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Pocket Lyrique Presents New Chamber Operas

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Pocket Lyrique, founded by Benjamin Hamon in 2002, collaborates with various artists to present original chamber operas to audiences. Hamon’s experience as a student at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique (CNSM) de Paris, École Normale de Musique (ENM) de Paris, and IRCAM prepared him to step into this role. As a student, he completed his residency at a lyric company. During this time, Hamon learned how to produce operas. Upon graduation, he decided that he would write and produce smaller and more intimate pieces. Thus, Pocket Lyrique was born.

About Pocket Lyrique

At Pocket Lyrique, operas are performed in the form of a chamber opera. Did you know that a chamber opera, in comparison to a grand opera, is performed in a smaller space, with the use of a smaller orchestra and fewer singers? This form creates a more intimate setting. Being seated directly in front of the singers and musicians stirs emotions amongst the audience and generates a unique experience. “The audience really feels something special from these smaller performances,” mentioned Hamon.

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Collaborations with other artists is essential to the production of an opera at Pocket Lyrique. Composers, videographers, choreographers, singers, and musicians come together and utilize their past experience to develop a spectacular show. On average, operas are created every three years, generally focused on the topic of contemporary society. Next season, two operas, which Hamon composed in 2002 and 2010, will take stage. Productions are shown in various theaters throughout France.

Pocket Lyrique also carries out actions to sensitize new audiences, such as students in elementary, middle, and high school. “We take a lot of pride in our educational initiatives,” stated Hamon. Initiatives in schools, such as organized workshops, serve as a bridge between the world of opera and students interested in learning more. 

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Partnering with Friends of Fondation de France

Partnering with Friends of Fondation de France is a great opportunity for Pocket Lyrique to bring their projects to the U.S. American partners can provide funds so that the team at Pocket Lyrique may continue to develop their activities and potentially come to the U.S. In the past, an opera was presented in French, with subtitles, at Rio Theater in Santa Cruz, California. In the future, the hope is to present translated operas throughout the U.S. With your contributions, the creation of new lyrical works and the organization of live performances can be supported. 

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