Evening star., 1928-09-09

II DOUARD ALBION, general di
- rector of the Washington Ma
tional Opera Company, ha
IL spent the entire Summer in tn,
city working out plans for re
organization and enlarging the scope o
the company.
There are certain Fundamental
things which must be done before W.
pass into the next period of de.
Opera Company" Mr. Albion said. "A
national board of trustees is being
formed, of which Frederic A. Delano is
chairman.
Associated as Mr. Delano is with the
plans for the building of a greater
Capital, there is no man who can bring
more insight to our present plans than
he. He sees the possibilities of WASH
ington and the relation of the opera to
the future cultural growth of the city.
I'm addition to the board of trustees, y
Mr.. Albion further said II am bringing
together a general council, which is to
be made up of social, business and art
leaders of the Nation. These men and
women will act in advisory capacity.
Several of them have funct!oned in this
way privately in the past.
Then. too, I find that a different
policy must be followed in the person.
mel of the company if the finer artistic
results ere to be obtained. The enSem-
BILE must be made UP of those who de-
sire to advance to real careers. I have
made a beginning toward the assem-
bling of the greater national company.
During the Summer have held two
voice trials in New York and have eS-
tabliShed a training unit there. Fur
ther additions will be held in other
sections of the country and the most
promising student material of the Ma
ton will be given place in the ranks of
our company.
THE central unit. of the training
groups will be in Washington. The New
Yorl. unit has been made necessary be-
cause so many of the most earnest stu
dents of the country are already there.
They are sadly wasting time for lack
of the proper direction. The mere vocal
studio, however good it may be, cannot
build an artist.
Applications for places with us are
coming in daily. Several such students
have been accepted and are seeking po-
sitions to maintain themselves here
while studying. 1t begins to look as if
an employment Office would have to
become part of our activities. The
limited field for remunerative activities
for musicians is truly one Of the Seri-
GUS handicaps in developing the COM
pany here in Washington. So many,
with the best voices have no money to
carry them forward, and we cannot as
yet give enough performances to main
tain them. We do give large part of
the lining without fee as incidental
to the opera performances. These op-
portunities for public appearance, which
IN Europe are to be had only by paying
a substantial fee, are afforded our
younger student artists when they are
ready for them.
During the season, for example,
Rose Polio, who has had a number of
appearances, portrayed the major role
of the mother in Hansel and Cretel'
Many patrons commented on her pcise
and beauty of tone. Miss Polio has
had her entire training and experience
with our organization
George Beuchler is another young
Washington singer who was taken from
the boy choir at St. Patrick'S at. the
age of Is and under careful supervision
and training has been brought before
the public and won approval from the