Boston Singers' Resource News Bulletin June 18, 2002

E. Mark shares with us his singing experiences in Boston. He will also be Programme Coordinator for the Boston University Tanglewood Institute in Lenox, MA and singing Don Basilio in Prague this summer. Thank you for your support and talent, E. Mark!

A native of Newfoundland, Canada, tenor E. Mark Murphy holds a Masters degree in voice performance from Boston University, where he studied with Penelope Bitzas; and a Bachelor of music from Memorial University of Newfoundland with Dr. Carolyn Hart. He enjoys singing with the Boston Lyric Opera, with whom he made his debut this past season as a notary in Don Pasquale. Maine Grand Opera also welcomed him in The Magic Flute as Monostatos. He has performed the roles of Lyric Tenor Puppet in Postcard from Morocco as well as Don Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro, both with the Boston University Opera Institute. Mr. Murphy has also filled such roles as Mr. Cash in Mozart's The Impresario with Memorial University Opera Workshop and Count Almaviva in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Centre d'Arts Orford in Orford, Québec. Musical theatre credits include Eddie in Blood Brothers and Freddy in My Fair Lady. He has filled the position of tenor solo in the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra's production of Handel's Messiah for two years as well as the tenor solo in I Musici de Montreal's production of the Mozart Coronation Mass in Magog, Québec. Most recently he returned to the Boston University Opera Department, as an alumnus, as Frosch in Die Fledermaus. Loving all aspects of production, Mr. Murphy has dabbled in stage and music direction as well as producing and stage management. This summer he has been engaged with International Symphonic Workshops to sing Don Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro in Prague.

BSR: Why did you choose BU for your masters?

E. Mark: My decision for BU was actually a pretty uninformed one...I sang in the Barber of Seville in Quebec a couple of years before I was to do my masters and the girl who sang Rosina sounded fabulous! So I asked her about her teacher and where she studied, and she told me about Ms. Bitzas. So that was what my initial motivation to apply. I applied to University of Toronto, Universite de Montreal, Cleveland Institute, Curtis, BU, and Bowling Green State University. Bowling Green and U de Montreal both offered me very nice packages, but the thought of doing a degree all in French (I know enough French to get by, but I am by no means bilingual) really scared me. Also, I am from a very small city in Newfoundland, Canada, and the thought of moving to Bowling Green (smaller than my hometown) didn't appeal to me either. So after negotiating with BU, I decided to go.

BSR: Can you give some comparisons/contrasts between singing in Canada and singing in the States?

E. Mark: I don't really know a whole lot about the scene in Canada yet. It seems that it is certainly not as big as here in the USA. The government takes care of artists better in terms of support, and the general population seems to appreciate it better. The houses in Canada are certainly not as big. The major opera companies are the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto and the Opera Company of Montreal. I will learn a lot more once I move to Toronto in the fall.

BSR: How did you get involved with International Symphonic Workshop? Are you seeking an international career?

E. Mark: A friend of mine actually sang Frank in Fledermaus with them a couple of years ago, and told me that this summer they were still looking for a Don Basilio/Don Curzio. So I emailed the director and told him about myself, and he basically offered it to me on the spot. (He still wanted to see an audition tape of course!) I would love to seek an international career. I think that Europe is a great place for a young singer to try out things and gain experience. There are SO many houses in Europe, so there HAS to be at least one looking for a good character tenor! (hahaha) I wonder if I already have what's considered an "international career" after singing in Canada and the USA....hmmm.... But I am very excited to travel to Prague with this programme, and experience the culture as well as to sing!

BSR: Are you seeking or under management?

E. Mark: I am currently not under management, but would LOVE to be! I think there are not enough good buffo tenors out there. A wise coach once told me that so many character tenors are character tenors beacuse they couldn't make it as a "real" tenor. And the ones who choose to be character tenors are the ones that can actually sing and act! So that was a nice thing to hear. So yes, I am choosing to be a character tenor, and am seeking management.

BSR: Is it really necessary to distinguish yourself, acting-wise, as a "character tenor" to be marketable? I only ask this because, speaking as a soprano, I don't think we have distinguish ourselves any more than our vocal fach. For instance, coloratura sops can be either romantic Lakme or fiesty Daughter of Regiments.

E. Mark: I don't think it is necessary to distinguish as a character tenor. On my resume I just have "tenor" and people hearing auditions can usually tell. But for people like my family and friends and stuff, I tell them because the inevitable question is "Can you sing Nessun Dorma" for me? Um....no...hahahahaha. I also think that it fun to have such a distict marketability. I believe I am not the average tenor. Not saying that I am better, by ANY stretch of the imagination; just different in that I love to do the character roles and am not very interested in the romantic leads.

BSR: Spending the summer in Tanglewood sounds nice - tell us more about the Young Artists Program that you will be running and what is your role in the program? How did you get involved?

E.Mark: The Boston University Tanglewood Institute is an eight-week long intsitute for young musicians (mostly high school age). There are two-week workshops and six-week long intensive conservatory-like programmes. Last summer was my first summer teaching at BUTI; I taught theory, acting, and voice. The Young Artist Vocal Programme fuses voice lessons, diction, history, theory, and movement to create the singer as a whole. It was an amazing experience; spending six weeks where some of the greatest music-making in the world takes place. Not to mention my colleagues! How talented and inspiring! And the kids were a joy to work with! So when the Programme Coordinator at BU announced her resignation, I applied for the job and won it. I am very excited! I wont be teaching as much, but I will still have a studio of students, and will be stage directing some opera scenes with the kids.

BSR: How does a High School Student get involved with BUTI?

E.Mark: Students can get in touch with the BUTI staff at 617 353 3386 during the academic year. Auditions are generally around the same time as normal auditions for schools...February or so. There is also an Adult Music Seminar taught by Roye Wates, which I hear is very good! The address of BUTI is College of Fine Arts/855 Commonwealth Avenue/Boston, MA/02215

BSR: Ok, I snuck a peek at your resume from the audition - I see you have some dance experience! Do tell us more!

E.Mark: Hahahahaha! When I lived at home in Newfoundland, my voice teacher there thought it a good idea to take some dance lessons. At the same time I was singing Freddy Hill in My Fair Lady, which was directed by the Artistic Director of a local dance theatre company. I asked her about it, and before I knew it, I was an apprentice with the company. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some amazing dancer or anything, but I can get by I guess... So most of the things that I did with Kittiwake Dance Theatre were character roles, which were a lot of fun, and which piqued my interest in character singing. I also learned to juggle as well as ride a unicycle!

BSR: Boy, the things we do for love, right?! How was your experience at the BSR auditions? Do you feel it was worthwhile?

E. Mark: The BSR auditions were fabulous! They were so well organized and well run. The staff was friendly and, although the time limit was strictly enforced, they were very nice about it. It wasn't like, "Thank you, NEXT!" It was defintely worthwile. It was great for so many people to hear you all at once, rather than to apply for so many individual auditions, and wonder if they will even grant you an audition.

 

For more information about the Boston University Tanglewood Institute or to contact E. Mark Murphy, please email him at tenoremark@yahoo.com