Seagle Music Colony Explores Wounded Veterans Stories Through New Opera

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* UPDATE: Tickets are free for military personnel and veterans courtesy of Glens Falls National Bank. The number of free tickets varies with each location. Please call to reserve. 

(Schroon Lake) The Falling and The Rising is a new 70-minute opera that is touring the Adirondack and beyond to shed light on the United States wounded veterans experience. First workshopped in August 2017, the show first premiered at the Texas Christian University in April.
According to Seagle Music Colony General Director Tony Kostecki, The Falling and the Rising was conceived by Sargent Ben Hilgert of the US Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus. The new opera was created from actual interviews with veterans from Walter Reed Hospital, Fort Myer, and other locations. 
“It’s uplifting and relatable,” states Kostecki. “It is a universal story that will appeal to everyone, even if they haven’t been in the service. We believe in this piece. It is impactful and the response has been so positive from people of all ages, especially the veterans. They feel a connection to the piece.”
The idea for The Falling and The Rising was to relay the veteran’s experience. It isn’t about war or service, but about how veterans integrate back into society after coming back from serving their country. 
“This work came out of an initiative to expand our programming though the fall,” informs Kostecki. “We want to utilize our facilities and provide a place for new works and new operas. We also tour our children’s opera in the fall into various schools.”

Seagle Music Colony celebrated its 103 season in 2018 and holds the honor of the oldest vocal summer training program in the country. The tuition-based summer program provides training for 32 emerging artists for nine weeks. As part of the training, four mainstage productions are produced, a children’s opera, concerts, and special events. 

Kostecki points out that an important aspect of the program is not only performing for local and regional audiences, but providing training the vocalists on the business of being an opera singer. 

The Falling and the Rising starts its Adirondack/Northern New York tour this Sunday, Sept. 23,  at VIEW, Old Forge at 3pm before moving to these additional venues. 

Tickets are available at each individual location. 

Sunday, Sept. 23, 3:00 pm – VIEW – Old Forge, NY
Friday, Sept. 28, 7:30 pm – Charles R. Wood Theater  – Glens Falls, NY
Saturday, Sept. 29, 2 pm and 7 pm – Hubbard Hall – Cambridge, NY
Sunday, Sept. 30, 3 pm – Tannery Pond Community Center – North Creek, NY
Saturday, October 6, 7:30 pm – Strand Center for the Arts – Plattsburgh, NY

All photos are used with the permission of Seagle Music Colony

 © Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Time™ guidebook series. Adirondack Family Time™guidebooks have easy, short Adirondack family hikes for ADK kids, parents, retired, seniors, dog-owners, Adirondack swimming holes, Lake Placid Olympic activities, Adirondack trivia, Adirondack horseback rides, Adirondack snowshoe family trails and more. Look for the Adirondack family guidebooks online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. Diane is currently working on the next Adirondack Family Activities™ guide.

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