Artist of the Week
Artist of the Week 23 Qs for Amanda Testini
Our Artist of the Week is Canadian-Italian stage director, choreographer, and performer Amanda Testini who is currently directing Edmonton Opera's holiday production Home for the Holidays on December 11 (tickets and details here). Most recently, Amanda was the...
Artist of the Week 20 Qs for Christina Thanisch-Smith
Canadian/German soprano Christina Thanisch-Smith is a first year member of the McPhee Artist Development Program at Calgary Opera and currently is singing the title role of Beauty in Giannini’s Beauty & The Beast (tickets and details here). Christina is a recent...
Artist of the Week 20 Qs for Evan Korbut
Toronto-based Anishinaabe baritone, Evan Korbut, is currently starring as Louis Riel/Robideau in Manitoba Opera’s ground-breaking production of Li Keur: Riel’s Heart of the North on Nov 18, 22, 24. (tickets and details here). Evan is sought after in both canonic and...
Artist of the Week 22 Qs for Emma Fekete
Canadian soprano Emma Fekete, a member of Opéra de Montréal's prestigious Atelier Lyrique program, will perform the title role in their production of Monteverdi's L’incoronazione di Poppea November 18 and 19 (tickets and details here). Emma has performed in Canada and...
Artist of the Week 17 Qs for Anna-Julia David
Canadian soprano Anna-Julia David is in Toronto, singing the role of Amour in Opera Atelier‘s production of Gluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice. The production opened Oct 26, with one show left on Nov 1. We caught up with her this week to chat all things opera, arts and life – from key sources of inspiration to the luckiest thing that has ever happened to her, including being rescued in a Galician forest by a friendly pup.
Artist of the Week 20 Qs for Jodie Devos
Belgian operatic coloratura soprano Jodie Devos is in Quebec City, singing Lucie in the Opéra de Québec‘s production of Donizetti’s Lucie de Lammermoor. This week, we sit down with her to talk about opera, important lessons learned from childhood, and everything in between. As Devos says: “If you want something, give yourself the means to achieve it.”
Artist of the Week 30 Qs for Sava Vemić
Serbian bass Sava Vemić is in Toronto, ON singing Don Fernando in the Canadian Opera Company‘s production of Beethoven’s Fidelio, running Sept 29 to Oct 20. This week, we discussed all things opera with him – what inspired him to sing, the roles he’d like to be singing in ten years, and how he defines happiness. In Vemić’s words, “Being with the people that you love, having good health and a clear head, and being present in the moment.”
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.