Province/Territory: Manitoba
City: Stony Mountain
Role(s) in this year's festival:
Anna Gomez: "The Consul"
I am preparing for NUOVA'S program by continuing the development of my vocal technique through intensive training with UofM's Mel Braun, and Metropolitan Opera/Montclair State University's Barbara Dever. As we prepare my 2022 graduating recital repertoire, my team and I have been making vast progress, and I feel that I will be in a good place vocally come the start of the Nuova program. I am also part of the Association of Opera in Canada's Fellowship, which is further preparing me for professional development programs like Nuova's by working on preparing music, finances, career planning, working with a conductor, singing with an orchestra, and much more.
I want to go to Opera Nuova, because of the summer performance programs in Canada, Opera Nuova is one of the most raved about. Ever since I got into the Desautels Faculty of Music when I was 17, every student, teacher and coach was telling me about how amazing the program is. As a student said when I asked him whether I should apply for the 5 or 6 week program, “If you go for 5 weeks, you’re just going to be mad at yourself for not staying there another week. It’s that good.” For years, I’ve seen posters of the beautiful productions around my faculty building with my friends’ smiling faces on them, and have looked forward to the day that my smiling face can be in one of those. Last year I was so ecstatic that I was accepted into the 6 week program, and my heart was shattered when it got moved to online and I was unable to attend. I was so excited to get to spend time with like-minded people with similar interests to me, and to work with the amazing faculty that I had heard so much about.
Especially this year, I long to be in a show. Opera Nuova would provide me with that opportunity. Along with performing, I am also hoping to learn about breaking down a script, Alexander Technique, Clown/Mask work, general acting work, movement/dance, career counselling, German and French diction, and just growing vocally! Since I missed out on programs in past years because of Covid, I am looking forward to seeing what I've missed.
I am so excited to attend Opera Nuova, and I feel that it will greatly benefit my vocal and professional development.
Artist Bio
Camryn Dewar is a passionate and versatile soprano from Stony Mountain, Manitoba. Currently completing a Bachelor of Music (Vocal Performance) at the University of Manitoba under Mel Braun, she will be pursuing a Master of Music (Performance) at Montclair University in New Jersey, USA. Last summer she attended the Northern Lights Music Festival Opera Apprenticeship in Minnesota, USA, where she studied with Metropolitan Opera’s Barbara Dever, and world-renowned conductor Gavriel Heine.
A lover of many musical genres, her chief passions are opera and musical theatre, with role highlights including Tisbe in Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Northern Lights Music Festival Opera), Native Girl in Missing (UofM Opera Theatre), La Metisse in the American premiere of Li keur: Riel’s Heart of the North (Northern Lights Music Festival Opera), Jo in Little Women (University of Manitoba Musical Theatre), and Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music. She is looking forward to singing the role of Anna Gomez in The Consul by Gian Carlo Menotti at the Opera Nuova Emerging Artist Intensive 2022.
An avid instrumentalist and multifaceted performer, Camryn plays piano, guitar, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, and bagpipe chanter, and she performs in genres such as rock, jazz, Celtic, folk, theatre, dance, and film. Aside from music, she works in the film industry on crew as a Production Assistant, where she recently worked on Sean Penn’s film Flag Day (2021). She also has extensive experience in acting for film and stage, as well as dance.
Camryn is a proud member of the Manitoba Métis Nation and aspires to share the stories of Canadian Indigenous women through opera and theatre. She is pursuing this desire through upcoming roles such as Chorus Section Leader in Li keur: Riel’s Heart of the North (Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra) and Native Girl in Missing (University of Manitoba Opera).
Winner of many academic and musical awards, she has recently been one of ten young people country-wide to be accepted into the Association of Opera in Canada’s Opera Fellowship. She is ecstatic about the Fellowship and the opportunities it will provide her going forward in her career.
