Opera Theater Pittsburgh Summer Fest 2014 Day 1

Dear Readers,

Today was the first day of O.T.P. Summer Fest 2014.

It is my first time to The City of Bridges. I have been pleasantly surprised by the wides streets, interesting architecture and friendly citizens. The opera company operates out of several buildings in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh, including the Pittsburgh University music building, which has some very narrow and some what limited practice room space.

I am staying in a borough just outside of Pittsburgh in an area called Carnegie. The borough is called Rosslyn Farms. I am staying with the Prevoznak family, who are delightful and accommodating. Despite crashing their father's day Susan, Steve and Ben (their son) have been nothing but generous and helpful since my arrival yesterday evening.

So, it is me, a stack of library books, my bass and my scores for the next 6 weeks. Day 1 down!
I've got plenty to do with OTP, but I'll need to find time to finish my dissertation.

I can't leave you without a brief recap of my day:
Rosslyn Farms feels a little like a town up the Hudson River in Tarry Town or New City. I felt very at home, having been given my own room and own bathroom.

I headed in to town early to catch my bearings in the city and found them (my bearings) not more than 10 min away from Rosslyn Farms. Getting over the bridge was a cinch and finding my way around Oakland was a piece of cake (not I've got cinches, cakes and bearings... go figure). I arrived early and scoped out the Twentieth Century Club where the main office of OTP are housed. WHAT A GREAT SPOT! It's gorgeous and in a fantastic location.

We had a meet and great with the cast, crew and administration followed by a tour of the grounds. Then we dove strait into work with Maestro Bernard McDonald and Gail Novak Mosites, who is singing Valencienne.

It is going to be a great show. The show will have some emotional and personal significance: Merry Widow was the first opera that I sang at UGA and is now the first opera that I am singing since completing my course work. ~~Spoiler alert~~ I will be singing Camille de Rosillion again in September with Capitol City Opera in Atlanta.

Keep your fingers crossed for me readers.
It's going to a rewarding but grueling few weeks.

Thank you for reading,
Joe