Who wrote FILUMENA ?
Composer: John Estacio is currently Resident Composer with both The Banff Centre and Calgary Opera. In the past he has also been in residence with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Pro Coro Canada. In addition to composing works for these organizations, he has also written for the Vancouver Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and the Penderecki String Quartet. His compositions have been nominated for a Juno Award.
His first opera, Filumena, the result of two years of enjoyable collaboration with librettist John Murrell, received its world premiere in February 2003 in Calgary.
His compositions have been performed by orchestras and ensembles all over Canada. Upcoming projects include commissions for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, The Calgary Philharmonic, the CBC Vancouver Orchestra and a CD recording of his works with the ESO and Mario Bernardi. He also looks forward to writing another opera. He is currently working on a second opera with John Murrell about the 16th century British explorer, Martin Frobisher.
Click here to read more about the creation of an opera in the composer’s own words.
Librettist: John Murrell, OC, AOE, is internationally renowned as one of the most frequently produced of all Canadian playwrights. He is also a highly respected arts advocate, mentor and consultant. His plays have been translated into 15 different languages and performed in more than 30 countries worldwide.
He has worked as Playwright-in-residence at both Theatre Calgary and Alberta Theatre Projects, as an Associate Director of the Stratford Festival of Canada, as Head of the Banff Playwrights Colony, as Head of the Theatre Section of The Canada Council for the Arts and since November 1999, as Artistic Director/Executive Producer of Theatre Arts at The Banff Centre.
Murrell’s work has received many awards, both nationally and internationally. His most recent project is a play about Friedrich Nietzsche for The Shaw Festival of Canada. His most recent project are a play about Friedrich Nietzsche for The Shaw Festival of Canada and a second opera with John Estacio entitled FROBISHER (working title) scheduled to debut at the 2006 Banff Summer Arts Festival.
Click here to read more about the creation of an opera in the librettist’s own words.
