August 31, 2004

I made it back OK...

Hi all, well, I made it back in one piece, and classes started on Monday.  I'm completing my diction classes, this semester - German!  Starting my language immersion with accelerated Italian and learning the role of Donna Elvira to study with Martina Arroyo. 

This week also marks the 'sorting out' week with choral auditions to determine your place in an ensemble (roll on opera chorus!) and the dreaded "cattle calls" - 4 minutes to display your wares for upcoming roles in front of the entire faculty and any random students who feel like watching!  Nothing like pressure week one back! 

I stopped off in Sydney for a night on the way back to the USA to see Margaret Medlyn perform 'Leonora' in Il Trovatore for Opera Australia which was fabulous.  It was worth the extra 7 hours on a plane.....

I'm now pleased to add that in addition to my wonderful Kiwi singer here, Matthew Leese, we've added another Kiwi to the ranks at IU - Andrew Crooks, who's fast becoming part of the furniture as well as being my fabulous accompanist - we feel we've formed a bit of a force in Bloomington!

So off to more homework (yes, only day 2, a long way to go...)

Lots of love and hugs to everyone...

Steph