Mark, Peter A Guide to the Peter Mark Papers MG 114

A Guide to the Peter Mark Papers MG 114


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ODU Community Collections

3000 Perry Library
4427 Hampton Blvd.
Norfolk, VA 23529
Business Number: 757-683-5350
libspecialcollections@odu.edu
URL: https://www.odu.edu/library/special-collections

Mona Farrow

Repository
ODU Community Collections
Identification
MG 114
Title
Peter Mark Papers 1953-2014, undated 1980-2010 Date acquired: 12/20/2012
URL:
Archon Finding Aid location
Quantity
82.60 Linear Feet
Quantity
76 Hollinger document cases, 3 audiovisual boxes, 10 oversize boxes boxes
Creator
Mark, Peter (1940-)
Language
English .

Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Use

Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from Special Collections and University Archives, and the holder of the copyright, if not Old Dominion University Libraries.

Conditions Governing Access

Portions of this collection are restricted. Please consult a staff member for assistance.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Box [insert number], Folder [insert number and title], Peter Mark Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.

Source of Acquisition

Gift of Peter Mark

Method of Acquisition

Gift. Accession #A2013-09

Processing Information

The collection was inventoried by Mona Farrow, Special Collections and University Archives staff, Greg Magier, Special Collections and University Archives volunteer, and Angelia Mumford, Special Collections and University Archives student assistant from June 2015 through December 2016. Additional material was interfiled into the collection by Mona Farrow, Special Collections and University Archives staff, from January through March 2018.

Accruals and Additions

An addition to the collection was given in 2014.

Biographical or Historical Information

Peter Mark is the Founding General Director and Artistic Director of the Virginia Opera Association from 1974 to 2010, founding Artistic Director of the Buck Hill-Skytop Music Festival and an International Opera Coach, Masterclass Teacher and Conductor.    The Virginia Opera Association bestowed on Peter Mark the title Director Emeritus of the Virginia upon his departure in 2012.  Peter Mark is the founding Director of Lyric Opera of Virginia from 2010 to 2012.  He worked through the International Opera Alliance to identify and train gifted young American and international opera singers.  Prior to his career as conductor and impresario, Maestro Mark, who began his musical career as a boy soprano soloist at the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Opera, enjoyed a successful career as a solo violinist and violist. Since his Virginia Opera debut in 1975 and under his guidance for the past 36 seasons, Virginia Opera has identified, worked with and presented some of the nation's most promising young singers – from Jeannine Altmeyer, Renée Fleming, Barbara Dever, Frank Porretta, Grant Youngblood, Fabiana Bravo, Lawrence Brownlee, Nmon Ford, Thomas Truhitte, Cristina Nassif, Jeniece Golbourne, Manon Strauss Evrard and Mary Elizabeth Williams. Maestro Mark conducted his 100th Virginia Opera production - Il Trovatore, totaling 700 highly-successful performances led by him on the company's stage during his career.  He invited two of the most well know opera singers to the Hampton Roads area, Beverly Sills and Luciano Pavarotti.  As conductor, he brought the artistic achievements of Virginia Opera to the international stage, conducting the company's productions and presenting the company's singers in South America, London, New York, and China, where he conducted Shanghai's first Italian-language Tosca to open the brand new Opera House of the Oriental Arts Center, China's first, and was featured on the cover of China's national Opera News.  Among his most recognized productions are four operas by Maestro Mark's wife, distinguished Scottish-American composer Thea Musgrave, and the Virginia Premieres of Strauss' Elektra and Salome, Wagner's Die Walküre and Tristan & Isolde, Giordano's Andrea Chénier, and Handel's Rodelinda and Agrippina. Maestro Mark conducted the British premiere of Musgrave's A Christmas Carol for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (telecast throughout the United Kingdom by Granada Television); Porgy and Bess at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, La Traviata and Masked Ball for Krakow Opera, and La Bohème for its centennial production at the Torre del Lago Puccini Festival in Italy.  He has also conducted for New York City Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria in Canada, and the National Opera of Mexico at the Bellas Artes.  Though his travels to China, Africa, Europe and the Americas, he has heard listened, trained and encouraged and presented some of the best young operatic talent.  Peter Mark is the son of Edna and Irving Mark.

Note written by Mona Farrow

Scope and Contents

This collection contains the personal papers of Peter Mark, Founding General Director and Artistic Director of the Virginia Opera from 1974-2010. The collection includes the correspondence of Peter Mark as Artistic Director of the Virginia Opera, programs from Virginia Opera productions, administrative records of the Virginia Opera, and records pertaining to the International Opera Alliance (IOA) and the Lyric Opera of Virginia.

Arrangement Note

The collection is arranged into seven series: Series I: Peter Mark; Series II: Thea Musgrave; Series III: International Opera Alliance (IOA); Series IV: Lyric Opera of Virginia; Series V: Virginia Opera Association; Series VI: Audio/Video Tapes and Cassettes; and Series VII: Oversize Memorabilia and Promotional Material.

Related Material

Virginia Opera Papers (MG 85).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Significant Persons Associated With the Collection

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Container List

Series I
Series I: Peter Mark
1953-2010, undated
Scope and Contents

This series contains Peter Mark's personal information, correspondence, and performances.

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Series II
Series II: Thea Musgrave
1974-2006, undated
Scope and Contents

This series contains information Thea Musgrave's personal information and performances.Thea Musgrave was born in Barton, Edinburgh on May 27, 1928. She attended Moreton Hall School, the University of Edinburgh and studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris and Aaron Copland at the Tanglewood Festival. In 1970 she became a Guest Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara and from 1987 to 2002 she was Distinguished Professor at Queen's College, City University of New York. In 1971 she married Peter Mark, an American violist and opera conductor. Ms. Musgrave has written more than a dozen opera and other music theatre works, such as Mary Queen of Scots (1977), Harriet Tubman: A Women called Moses (1984), Simon Bolivar (1993) and Pontalba (2003).

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Series III
Series III: International Opera Alliance (IOA)
2003-2008, undated
Scope and Contents

This series contains information on International Opera Alliance. Peter Mark was the Founding General and Artistic Director of the International Opera Alliance. This organization assist in identifying and training extraordinarily gifted young opera singers from around the world.

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Series IV
Series IV: Lyric Opera Of Virginia
2011-2014, undated
Scope and Contents

This series contains information on the Lyric Opera of Virginia. Peter Mark was the Founding Artistic Director of the Lyric Opera of Virginia. The Lyric Opera is a not for profit professional opera and musical theater company based in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It presented its inaugural season in 2011-2012.

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Series V
Series V: Virginia Opera Association (VOA)
1974-2012, undated
Scope and Contents

This series contains information from of Board minutes, budget, correspondence, articles, and materials on performances, scores, photographs, audio/video materials, and memorabilia. Organized and in Norfolk, Virginia by a group of community volunteers in 1974, the group presented in first production in 1975 under the directions of Peter Mark. In presented productions in four major venues, Norfolk's Harrison Opera House, Richmond's Carpenter Theatre at Richmond CenterStage, George Mason University's for the Arts in Fairfax and the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach. In March of 1994, the Virginia General Assembly unanimously voted and named the Virginia Opera the Official Opera Company of Virginia and recognized its contributions to the Commonwealth and the world.

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Series VI
Series VI: Audiovisual Materials
1953-2010, undated
Scope and Contents

This series contains audiovisual material related to Peter Mark's work with the Virginia Opera Company. Included in the series are recordings of performances, digital photographs, special events, and master class sessions taught by Mark in Los Angeles. Most of the titles have been transcribed from the items.

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Series VII
Series VII: Oversize Memorabilia and Promotional Material
1976-2012, undated
Scope and Contents

This series contains both professional and personal memorabilia belonging to Peter Mark and includes artifacts, magazines, newspapers, and posters.

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