The Phoenicia International Festival Of The Voice- Quality, Hopsitality, Community (August 2021)

What are three words that you would share with the world, that describe the demanding work being done to put on each festival, in specific detail, so others may know the importance of the work done at the festival, which people depend on?

“Quality, Hospitality, Community- We always believed that the quality of the artistic product was paramount- you can have all the trappings but if the quality of the artistic product is not excellent, people miss the transformative experience that great singing and performing bring and they will not come back. We have over 60 collective years of performing at the highest level and we know what great singing does to people. Having A-level artists on our limited budget has been an incredible challenge. And that leads to the 2nd word- hospitality. And the hospitality extends to both artists and audiences. Our tenor this year, Errin Brooks, is on loan from the Metropolitan Opera– he has begun rehearsal there already and was given a special release to come and do Pagliacci. While we cannot pay the same fee as the Met, we provide an artistic and human experience that far exceeds how an artist is treated anywhere else in the world. We had Lucas Meachem here (twice) who sang ‘Figaro‘ in our ‘Barber of Seville‘- some years ago– he sang the same role at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden in London immediately after and he said he loved being with us much more because of the way he was treated on every level. Other internationally acclaimed singers who are regulars at the Met and major theaters throughout the world are John Osborn, Ginger Costa-Jackson, Kyle Albertson, Kevin Glavin, Mireille Asselin, Richard Troxell, Rosaline Elias, to name but a few, have all said they love coming to Phoenicia because we take care of them, body, mind and voice and they would be happy to come back any time! We have over 190 volunteers (from a town of only 365!) that give so much that allows us to cater to the artists.

We are also very attentive to our audiences to make sure their experience is first-rate. This leads to the 3rd word- community. Without our community here and their generosity, we would not have made it past the 1st year. Our volunteers do everything from building our stage, gathering and picking up donations, offering to house, cooking meals for artists, massages for artists, gift bags, ‘chauffering’ artists, ushering, cleaning the stage and field, directing traffic– they do so many things. And they do these things because of the quality of performances that we do and their access to things they might only see in a major city and pay hundreds of dollars for the privilege.

The difficulty for us is cultivating all of these elements with almost no staff, little money, and constrained time. To have come to our 13th year with no development person/staff, no advertising and marketing person/staff, and no office staff- we’ve had lovely people step up to help but it’s not quite the same as having trained professionals on staff whose specific, PAID task is to lead and oversee these aspects. So maintaining these qualities has been an enormous challenge over the years but we believe in what we do and that we will eventually be able to employ trained pros because our supporters see the immense value in what we’ve brought to the area. The challenge and the joy are to make artists, audiences, volunteers, staff, and benefactors feel valued and appreciated as part of our community!”

When you see the reactions of people who go to each fest, what are the top two reactions you see, and how does this fuel the excitement for each event? Especially in this year or recent years,
compared to previous ones?

“Reactions to festival performances are a great part of what fuels us- ‘ecstatic joy’ comes to mind– people are thrilled to hear such fine singing- great singing always brings joy to the hearers. Singing is elemental to human beings- it moves, energizes, soothes, thrills, transports- we sing when we’re happy, we sing when we’re sad, when we’re excited or bored when we mourn or celebrate, when in a bar or alone in our car. Our audiences have expressed emotional release, being uplifted, being transported, being healed, given new hope and courage– we know great singing has the power to do all of those things and more and it’s a joy to hear audience members express all of those things year after year!”

Where can learn more about the invitation and how to participate in the Phoenicia Festival Of The Voice, and why should we? Why should everyone get more involved in the arts, and here?

“Between now and the festival, please go to our website- www.PhoeniciaVoiceFest.org– to learn more about us and the various and myriad opportunities within the festival to participate. If you see one of us with a ‘staff’ lanyard while attending the festival, please introduce yourself and let us know you’d like to be involved. We can be in contact after the festival to talk about possibilities. After this year’s festival, give us a call or stop by the office and we’ll explain some of our needs and opportunities. As to why should anyone volunteer– first you will be involved in an organization that appreciates its people, its community and that is transforming lives in and around the area for the better. If you live in the area, know that we have been instrumental in the economic growth of the area and thus, the value of where we live has grown. Know also that if one volunteers or becomes involved by donating in other ways (money, goods, services) that you will become a part of an artistic initiative whose sole intent is to bring great art to an underserved area and that you are helping to create jobs for worthy artists and in doing so, you will enjoy the nourishing fruits of seeing great performances on our stage in your own back yard! The ‘arts’, in general, are not ‘money makers’– what they do is bring commerce, education, social interaction, social awareness, personal transformation, and just sheer joy. There is always a wonderful ROI on investing in good art and good organizations that bring fine art.”

Anything else you would like to add?

“What people will see and hear this year at the Festival of the Voice, will be three extraordinary performances by 3 extraordinary producers– even if you are not particularly inclined towards opera or maybe have never seen one- these 3 performances compacted into one glorious weekend will change your life. I have seen first-time opera-goers marvel at the beauty, grandeur, and accessibility of this incredible art form, especially when performed by the level of performers that will appear each of the 3 nights. Be brave– you’ll not be sorry. To be able to hear voices like this for $40 is a joyful bargain. And for those who like or love opera, well, to hear this many great singers over one weekend for less than the price of one ticket to many of our sister festivals is a dream come true! Come and let this avalanche of talent wash over you– and know that we will be totally safe health-wise with distancing, masks, and vaccinated or negative tests required.”