Back in September I made my first performance in my new job singing with Opera Vlaanderen. It was a fun and enjoyable way to begin the season. The sun was shining on us in Sint-Jansplein for our open air concert in front of several thousand people. We sang some opera classics such as the Torreador song from Bizet's Carmen, and Brindisi from Verdi's Traviata. But we were mostly showcasing some of the excerpts from the upcoming season, from Lohengrin, to the Pearl Fishers, and Macbeth.

"Sunday 2 September 11.30 a.m.: For the tenth time in a row Opera Vlaanderen will offer a unique Sunday morning concert with plenty of excitement. In 75 minutes, we will take you on a journey through all the highlights of the new opera season: from favourites that rank among the Top 100 of classical music, to undiscovered fragments that are just as worthy. The Opera Vlaanderen chorus and Symphony Orchestra are already preparing to shake the cobblestones of the Sint-Jansplein with a series of top soloists, conducted by Jan Schweiger.

Klassiek in de stad is therefore not just a festival, it's also a big celebration that consistently draws over 10,000 visitors. For the two-day festival, we are all too happy to emerge from behind our stately facades for a playful mix of celebrated and lesser-known arias and overtures, the sweetest classical melodies and musical surprises, plus the grace and virtuosity of the dancers, performed outdoors. Goosebumps guaranteed.

This year once again, the Sint-Jansplein will be the somewhat atypical setting for this now legendary event."

​https://www.operaballet.be/en/programme/2018-2019/classical-in-the-city-2018

​I am thrilled to announce that I have been offered a full time contract as Soprano 1 Chorus with Vlaanderen Opera. For the 2018/19 season we will be performing:

Wagner: Lohengrin 
Glass: Satyagraha
Bizet: Les pêcheurs de perles
Hindemith: Cardillac
Halevy: La Juive
Parra: Les Bienveillantes (World Premiere)
Verdi: Macbeth

Performances will be in Antwerp and Ghent Opera Houses, and we will also be taking the Bizet to Luxembourg.

Belgium here I come!

​x

Sheku Kanneh-Mason playing “Sicilienne” by Maria Theresia von Paradis

Hymns:
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy

Order of service here:
​https://news.sky.com/story/royal-wedding-the-full-order-of-service-for-harry-and-meghans-ceremony-11377520 
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I hope you enjoy watching my two newest videos. I hope to upload some more very soon, so subscribe to my channel to be the first to have access.

​x

On the 12th September I sailed away from the UK on Silversea’s newest ship the “Silver Muse”. 
I will be travelling from Southampton to Ireland, Canada, North America, Central America (via the Panama canal), South America, the Caribbean, back up again and finally flying home in March 2018 from Florida, USA. 

I am working as the resident opera singer giving classical recitals and singing with the production team as part of the onboard entertainment. With a wide range of shows, I have had to exercise my versatility, singing musical theatre, pop songs, some jazz, alongside lots of dancing.

You can track where I am currently in the world via seascanner: http://www.seascanner.com/ships-position-silver-muse

If you don’t already follow me on instagram, I would recommend that you do. It’s a great way to see some of the moments from my adventure. You can find me by searching for @jennycoleman or by clicking this link: 
https://www.instagram.com/jennycoleman/ 

​Here are a couple of my posts so far...

After Peter Grimes, I had only 4 days to  rest and pack before the 1st September and beginning rehearsals with Luna Rossa in London, UK. This was the first time that I met the people I will be living and working with for the next 6 months.

We had less than 2 weeks to put together five fully choreographed shows - all in six part harmony. It was pretty intense, but I survived!
On the 12th September 2017 we sailed away from Southampton, England to begin our adventure together working as performers on Silversea’s newest ship “The Silver Muse” on her first transatlantic voyage.

Wish me luck :)
​Bon Voyage! xxx

In August I was back in Dartington in Devon, UK for more Benjamin Britten - this time his opera Peter Grimes. It was really fun taking part in the ‘Singing Britten Course’ as a Britten-Pears Young Artist earlier in the year at Aldeburgh, so I was feeling very geared up to work on one of his operas. 

I played the role of 2nd Niece in Britten’s first (and in my opinion best) Opera ‘Peter Grimes’. Set in a small fishing community on the English coast, this astounding opera is an utterly absorbing, emotionally compelling experience; it caused a sensation at its premiere in 1945. Britten’s atmospheric music evokes the power and cruelty of the sea, vividly portraying the human drama unfolding around the outsider Peter Grimes.
Performances were August 24th, 26th, 7:45pm in the Dartington Great Hall

Paul Nilon played the title role breathtakingly well with his beautiful lyric, bel canto voice. It was a real honour to share the stage with such a talented cast. There were several moments on stage when the music made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. And of course the orchestra, lead by Sian Edwards, were phenomenal. The sea interludes between each of the segments were absolutely breath-taking.

Dartington is such a heavenly place to work and create art. The gardens are Idyllic and their is something very healing about the energy there. I really hope to perform there again some time.

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After singing in Spain, I flew out to Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany to visit my boyfriend Kieran while he took part in the International Meistersinger Academy. He was there for a full month, but I only visited for part of it to watch some of the concerts.

In total, there were: two opera galas (one with the Nürnberger Symphoniker orchestra), a Liederabend song recital (broadcast live on radio), an outdoor concert, a concert in a museum, a studio recording session, and a cabaret concert to finish. They also had coachings and lessons from so many incredibly skilled and knowledgeable people, and also auditions for over thirty industry professionals across the two panels, including casting directors, company managers, and agents from across Europe and beyond. It was a unique opportunity.

Several of the performances were recorded in high quality. If you are interested in watching, you can view them by following on this link:
Kieran’s videos: http://kieranrayner.com/2017/09/new-videos-internationale-meistersinger-akademie/​
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My favourite is the video of him singing "Largo al factotum" from Rossini's The Barber of Seville with full orchestra!