Artist of the Week 18 Qs for Serouj Kradjian
Juno award-winning Canadian-Armenian composer and pianist Serouj Kradjian is in Toronto, preparing to present the world premiere of his opera and the latest commission from the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, The Nightingale of a Thousand Songs, created with Dora award-winning librettist Marjorie Chan. We sat down with him to chat sources of inspiration, lessons learned and what it means to be brave in music.
OPERA PLACES Samuel Chan takes us to Kiel, Germany
Canadian baritone Samuel Chan gives us a tour of beautiful NordDeutschland, showing us his favourite spots in Kiel. Chan has been a member of the Oper Kiel ensemble since 2020, and is currently debuting the role of Lescaut in the company’s production of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, runs to July 2.
Artist of the Week 15 Qs for Teiya Kasahara 笠原 貞野
Nikkei Canadian settler Teiya Kasahara 笠原 貞野 is in Toronto, preparing to sing the roles of Priestess and Jules in the Canadian Opera Company‘s production of Kye Marshall and Amanda Hale’s Pomegranate. We caught up with them to chat all things opera—sources of inspiration, early career beginnings, and more.
OPERA PLACES Wallis Giunta takes us to Paris, France
Join us, as Irish-Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta brings us on a tour of beautiful, romantic Paris. She’s in Paris, preparing to reprise the role of Dodo in Opéra Comique’s production of Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s Breaking the Waves. The show opens May 28, and runs to May 31.
Artist of the Week 34 Qs for Keri Alkema
American soprano Keri Alkema delighted Canadian audiences this month when she reprised the title role in the Canadian Opera Company‘s production of Puccini’s beloved Tosca. She sits down with us to reflect on her first singing lesson, her favourite opera house, opera roles she’d like to be singing in 10 years & more.
FREE TICKETS North American staged premiere of Haydn’s Orpheus Opera
The Orpheus myth has played a prominent role in opera history, from Monteverdi’s Orfeo of 1607,...
OPERA PLACES Tenor Matthew Cairns takes us to Toronto
Canadian tenor Matthew Cairns has been in Toronto, Canada, singing the role of Macduff in the Canadian Opera Company’s new production of Verdi’s Macbeth from acclaimed Scottish director Sir David McVicar, which opened April 28 and has its final show on May 20. He shares his favourite spots in TO with us — from the stage of the Four Seasons Centre to a restaurant with breathtaking sunset views of the city.
Artist of the Week 28 Qs for Quinn Kelsey
American Baritone Quinn Kelsey is in Toronto debuting the title role in the Canadian Opera Company‘s brand new production of Verdi’s Macbeth. We caught up with Kelsey, one of the world’s most celebrated baritones, to chat all things opera – from silly stage mishaps to “bromances”, and everything in between.
OPERA PLACES Soprano Lauren Margison takes us to Mainz, Germany
Canadian soprano Lauren Margison has been in Mainz debuting the roles of Anna and Nedda in the company’s double-bill production of Puccini’s Le Villi and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. In this Opera Places, she gives us a tour of Mainz—the beautiful capital of the Rhineland-Palatinate region.
Artist of the Week 17 Qs for Joyce El-Khoury
Lebanese-Canadian Soprano Joyce E-Khoury is in Montreal, singing the role of Cio-Cio-San in Opéra de Montréal‘s reimagined production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, a role she debuted last season with Welsh National Opera. In this Artist of the Week, she reflects on her career in opera, shares how it all began, and what’s keeping her inspired.
