Conservatory School of Classical Music

October 17th, 2016

SPARK TO FLAME 2016-2017

IMPORTANT DATES

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  Thursday November 10, 2016   [ ONLINE APPLICATION ]

AUDITIONS: Friday November 25, 5:30-9:30PM (Room 302) ; Saturday November 26, 8:30AM-5:30PM (Room 303)

FINAL REHEARSAL:  Thursday February 23 (time TBA)

CONCERT: Saturday February 25, 7:30PM

ABOUT SPARK TO FLAME

The VCM’s Spark to Flame is a program that supports emerging artists’ development, and is open to all students of the Victoria Conservatory of Music. It brings together the VCM’s Senior String Orchestra, along with members of the VCM faculty and Victoria Symphony Canada, to provide a high quality professional experience for both the students playing in the orchestra, as well as a group of promising student soloists, selected through audition, who perform under the direction of guest conductor Timothy Vernon, Founder and Artistic Director of Pacific Opera Victoria.

The program instills in musicians the importance of personal responsibility in creating a professional performance. During the weeks leading up to the Spark to Flame performance in February, participating soloists are given the opportunity to work with VCM faculty and management to develop their professional and artistic skills, and along with all participating students assist with promoting the program, which culminates in a concert at the Alix Goolden Performance Hall in February.

Helping students gain a sense of co-ownership in the program is essential to its success each year, and as such, following the Spark to Flame concert, the students are invited to participate in one or two run-out concerts, that take place in local Elementary or Middle schools in the Greater Victoria Area.  This also forms an essential part to the program, giving students the opportunity to grow interest in their younger peers in school, and collectively nurture a love for music in all.

If you are interested in participating, please submit an application form available at the front office.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Instrumental applicants must audition with the concerto, or the movement of the concerto, they wish to play in the concert. Concertos for more than one instrument will be accepted. The audition will be 15 minutes long.  Candidates should bring one original copy of their audition repertoire to the audition for the adjudicator.

Please note: Candidates must also research the instrumentation for the piece they wish to present and include this information in the space below marked “Audition Repertoire”.

For 2017, the series will focus on instrumental works and vocal arias/duets compatible for Chamber orchestra accompaniment (i.e. with VCM String Orchestra + 2FL, 2Ob, 2CL, 2Bn, and 2Hn), and is open to all students currently registered at the Victoria Conservatory of Music for the 2016-2017 academic year, who have also been registered in studio instruction for more than one year at the VCM, OR who are currently enrolled in either the Collegium, Opera Studio, Advanced Voice Workshop, or Postsecondary Diploma program. The final realization of winds, brass, and percussion parts may be transcribed to the piano at the discretion of the audition committee.

Applicants must provide their own accompanist.

Notification of results will be Friday December 9 2016 or earlier.  Soloists will be chosen based on their performance in the audition. However, programming and representation from all disciplines may be considered.

For more information, please contact Rosabel Choi, Assistant Program Director, at: 250.386.5311 ext. 2190, or choi@vcm.bc.ca