Mark Opstad started his musical education as a chorister at Bristol Cathedral. He read Music at Oxford University where he was Organ Scholar of Balliol College. Under his direction the Balliol choir flourished and made its first foreign tour, singing at Notre Dame in Paris. Mark continued his studies at Cambridge University, where he was Assistant Organist of Clare College. In this role he accompanied the renowned choir of Clare College for services, concerts and broadcasts on BBC radio. Mark is now the Chef de Choeur of the Maitrise de Toulouse. Outside music Mark loves reading, walking, travelling and English country pubs. He is married to Weronika who is Polish and an avocat in Toulouse.
The Maîtrise de Toulouse was created in 2006 within the Toulouse Conservatoire, becoming the first Maîtrise (choir school) in recent times in South-West France. The Maîtrise provides a specialised musical education, giving life to an artistic ensemble of a unique quality The choir has quickly established itself as one of the leading maîtrises in France
The choristers (aged eleven to fifteen) are educated at the Collège Michelet.
The choristers rehearse four times a week in the Conservatoire. When the choristers leave the Collège (after four years) they may remain part of the Maîtrise, and continue singing in a group called the ’Jeune Ensemble de la Maîtrise’ which performs both separately and with the younger choristers.
The Maîtrise gives about fifteen concerts a year, principally in Toulouse.
Information on the choirs new CD will be forthcoming.
Many readers are familiar with this news as Mark is the Choir Master at the now very popular Puycelsi concert to be held in Sept.
Many readers are familiar with this news as Mark is the Choir Master at the now very popular Puycelsi concert to be held in Sept.
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