Jarvis Conservatory

Utilizing a grant from the Jarvis family, the Jarvis Conservatory began operation in the Napa Valley in July 1995, with the goal of providing training and support for artists. The Jarvis Conservatory is dedicated to serious art forms, and at the same time, art forms relating to the large Hispanic community in Napa.

Beginning in 1995, the Zarzuela (Spanish Opera) workshops and Baroque Ballet workshops were conducted, all with multi-week training in the areas of voice, dance, acting, stage movement and language.  The annual Zarzuela workshop was a vehicle for training performers in an intensive multi-disciplinary program and an ideal vehicle to initiate people of all backgrounds to the fine arts.  Performances in conjuction with the workshop brought together the usual theatergoer, as well as the young, the Hispanic community, and those who could not afford the theater.  More than 350 artists participated in the workshops leaving a legacy of 17 Zarzuelas and four Baroque Ballet, all filmed live and available on DVD.

Baroque Ballet workshops have been conducted utilizing authentic choreography, masking, costumes and music. The New York Public Library participated in videotaping the latest production for their dance archives, as well as developing a documentary of the workshop leading up to the performance. This program was also aided by the National Endowment for the Arts who made a grant to assist in recording the production.  Production credits go to the New York Baroque Dance Company.

All performances staged at the Jarvis Conservatory are professionally videotaped and the recordings are made available to public broadcast stations, educational institutions and libraries. Numerous productions have been uplinked via satellite to PBS stations throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers.

On the first Saturday of each month, Jarvis Conservatory hosts A Grand Night for Singers, which brings together singers from the San Francisco Bay Area. The program is hosted and accompanied by composer and musician Richard Evans. Members of the audience experience a fun evening showcasing many different styles of singing.

Other activities of the Jarvis Conservatory include workshops and performances for the annual Puppet Festival, the Napa Valley Youth Symphony, and the Leticia Jarvis Art Film Series.

For more information, visit www.jarvisconservatory.com.