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.
Opening on June 23 for a four-night run, this was the third production of Rusalka in UBC Opera’s almost six-decade history.The first—a lot more significant in retrospect than it ever seemed at the time—was just over 45 years ago in March, 1977, when it was staged by...
The OPUS KLASSIK, Germany's prestigious prize for classical music, has announced their 2022 nominees. The jury of experts, made up of representatives from the music and media industries, will honour 45 winners in 27 categories October 7-9, 2022 in Berlin. Let's take a...
There’s no shortage of young classical artists at Canada’s conservatories and music schools, but how well prepared are they for the realities of a singing career. Lucia Cesaroni finds some support for a rethink of the status quo Canadian opera training may need a...
Toronto Operetta Theatre (TOT) billed its season-closing production of Oscar Straus’s A Waltz Dream as a Canadian premiere, though that needs a little qualification. The book, lyrics and music in TOT General Director Guillermo Silva-Marin’s hugely entertaining staging...
After several months of auditioning candidates from all over the world, Les Arts Florissants has revealed the names of the 8 winners of the 11th edition of the Jardin des Voix, Les Arts Florissants’ academy for young singers—including Canadian mezzo soprano Georgia Burashko.
The COC has welcomed four new artists to its Ensemble Studio: soprano Ariane Cossette, mezzo-sopranos Queen Hezumuryango and Alex Hetherington, and pianist Brian Cho.