News
Editor’s Notebook: me, recorded opera & the CBC
Opera companies’ ‘forced’ embrace of digital content during the pandemic has, I think, caused many opera lovers to reevaluate their own relationship to ‘recorded’ opera, be it audio or visual. For most of us I’d venture, our initial exposure to opera was probably via...
Royce Vavrek: Librettist-approved film picks
If you couldn’t tell by his operatic adaptations of films like Lars von Trier’s Breaking the Waves, and Carlos Reygadas’ Silent Light, Canadian librettist Royce Vavrek is a movie buff. So, since we’ve all got more time on our hands than usual, I figured it would be an...
Looking south: 5 American opera streams to keep you curious
While opera-deprived Canadians stay patient (because we're nice, and frankly, because we have no choice), it's a good time to peek over the border for a few fresh digital items. Out of our neighbours to the south, here's a shortlist of new and brand-new American opera...
Canadian tenor Paul Frey turns 80
Anxiously awaiting the warm weather that signals his return to the golf course, Canadian tenor Paul Frey also looks into his seeing-stone for signs of another a milestone event. April 20th, 2021 marks Frey's 80th birthday. During his heyday from the mid-1980s to 2005,...
Dear singer… Advice from Rodney Sharman
In our latest instalment of our advice series, "Dear composer…dear singer", we're diving deep with Vancouver-based composer Rodney Sharman. What homework does he do when writing for a new voice? How does it feel when singers perform his music? Who are his memorable...
Post-covid, opera companies will need to sell ‘live’ to survive says John Gilks
This piece was originally published in our Spring 2021 issue; for this and the rest of our exclusive content, peruse our subscription options. Due to the COVID pandemic there have been, for some time in Canada at least, no truly live, in-person performances, so we’ve...
Opera Outsider: What does opera mean to me?
Over the past 4 months, I have had the wonderful opportunity to join the Opera Canada team for an internship as their Editorial Assistant. Going in as an opera outsider, my background included Phantom of the Opera and the Looney Tunes “What’s Opera, Doc?” episodes....
Met Opera Orchestra finds work in Dallas
As reported by Musical America, the beleaguered Met Opera Orchestra is joining the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) for performances of Mahler's First Symphony on Apr. 30 and May 1 at Meyerson Symphony Hall in Dallas. The Met's group of musicians, led at home in New...
Opinion: How soon before the opera apathy sets in?
This time last year, I was supposed to be in Frankfurt. It was my birthday, and also closing night of Barrie Kosky’s new production of Salome, starring my friend the excellent Canadian soprano, Ambur Braid. As an incredible birthday present, my husband had gotten me...
UofT Opera presents Opera in Miniature
Following their groundbreaking production of their made-for-the-internet opera, Escape Room, University of Toronto Opera is set to present a digital series, titled Opera in Miniature: A Festival of One-Act Operas. From April 22-25, 2021, Opera in Miniature features...
The Resurrection: Opera Atelier’s ‘making-of’ documentary
After plenty of pandemic-inspired anticipation, Opera Atelier is set to unveil their latest production, Handel's oratorio, The Resurrection. Originally slated for April 2020, The Resurrection has pivoted to a digital stream, recorded from Toronto's Koerner Hall and...
Emily D’Angelo in recital with Vocal Arts DC
Fast-rising Canadian mezzo-soprano Emily D'Angelo is coming to the small screen, in a digital recital with pianist Sophia Muñoz, presented by Vocal Arts DC. From April 9-18, 2021, you can stream the recital, recorded in December 2020 at Berlin's B-Sharp Studios. The...