Jackdaws Music Education Trust was recently presented with a Music Teacher Award for Excellence for the OperaPLUS project, which won the category of Best Classical Music Education Initiative, sponsored by Classic FM.
The category of Best Classical Music Education Initiative was decided by public ballot via the Classic FM website.
The award was presented by Classic FM DJ Margherita Taylor during a special awards ceremony hosted by Rhingeold Music Education Expo at London’s Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel in Kensington.
The award is recognition of OperaPLUS’ outstanding contribution and achievements since its inaugural project in 2010. Every year since then, it has brought high-quality opera into schools across Somerset, introducing countless children and adults alike to the art form in an accessible and inclusive setting.
In 2015 alone, the project worked with 14 schools with up to 120 children in each of the five performances across the county.
The project brings together primary school children to perform alongside professional opera singers from Jackdaws’ Young Artist programme, in full length versions of well-known operas, sung in English. For many, it provides a first encounter with a live opera performance.
Jackdaws’ artistic director, Saffron van Zwanenberg, created the project when she took up the post in 2009. It has become a key project in Jackdaws Education’s output, supporting the organisational aim to enable creative expression by bringing music to life in an accessible, inclusive and inspirational way.
Ms van Zwanenberg, who was at the ceremony to collect the award on behalf of the Trust and the OperaPLUS team, said, “OperaPLUS is so important to me personally. I loved opera as a child, for the tunes, the stories, the epic struggles and the rib aching comedy. I wanted more children from all backgrounds to have access to this unique art form, I knew that if it was presented in an accessible way, they would love it too, and they have never let me down.
“It also provides vital training for aspiring singers in music education, an area too often overlooked, and lets the communities see the opera through the children’s eyes as they perform alongside the professionals, vitally important as well.
“This award is wonderful recognition of the work we have been doing and will continue to do through active and innovative opportunities.
“We want to thank everybody who voted for us. As a small organisation, we work extremely hard, with limited resources, to ensure that we are able to continue to deliver projects like this. This award means a huge amount to us, thank you.”
In 2016, OperaPLUS will continue to build on its past successes by presenting a production of Donizetti’s The Love Potion (L’elisir d’amore) with five performances this April, involving 16 schools. Each school will work with the cast and production team in a range of workshops to prepare their music for the performance, supported with resources including recordings and sheet music of their parts, all downloadable from the Jackdaws website.
OperaPLUS is supported by Sound Foundation Somerset and Arts Council England and has been featured on BBC Radio Somerset, ClassicFM and in various local press.
