The Artist of the Week is Canadian conductor Sandra Horst. She will be conducting the Canadian premiere of Rene Orth and Hannah Moscovitch‘s 10 Days in a Madhouse, co-presented by Tapestry Opera, the Canadian Opera Company and Luminato Festival, from June 16th to 21st (tickets and info here).
Sandra is a Toronto-based conductor and educator. She is currently director of musical studies for the opera division at the University of Toronto and the Price Family Chorus Master at the Canadian Opera Company. Recent conducing engagements include Orphée+ with Edmonton Opera, Florence, the Lady with the Lamp with Voicebox: Opera in Concert and the premiere of Indians on Vacation at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
This week, Sandra chats with us about how she fell in love with opera, her first singing lessons and her dream jobs on and off stage. Read on to find out more.
When was your first singing lesson?
Probably not a surprise but singing has always been a part of my life. My first singing “lessons” were at the farm next to ours with my dad’s cousin, preparing for the Saskatchewan Valley Music Festival, where I competed as both a pianist and singer starting when I was six years old.
Drink of choice?
Chardonnay, of course.
Heels or flats?
I’m barely 5’2”… heels.
What’s something most people don’t know about opera life?
When opera is your life, you never actually “work.” Long days, evening and weekend rehearsals, and shows are a normal part of the schedule, of course, but being in a room with like-minded people, creating and exchanging ideas, and exploring music never feels like a “job.”
Coffee or tea?
Ask the COC Chorus or my UofT Opera students and they will tell you that I cannot get through a rehearsal without my coffee.
What book are you currently reading?
As I prepare for the workshop I’m leading at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity this July, I am reading Mirror of our Sorrows by Pierre Lemaitre. Hèctor Parra has composed an opera based on the book for Paris Opera.
When did you know you wanted to be a conductor?
As a piano major, I started volunteering to be in the chorus of the operas during my undergrad at Wilfrid Laurier University. I absolutely fell in love with the powerful combination of singing, orchestra and storytelling. That’s where the seeds were planted.
Do you enjoy cooking? If yes, what is your best dish?
I LOVE spending time in my kitchen. I find it very relaxing. Following a recipe is like reading a score, and it’s one of my favourite things to do. Improv is not my thing, but I will attempt any recipe.
Do you approach upcoming projects differently today than you did at the beginning of your career?
I really think this is the beauty of a career in music. When I started doing shows for the second and third time, the preparation became different and richer. I discovered aspects of the music and interpretation that I missed before, like finding new treasures. I also use fewer coloured pencils than I used to.
Does opera help keep you young?
Of course. The characters never get older, why would I?
Does your process change from show to show?
For me, the process of learning and rehearsal strategy changes with every show. My approach varies depending on the difficulty and familiarity of the repertoire.
Favourite place?
Hanging at home with my family, making great meals and playing board games.
If you weren’t a conductor, you’d be..?
A crossing guard. Life-long dream, directing traffic and getting those kids to school.
Which role do you wish you could sing, but is not in your voice type?
My dream role is Violetta in La traviata. This is one of my favourite operas… the perfect combination of drama and exquisite vocal writing. I’ve always thought I would sing it very well.
Tent or hotel?
Hotel or cottage every time.
What is one popular thing that you have no interest in?
Social media.
Where did you go to school?
Wilfrid Laurier University, New England Conservatory, The Juilliard School.
© Michael Cooper
The Barber of Seville at the Canadian Opera Company
© Richard Lu
Conducting UofT Opera’s The Rape of Lucretia
10 Days in a Madhouse
Tapestry Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Luminato Festival
COMPOSER: Rene Orth
LIBRETTIST: Hannah Moscovitch
WRITER: Nellie Bly
THE MADWOMAN/NELLIE: Mireille Asselin
LIZZIE: Taylor-Alexis Dupont
DR. JOSIAH BLACKWELL: Jorell Williams
NURSE/MATRON: Lauren Pearl
CHORUS: Ariane Cossette, Natalya Gennadi, Megan Miceli, Elizabeth Polese, Jonelle Sills, Caitlin Wood, Catharin Carew, Alex Hetherington, Erica Iris
DIRECTOR: Joanna Settle
CONDUCTOR: Sandra Horst
LIGHTING DESIGNER: Bonnie Beecher
HEAD OF WARDROBE: Violet Loconte
IS SHE INSANE — OR JUST PRETENDING?
Follow trailblazing reporter Nellie Bly undercover into the notorious Blackwell’s Asylum. Based on the true story that shocked the world, this award-winning psychological thriller exposes a world where power decides who is believed.
10 Days in a Madhouse is a Tapestry Opera and Opera Philadelphia production & commission.
Co-presented by the Luminato Festival and the Canadian Opera Company (COC) in association with TO Live.
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