Come enjoy a unique concert experience with opera arias, duets, and more with soprano Jordan Bowman and mezzo-soprano Madeleine Bowman! The dazzling duo will be performing at the Snake River Heritage Museum in Hooker Hall on April 3rd, 2022, at 4pm in Weiser, Idaho. There is a suggested donation of $20 or pay-what-you-can donation.
Opera Elect is an Idaho-based, independent new music and opera company. “We look to inspire audiences with unique operatic storytelling, riveting artist collaboration, and the production of new works. Our mission is to be a platform for living composers and a contemporary voice for traditional opera. We strive to make opera accessible and affordable, and we seek to provide opportunities for all kinds of musical artists,” shared Jordan Bowman.
The company was founded in 2014 by tenor Zachary Buker and Jordan Bowman after finishing their time at the College of Idaho. “Our goal was to attain professional experiences and to give opera a fresh look. We did this through touring the Northwest with three new operas and operettas, collaborating with performance artists, and coining a casual performance of opera as an ‘opera party’,” Bowman explained. The opera parties have been performed in hotels, restaurants, private residence, and they are thrilled to have the opportunity to perform in Weiser’s Museum! “We communicate these old stories by talking to our audience and giving a genuine performance. They are a wonderful way to entice those that may have never heard opera before and while throwing in a few surprises.”
Buker left the company in 2016 to pursue a Master of Music at the University of Washington and is now a U.S. Marine. Opera Elect has acquired a new managing director, Edith Grace Dull, and artistic associate, Madelein Bowman. Jordan Bowman has become the artistic director of the company. As a now female-owned company, the women have collaborated with Homegrown Theatre in Boise for their “Annual Horrific Puppet Affair” to create two short new horror operas, Lullaby and Krampusnacht. Madelein and Jordan have also written Opera Elect’s newest opera, The Tale of Josephine Garrett, which toured in Austin, Nevada and will hopefully premiere in Idaho soon.
“Currently, Opera Elect is filming short opera and new music works submitted by composers all over the world. We are working to transition into live performance this year and will be holding auditions April 1st from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Caldwell, ID at The College of Idaho. We will also accept recorded auditions,” shared Bowman. You can stream these productions and find audition details on their website: www.operaelect.org.
Jordan Bowman is 29 years old and grew up in Southeast Idaho with her sister, Madelein, who is now 24. The two were raised in a family of musicians and farmers. Their mother, Cherie Hoff, is a music educator and jazz singer in Las Vegas. Their father, David Bowman, is a radio engineer and rock n’ roll pianist. John Hoff, their grandfather, is a country western pianist, trumpetist, and rhythm player. “Yes, he does all of those at the same time,” Bowman shared. “Our beautiful grandmother, Christy Hoff, plays violin in the Weiser Symphony, the french horn, and the drums. I started with piano, then moved to fiddle and guitar, and in high school started to seriously pursue classical voice. Madelein started with drums, moved to fiddle and piano, then also pursued classical voice seriously in high school. We have all shared many musical moments together.”
The two sisters share similar stories of being in many different musicals, theater productions and competitions over the years. Jordan pursued a Bachelor of Arts at the College of Idaho. Madelein earned her Bachelor of Music at the University of Idaho. “After living a few years in Boise, my fiancé and I moved to Binghamton, New York so that I could attend Binghamton University to attain my Master of Music,” shared Jordan. Now they are all back in Pocatello, Idaho now. Madelein is a radio engineer, mezzo-soprano, and librettist for Opera Elect. She is also currently pursuing her own solo career. Jordan is a voice teacher, composer, soprano, and artistic director of Opera Elect, while also pursing a solo career. “Our life is quite busy, but certainly never boring. My sister and I have a grand time writing and producing works that have been submitted to us or are of our own creation. We are also working toward scheduling more “opera parties,” which are a blast to perform. I realize how lucky I am to be able to work so closely with my sister as we have similar goals,” Jordan commented.
When asked what she loves most about being an opera performer, Jordan shared that she loves the challenges of learning to control and release her voice in the repertoire. “I love having harnessed the ability to sing effectively without a microphone. I love learning the nuances of the languages and singing styles in which opera is written. I love portraying all kinds of characters. I love that despite how hard the road of this career is to travel it has taken me everywhere. I love collaborating with other musicians and performing artists. I also love that I get to choose how I live my life as a musical entrepreneur.”
The most challenging aspect of an operatic career for Jordan has been trying to prove herself over and over again. Auditions all over the country can get expensive when you consider the time, effort, application process, and money it takes to travel all over, especially when a job is not guaranteed.
Opera Elect welcomes everyone to experience timeless music and stories that will surely entertain and draw in a big crowd. Mark your calendars and arrive early to get a good seat. You won’t want to miss this unique experience!
Opera Elect Social Media
Website: www.operaelect.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/operaelect
Instagram: @opera_elect
Jordan Bowman, soprano Social Media
Website: www.jordanbowmansoprano.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jordanbowmansoprano
Instagram: @jordanbowmansoprano
