Artist of the Week
Artist of the Week 19 Qs for Jennifer Maines
Canadian soprano Jennifer Maines is in Victoria, BC preparing to add a seventh role to her impressive list of Wagner roles, making her debut as Brünnhilde in Pacific Opera Victoria‘s production of Die Walküre opening this week. We caught up with her this week to reflect on her career in opera, what inspired her to begin singing, the best part of being an opera singer, whether she believes in fate, and more.
Artist of the Week 15 Qs for Amina Edris
Egyptian soprano Amina Edris is in Toronto, preparing for the first of five role debuts in her 2023/24 season, singing Mimi in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Puccini’s La Bohème, running Oct 6 to 28. This week, she shares seminal moments in her career journey with us and reflects on the importance of investing in yourself as an artist.
Artist of the Week 25 Qs for Anna-Sophie Neher
Canadian-German soprano Anna-Sophie Neher is in Toronto, preparing to return to the Canadian Opera Company’s stage as Marzelline in Beethoven’s Fidelio which opens this Friday, running Sept 29 to Oct 20. This week, we sat down with her to discuss her life and career, singers that keep her inspired, roles she’d like to be singing, and what it’s like to juggle family with a career in opera.
Artist of the Week 16 Qs for Hugo Laporte
French-Canadian baritone Hugo Laporte is in Montreal, preparing to reprise the role of Conte d’Almaviva in Opéra de Montréal‘s production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, opening Sept 23. We caught up with him to reflect on early career beginnings, favourite composers, how he defines success and all things opera life. To Laporte, success is about “cultivating inner peace… and even better, sharing happiness with others!”
Artist of the Week 17 Qs for Jacqueline Woodley
Canadian soprano Jacqueline Woodley is in rehearsals in Vancouver preparing to sing one of Handel’s most ambitious cantatas, Apollo e Dafne with Early Music Vancouver. We sat down with Woodley to chat all things opera – from early career inspirations to what it means to be brave in music, and how she defines success.
Artist of the Week 16 Qs for Charles Sy
Canadian tenor Charles Sy is in Stuttgart, Germany preparing to reprise the role of Il Conte d’Almaviva in Staatsoper Stuttgart‘s production of Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia (singing July 4, 6 and 10). The production opens on June 21 and runs to July 10. We caught up with Sy to reflect on opera, life lessons he’s learned along his career path, and how to cope with the music industry’s ups and downs.
Artist of the Week 18 Qs for Serouj Kradjian
Juno award-winning Canadian-Armenian composer and pianist Serouj Kradjian is in Toronto, preparing to present the world premiere of his opera and the latest commission from the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, The Nightingale of a Thousand Songs, created with Dora award-winning librettist Marjorie Chan. We sat down with him to chat sources of inspiration, lessons learned and what it means to be brave in music.
Artist of the Week 15 Qs for Teiya Kasahara 笠原 貞野
Nikkei Canadian settler Teiya Kasahara 笠原 貞野 is in Toronto, preparing to sing the roles of Priestess and Jules in the Canadian Opera Company‘s production of Kye Marshall and Amanda Hale’s Pomegranate. We caught up with them to chat all things opera—sources of inspiration, early career beginnings, and more.
Artist of the Week 34 Qs for Keri Alkema
American soprano Keri Alkema delighted Canadian audiences this month when she reprised the title role in the Canadian Opera Company‘s production of Puccini’s beloved Tosca. She sits down with us to reflect on her first singing lesson, her favourite opera house, opera roles she’d like to be singing in 10 years & more.
Artist of the Week 28 Qs for Quinn Kelsey
American Baritone Quinn Kelsey is in Toronto debuting the title role in the Canadian Opera Company‘s brand new production of Verdi’s Macbeth. We caught up with Kelsey, one of the world’s most celebrated baritones, to chat all things opera – from silly stage mishaps to “bromances”, and everything in between.
Artist of the Week 17 Qs for Joyce El-Khoury
Lebanese-Canadian Soprano Joyce E-Khoury is in Montreal, singing the role of Cio-Cio-San in Opéra de Montréal‘s reimagined production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, a role she debuted last season with Welsh National Opera. In this Artist of the Week, she reflects on her career in opera, shares how it all began, and what’s keeping her inspired.
Artist of the Week 22 Qs for Scott Rumble
Canadian tenor Scott Rumble is in Vancouver making his role debut singing Steuermann in Vancouver Opera’s new production of The Flying Dutchman, which opened April 29 and has two performances left on May 4 and 7. In this Artist of the Week, he reflects on what inspired him to sing, favourite operatic inspirations and more.