La Traviata at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Carmen at Opera North, and she assistant stage managed La Rondine at Indiana University. She has directed opera scenes at Opera North and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In 2019 she produced a staged performance of The AIDS Quilt Songbook: Berlin Edition in Berlin, Germany, which included two new song commissions. In January 2022 she will direct a production of Strauss's Elektra in Berlin (Berlin Elektra Projekt).
As a costume designer Julie worked for Dicapo Opera Theatre in New York for the 2011-2012 Season, which included Tosca, The Consul, Iolanta, The Most Happy Fella, La Cenerentola, Beauty and the Beast, and La Traviata. She also designed costumes for Opera On Tap Berlin’s production of Les contes d’Hoffmann in 2016 and for Literally Alive’s production of A Christmas Carol in New York in 2012. As a student she worked as a costume assistant/stitcher for the University of Arizona on Le nozze di Figaro and The Merry Wives of Windsor, and for Indiana University on Die Zauberflöte, The Nutcracker, and La Rondine. She has worked as a Wig and Makeup Assistant for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, in operas including Giulio Cesare, La Bohème, and John Brown, at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in productions including La Bohème, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, and The Man of La Mancha, and for a national tour of Hairspray. As a young artist, she was a set construction assistant at Opera in the Ozarks in 2004.
As an educator, Julie’s passion lies in helping singers make the transition from student to professional, and in guiding talented people to the places where they are needed. She has served as a vocal coach, preparing singers for auditions and talent competitions, as well as an audition panelist and advisor. With organizations such as Opera Programs Berlin, Dramatic Voices Program Berlin, Irrational Entertainment, Midwest Early Opera Works, Voci Inglesi, Berlin Wagner Gruppe and Berliner Opernverein, she has facilitated performance opportunities for singers seeking additional stage experience and the chance to hone their craft in a supportive, professional environment.
As a professional operatic soprano she has performed more than 25 roles, including die Königin der Nacht and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Rosina in I barbiere di Siviglia, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Gilda in Rigoletto, Marie in Die verkaufte Braut, Musetta in La Bohème, Sophie in Werther, Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, the Waldvogel in Siegfried, and Norina in Don Pasquale. Of her Norina, the Kansas City Metropolis said: “soprano Julie Wyma sparkled with a self-confident air and a strong, beautiful voice.”
An active concert performer and recitalist, her recent appearances include concerts at the US Consul General in Düsseldorf and the Residence of the US Ambassador to Germany in Berlin; a song recital at the University of Pittsburg at Greensburg; Lovers’ Quarrels, a concert of operatic duets and arias in Concord, New Hampshire and Niemegk, Germany; Three Tenors and a Soprano concerts in Cornish and New London, New Hampshire; and Viva Divas!, a concert of operatic arias, duets, and trios in Cornish, New Hampshire, Phoenix, Arizona and Berlin, Germany.
Julie Wyma has been described as a Renaissance Woman of opera, having worked in both Europe and the United States as a singer, director, stage manager, wig/makeup artist, costume designer, producer, and educator.
Julie has produced and directed operas including Wagner’s Lohengrin, Das Rheingold and Die Walküre (Berlin Wagner Gruppe), Wagner’s complete Ring Cycle (Opera By Request, semi-staged) Massenet’s Werther (Irrational Entertainment), Händel’s Semele (Midwest Early Opera Works), Jonathan Stinson’s The Three Bears and Ryan Oldham’s The Emperor’s Madness (University of Missouri-Kansas City), as well as Jason Robert Brown’s musical The Last Five Years (Voci Inglesi) and numerous opera scenes programs. She has assistant directed Albert Herring and Giulio Cesare at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, La Traviata at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Carmen at Opera North, and she assistant stage managed La Rondine at Indiana University. She has directed opera scenes at Opera North and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In 2019 she produced a staged performance of The AIDS Quilt Songbook: Berlin Edition in Berlin, Germany, which included two new song commissions. In January 2022 she will direct a production of Strauss's Elektra in Berlin (Berlin Elektra Projekt).
As a costume designer Julie worked for Dicapo Opera Theatre in New York for the 2011-2012 Season, which included Tosca, The Consul, Iolanta, The Most Happy Fella, La Cenerentola, Beauty and the Beast, and La Traviata. She also designed costumes for Opera On Tap Berlin’s production of Les contes d’Hoffmann in 2016 and for Literally Alive’s production of A Christmas Carol in New York in 2012. As a student she worked as a costume assistant/stitcher for the University of Arizona on Le nozze di Figaro and The Merry Wives of Windsor, and for Indiana University on Die Zauberflöte, The Nutcracker, and La Rondine. She has worked as a Wig and Makeup Assistant for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, in operas including Giulio Cesare, La Bohème, and John Brown, at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in productions including La Bohème, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, and The Man of La Mancha, and for a national tour of Hairspray. As a young artist, she was a set construction assistant at Opera in the Ozarks in 2004.
As an educator, Julie’s passion lies in helping singers make the transition from student to professional, and in guiding talented people to the places where they are needed. She has served as a vocal coach, preparing singers for auditions and talent competitions, as well as an audition panelist and advisor. With organizations such as Opera Programs Berlin, Dramatic Voices Program Berlin, Irrational Entertainment, Midwest Early Opera Works, Voci Inglesi, Berlin Wagner Gruppe and Berliner Opernverein, she has facilitated performance opportunities for singers seeking additional stage experience and the chance to hone their craft in a supportive, professional environment.
As a professional operatic soprano she has performed more than 25 roles, including die Königin der Nacht and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Rosina in I barbiere di Siviglia, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Gilda in Rigoletto, Marie in Die verkaufte Braut, Musetta in La Bohème, Sophie in Werther, Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, the Waldvogel in Siegfried, and Norina in Don Pasquale. Of her Norina, the Kansas City Metropolis said: “soprano Julie Wyma sparkled with a self-confident air and a strong, beautiful voice.”
An active concert performer and recitalist, her recent appearances include concerts at the US Consul General in Düsseldorf and the Residence of the US Ambassador to Germany in Berlin; a song recital at the University of Pittsburg at Greensburg; Lovers’ Quarrels, a concert of operatic duets and arias in Concord, New Hampshire and Niemegk, Germany; Three Tenors and a Soprano concerts in Cornish and New London, New Hampshire; and Viva Divas!, a concert of operatic arias, duets, and trios in Cornish, New Hampshire, Phoenix, Arizona and Berlin, Germany.
ANASTASIA NIKOLOV
Soprano Anastasia Nikolov started her musical training at the age of 5, studying piano. She was a member of the Bulgarian National Theater Youth Ensemble, where she was cast in numerous main stage and touring productions. Her training at the National Theatre included acting, improvisation, Latin and folk dance. Other musical studies also included percussion and classical guitar.
Ms. Nikolov commenced her vocal training in Bulgaria and continued it at the Longy School of Music (Cambridge, Massachusetts) as a recipient of the Janet Irving Scholarship for Vocal Studies. She was a member of the Central Florida Lyric Opera Young Artists Program and was later invited to return as a main stage Resident Artist with the company.
Opera roles include: Woglinde in Das Rheingold (Berlin Wagner Gruppe); Elsa in Lohengrin (Berlin Wagner Gruppe); Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Violetta in La Traviata (Central Florida Lyric Opera; New London Opera Players, Fine Arts Chorale & Orchestra) Governess in Turn of the Screw (Opera Seria), Donna Anna in Don Giovanni (Opera Seria, Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Nedda in Pagliacci (Central Florida Lyric Opera), Micaëla and Frasquita in Carmen, under the directorship of late legendary soprano Licia Albanese (Central Florida Lyric Opera); Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro (Central Florida Lyric Opera), Serpina in La serva padrona (Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal, concertante).
Upcoming performances include role debut with Green Opera at the Waterloo Vault Theatre as Judith in Bartók's Bluebeard Castle, Barber's Knoxville Summer of 1915, Op. 24 with pianist Boram Ahn and Woglinde in Wagner's Götterdämmerung with Berlin Wagner Gruppe.
Ms. Nikolov is a champion of new music. She has premiered works by prominent American and British composers such as Vartan Aghababian, Michael Djupstrom, Victoria Ellis, Heather Gilligan and Eric Sawyer; some of these works were written and dedicated to her. In addition to numerous song cycles and solo concert works with orchestra, she also created the role of Anna von Mildenburg in the new piece Geboren Alma Schindler (Berliner Opern Verein); the role of Member of the Chamber in the premiere performance of Eric Sawyer's Our American Cousin (Composers in Red Sneakers); and the title role in the world premiere of Victoria Ellis' opera Darling (One of Us Foundation).
Solo concert engagements include J.S. Bach Jauchzet Gott in alles Landen (Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal), Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut (Old North Concert Series), Magnificat in D (Fine Arts Chorale), Missa brevis in A (Fine Arts Chorale); Mozart's Requiem (Fine Arts Chorale), Missa Brevis in F (Sommerville Choir), Exultate Jubilate (Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal), Vesperae solennes de confessore (Somerville Choir); Händel's Messiah (College Park Players), L'Allego, il Pensieroso, ed il Moderato (Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal); Pergolesi Stabat mater (Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal); Schubert Mass in G (Highnam Choir and Orchestra); Dubois Seven Last Words of Christ (College Park Players); Vivaldi Gloria (Old North Concert Series); Vaughan Williams Dona nobis pacem (Tufts University Orchestra, cover); Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream (Longy Chamber Orchestra); Berg Sieben frühe Lieder (Kirchberg Chamber Music Festival); Mahler Rückert-Lieder (Berlin Song Festival); Strauss Vier letzte Lieder (Berlin Song Festival, Kirchberg Chamber Music Festival, Walbrook Music Trust, Galerieforum am Meer); Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasilieras No.5 (Kirchberg Chamber Music Festival) among others.
As a concert artist, Ms. Nikolov has also given numerous concert recitals in the United States and in Europe.
Ms. Nikolov is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Opera Programs Berlin (https://www.operaprogramsberlin.com/) and Dramatic Voices Program Berlin (https://www.dramaticvoicesprogramberlin.com/). Previously, she was an artistic consultant for The Opera Stage (now folded into Classical Singer Magazine), and has worked as an educator and in leadership positions in the arts for the last 15 years, both in the United States and Europe.
Soprano Anastasia Nikolov started her musical training at the age of 5, studying piano. She was a member of the Bulgarian National Theater Youth Ensemble, where she was cast in numerous main stage and touring productions. Her training at the National Theatre included acting, improvisation, Latin and folk dance. Other musical studies also included percussion and classical guitar.
Ms. Nikolov commenced her vocal training in Bulgaria and continued it at the Longy School of Music (Cambridge, Massachusetts) as a recipient of the Janet Irving Scholarship for Vocal Studies. She was a member of the Central Florida Lyric Opera Young Artists Program and was later invited to return as a main stage Resident Artist with the company.
Opera roles include: Woglinde in Das Rheingold (Berlin Wagner Gruppe); Elsa in Lohengrin (Berlin Wagner Gruppe); Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Violetta in La Traviata (Central Florida Lyric Opera; New London Opera Players, Fine Arts Chorale & Orchestra) Governess in Turn of the Screw (Opera Seria), Donna Anna in Don Giovanni (Opera Seria, Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Nedda in Pagliacci (Central Florida Lyric Opera), Micaëla and Frasquita in Carmen, under the directorship of late legendary soprano Licia Albanese (Central Florida Lyric Opera); Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro (Central Florida Lyric Opera), Serpina in La serva padrona (Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal, concertante).
Upcoming performances include role debut with Green Opera at the Waterloo Vault Theatre as Judith in Bartók's Bluebeard Castle, Barber's Knoxville Summer of 1915, Op. 24 with pianist Boram Ahn and Woglinde in Wagner's Götterdämmerung with Berlin Wagner Gruppe.
Ms. Nikolov is a champion of new music. She has premiered works by prominent American and British composers such as Vartan Aghababian, Michael Djupstrom, Victoria Ellis, Heather Gilligan and Eric Sawyer; some of these works were written and dedicated to her. In addition to numerous song cycles and solo concert works with orchestra, she also created the role of Anna von Mildenburg in the new piece Geboren Alma Schindler (Berliner Opern Verein); the role of Member of the Chamber in the premiere performance of Eric Sawyer's Our American Cousin (Composers in Red Sneakers); and the title role in the world premiere of Victoria Ellis' opera Darling (One of Us Foundation).
Solo concert engagements include J.S. Bach Jauchzet Gott in alles Landen (Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal), Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut (Old North Concert Series), Magnificat in D (Fine Arts Chorale), Missa brevis in A (Fine Arts Chorale); Mozart's Requiem (Fine Arts Chorale), Missa Brevis in F (Sommerville Choir), Exultate Jubilate (Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal), Vesperae solennes de confessore (Somerville Choir); Händel's Messiah (College Park Players), L'Allego, il Pensieroso, ed il Moderato (Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal); Pergolesi Stabat mater (Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal); Schubert Mass in G (Highnam Choir and Orchestra); Dubois Seven Last Words of Christ (College Park Players); Vivaldi Gloria (Old North Concert Series); Vaughan Williams Dona nobis pacem (Tufts University Orchestra, cover); Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream (Longy Chamber Orchestra); Berg Sieben frühe Lieder (Kirchberg Chamber Music Festival); Mahler Rückert-Lieder (Berlin Song Festival); Strauss Vier letzte Lieder (Berlin Song Festival, Kirchberg Chamber Music Festival, Walbrook Music Trust, Galerieforum am Meer); Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasilieras No.5 (Kirchberg Chamber Music Festival) among others.
As a concert artist, Ms. Nikolov has also given numerous concert recitals in the United States and in Europe.
Ms. Nikolov is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Opera Programs Berlin (https://www.operaprogramsberlin.com/) and Dramatic Voices Program Berlin (https://www.dramaticvoicesprogramberlin.com/). Previously, she was an artistic consultant for The Opera Stage (now folded into Classical Singer Magazine), and has worked as an educator and in leadership positions in the arts for the last 15 years, both in the United States and Europe.