After 47 years of award-winning music-making, the Emerson String Quartet disbanded in October 2023; Infinite Voyage featuring Barbara Hannigan is their final release.
Canadian soprano, Suzanne Rigden is our Artist of the Week. Currently she is in Victoria preparing for one of opera’s longest roles: Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro with Pacific Opera Victoria, running April 3 -9. In between rehearsals, Suzanne sat down to talk to us about how she deals with the rejection that comes hand in hand with this industry, the adventures her family took during the pandemic in a camper van, and how a perfectly timed cat appearance made for the very best singing in the shower moment. Read on to find out more.
The Opera 5 – Opera McGill Internship Program, created by Rachel Krehm, Jaclyn Grossman, and Patrick Hansen is making big waves.
The Artist of the Week is Canadian-Italian mezzo soprano Danielle MacMillan. She is currently in Toronto in rehearsals for Opera Atelier’s upcoming production All is Love, running at Koerner Hall from April 11-14 .We sat down with Danielle to chat about what she is currently reading, directors that she has worked with that have inspired her artistic journey, and how she defines happiness: “We look to high for things close by. Stop searching, never mind it; for happiness, like something lost, is always where you find it.”. Read on to find out more.
Renowned director, choreographer, and set/costume designer duo Renaud Doucet and André Barbe take us to Toulouse, France where they are busy preparing their production of La Cenerentola, a co-production with the Latvian National Opera in Riga and l’Opéra National du Capitole de Toulouse, running March 29 to April 7 (info and tickets here). Luckily for us, this incredibly busy duo spared some precious moments to share what it has been like working in Toulouse, where to find the best Cassoulet in the city, and how they find peaceful moments walking their sweet dog, Ulisse. Read on to find out more.
The Artist of the Week is Canadian soprano Laura Nielsen. Currently working overseas, Laura is performing the role of Freia in Theater Erfurt’s upcoming production of Das Rheingold, running March 23 to May 29. In between rehearsals, Laura shared with us the biggest risk she’s ever taken with a role, which currently performing artists she admires, and what opera role she would love to be performing right now. Read on to find out more.
The Artist of the Week is Canadian conductor and Opera Kelowna Music Director, Rosemary Thomson. Rose is currently preparing for Opera Kelowna’s upcoming production Wreckonciliation, co-created by Indigenous Artists Marion Newman, Melody Courage & Yvette Nolan, running March 14-16. This week we sat down with Rose to talk about who inspires her, what her first opera experience was like, and the best advice she ever received from one of her mentors, Boris Brott. Read on to find out more.
In June 2022, Sue Fitzsimmons was announced as EO’s new Executive Director; she looks ahead in light of their big anniversary
Our Artist of the Week is Canadian mezzo-soprano Stephanie Tritchew. In partnership with collaborative pianist Holly Kroeker, Stephanie is performing a series of recitals entitled The Longing Project, which features pieces by Cecilia Livingston, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and world premieres of pieces by Danika Lorèn. This week we sat down to talk with this grounded artist to talk about what she is currently reading, how she copes with the rejection that comes with being a singer, and how she describes what success means to her. Read on to find out more.
British-Canadian director Tim Albery is coming to us from London, England where he is directing the Royal Opera House’s upcoming production of Der fliegende Holländer, running Feb 29 – March 16. From across the pond, Tim shares with us what it is like to work in one of the world’s most beautiful theaters, where to find some peace and quiet amongst the tourist crowds of London, and what galleries/museums are on his must visit list.
