I wondered what I was in for when I read the front of the opera program: “A Modern opera about social equity, Vodou, and Zombies.” But as soon as the first act began, I knew that I had entered a fascinating world created by a gifted composer, an eloquent librettist,...
Luigi Cherubini’s Médée is the only opera from the Paris of the French Revolution to retain a place in the modern repertoire. It premiered in March 1797 in a transitional political environment as royalists started to regain traction in France while Napoleon was...
Peter Barrett opened Braunfels‘s The Birds this week singing the role of Ratefreund at Pacific Opera Victoria. We caught up with him in between rehearsals to get a “tour” of beautiful Victoria, B.C.
Join us as he shares his favourite spots, from most peaceful places to tasty restaurants.
The Canadian Opera Company announced its 2023/2024 season today featuring a slate of exciting new productions and rare musical gems that showcase the most celebrated of international stars, as well as incredible homegrown talent—the lineup features five new-to-Toronto...
The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation has announced this year’s recipients of Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts. The laureates include Michel Marc Bouchard, who wrote the libretto for the recently premiered opera La Beauté du Monde...
Montreal-born soprano Claire de Sévigné is our Artist of the Week. Since graduating from McGill University and the University of Toronto, she has performed regularly on many of North America and Europe’s stages (including the Canadian Opera Company, Opernhaus Zürich, Salzburg Festival, and Toronto Symphony Orchestra).
Calgary Opera audiences are no stranger to new, modern operas. During the years the late Bob McPhee was the Artistic Director of the company, Calgarians were treated to a variety of new operas by American and Canadian composers; and such was the confidence the...
Wallis Giunta gives us a glimpse into her new Viennese life, and an insider’s look into what’s happening at the Volksoper
Our Artist of the Week is Michael Schade, one of the world’s leading tenors. A voice well-recognized on many of the world’s leading stages, Schade has also earned a reputation as an exceptional concert and recital soloist and award-winning recording artist. See him perform as Herod in the Canadian Opera Company’s current production of Salome running until February 24.
Vancouver-based soprano Melody Courage, of Dene, Cree and Chipewyan descent, is much in demand by composers, with recent performances in Riel's Heart of the North (composed by Neil Weisensel with a libretto by Susanne Steele) written in languages of the Métis -...
Our Artist of the Week is Canadian soprano Ambur Braid, celebrated for her electrifying portrayals of powerful women and sensational debuts. We connected with her to chat all things opera, from lessons learned to favourite coffeeshops. Watch her sing the title role in Canadian Opera Company’s production of Salome running until Feb 24.
“Oscar Wilde’s Salome was not worthy of you…it has a nauseous and sickly atmosphere about it…Wilde’s Salome, and all those who surround her, except that poor creature [John the Baptist], are unwholesome, unclean, hysterical, or alcoholic beings, stinking of...