_{Artist of the Week} 14 Qs for Phillip Addis

Which opera role do you want to be singing right now?
I’m reluctant to start off with a shameless plug, but it is indeed the one I’m working on now. Sharpless in Madama Butterfly is such a great fit for me both vocally and in terms of maturity, and I’m finding it so rewarding to learn and grow through this material. My colleagues are bringing out the best in me, and this music is teaching me to elevate my performance to new levels, both vocally and dramatically. I honestly feel I’m a better singer now than I was even three weeks ago at the start of rehearsals.

What’s your favourite thing about singing with an orchestra?
I love the mix of colours that can only happen with this combination. Texture and timbre are the things that really imprint on me. When I’m singing with an orchestra I really try to listen to how the whole sonic palette is evolving, and how I can contribute to that painting, so to speak.

What’s the downside of being an opera artist?
Time away from loved ones is the hardest part. Current video calling is a huge help, but there’s no substitute for just being together. 

What’s the best thing about being an opera artist?
When loved ones can join you in interesting places! And, within the process, it’s the music making. It’s such a satisfying quest to be on, and the discoveries never stop.

What’s a big investment for an opera artist, but totally worth it?
The highest possible audio quality in your demo videos. You have to perform at your best for these, but then it takes a recording engineer to make it professional. It may take a few tries to get the results you need, but once you succeed it’s the best way to put yourself forward. I tried DIY demos for a while because the technology seemed adequate, but the results were frustrating because I couldn’t concentrate adequately on my performance, and I was not skilled enough with the tech either.

Who has been inspiring you lately?
The Head Coach here at Calgary Opera, Emily Hamper, demonstrates an unflinching dedication and passion for the music we are making, and I watch and listen every day as she endeavours to draw the finest performances from me and my colleagues in service of the art. Full disclosure: we are married, but she is honestly a beacon for me. Her work ethic and devotion to opera make me want to continuously elevate my craft.

Favourite city that you’ve worked in?
It’s hard to choose just one, but I really love Rome and have had some beautiful memories there, both on stage and as a tourist. I’ve performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Curlew River and Billy Budd there. I’ve witnessed the transit of Venus at dawn from the Janiculum, wept before the statue of Silenus and the Infant Dionysus and slept on a rooftop surrounded by orange trees and jasmine. I’m grateful that my family could join me there on two occasions and that we could experience the history, the food and the art together.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
I’m going to have to go with my 20th anniversary dinner with my beloved Emily at the Château Eza, Côte d’Azur. It was a perfect setting on a gorgeous evening, and everything on the menu tasted as if it were a natural expression of that coast. The attention to detail by the staff and kitchen made everything feel so right. Memories of that day have gotten us through many a cold winter’s night since.

Which album did you listen to last?
Louis Cole – Nothing
These astounding arrangements break genre in a way that I’ve never heard anyone else achieve. Jules Buckley conducts The Metropole Orkest with Louis Cole and his band of funk nerds, in a full-spectrum meditation on existence.

What’s your favourite non-classical band?
Genevieve Artadi and Louis Cole make great songs both on their individual projects and as the duo Knower. They apply their jazz training to electro-pop, prog-funk, symphonic tear-jerkers, big-band swing, sincere vocal layering. Basically anything is possible, but it holds together with a unique harmonic and timbral vocabulary, by celebrating the weirdness of a DIY life, and with themes that explore existential dilemmas, from the crass (NSFW) to the sublime (you might cry in public).

What book are you reading at the moment?
Notre-Dame de Paris (en français). I often struggle to finish books, especially if I see through the author’s devices, at which point I tend to drop it. I did have a hiatus on this Victor Hugo classic (to read the first two books of the sci-fi series The Expanse), but I’m back in medieval Paris now.

Do you think singers and performers have a more powerful inner life?
No. I wholeheartedly reject this premise. Believing that your inner thoughts are extra-special because of your vocation will keep you from seeing the depth of living that is happening all around you – on the bus, at the hospital, out on the farm, everywhere. If you subscribe to this view, you will ironically be a less complete artist, unable to draw upon examples of the nuanced and complicated ways that humanity faces life. 

The music industry is tough, and filled with rejection. How do you cope? Does it get easier?
I have had all manner of rejection at this point, from demeaning comments to the silent treatment. I’ve also had flattering remarks that I’ve struggled to comprehend. I’ve come to realize that, good or bad, a critic’s or an engager’s thoughts are their own and are steered by the realities that they are navigating. They are not an absolute truth about who I am or what I have to contribute. It’s important to just have a select few people in your life who will keep you grounded and honest. Knowing who I can trust helps me to stay level and to move forward.