27-year-old Canadian tenor Matthew Cairns is quickly making a name for himself as one of the most promising dramatic voices of his generation, with an impressive CV and an even more impressive path ahead of him. After undergraduate and graduate studies at the...
The business of opera has always fascinated me: the behind-the-scenes discussions and decision making about everything from casting to marketing to ticketing to development initiatives, the occasional drama (endless energy), the costumes, the colours and the royal diadem: the music and voices.
We spot some stellar Canadian talent in Early Music Vancouver’s 53rd season! 15 concerts, acclaimed voices and reimagined classics are set for 2022/23.
Edmonton, AB—NUOVA Opera and Music Theatre Festival’s second opera was Monteverdi’s last opera, The Coronation of Poppea, first performed in 1643. The festival’s founder, Kim Mattice Wanat, directed the production. She made every effort to bring a period flavour to...
After an international search, Detroit Opera has announced five new singers who will train in their Resident Artist Program for 2022-23; including Canadian soprano Elizabeth Polese, recent graduate of l’Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal and a fellow at Tanglewood...
Manitoba Opera has announced the four emerging artists that will be participating in the company’s third annual 2022 Digital Emerging Artists Program: Korean-born soprano Olivia Kang, Canadian soprano Ana Toumine, Canadian mezzo-soprano Ellita Gagner, and Canadian tenor Yanik Gosselin.
Afarin Mansouri’s new Farsi language opera Zuleykha was workshopped last night at Walter Hall as part of the Toronto Summer Music Festival. I knew the piece would be presented concert style but I confess I wasn’t expecting a workshop or for the work to be presented in...
Edmonton’s Nuova Opera and Music Theatre Festival is back in full force, offering early-career singers and developing repetiteurs professional mentoring, and more importantly, in the singers’ case, opportunities to perform for live audiences. This summer Kim Mattice...
At a time when even core repertoire can be called into question, General Director Guillermo Silva-Marin reflects on the issue of appropriation: As a Latino in Canada, I soon became aware of the unique potential of my position as General Director of two performing arts...
After a long absence of over two years, the Toronto Summer Music Festival (TSMF) returned last evening to Koerner Hall, its mainstage venue, playing a scintillating concert to an enthusiastic audience. The theme of this year’s Festival is Inspirations, an exploration...
“In the fall of 1946, an unprecedented and unique form of instruction was introduced into the curriculum of the newly organized senior school of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.” Opera and the University of Toronto, Kenneth Pegler Developed by its first...
What is summer without opera festivals? July’s calendar is delightfully stacked, and as always, we’ve assembled a cheat sheet on what not to miss – here’s what to catch and where.