News
Benjamin Butterfield, The Rubies 2019—Success in Authenticity
In a profession known for its impermanence, a near 30-year career in opera is a cause for celebration. Since his professional debut in 1991 at Pacific Opera Victoria, tenor Benjamin Butterfield has enjoyed an enviable career both at home and abroad, in a wide-ranging...
UofT Early Music Program: Blowing the dust off history
Tucked away in the halls of the University of Toronto, past a dizzying variety of architectural pinpoints that make up its network of colleges, lies UofT Music School’s Early Music program. Charged with exposing students to pre-classical repertoire, the program is the...
Liz Upchurch, The Rubies 2019—Giving Voice to the New
English pianist, coach, and mentor Liz Upchurch has much to celebrate this season. 2019 marks her 20th year as Head of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio—a position that has confirmed her place as a central figure and mentor among Canada’s opera artists. It’s...
Glynis Leyshon on Il trittico—Tackling Puccini’s Trio
“Given in bits.” Such were the words acclaimed composer Giacomo Puccini used to describe productions of Il trittico, his anthology opera. “Brutally torn to pieces,” was his less diplomatic approximation. Indeed, Il trittico, one of Puccini’s final compositions, has...
John Estacio, The Rubies 2019 — Singing for the West
Edmonton composer John Estacio’s immigrant Portuguese family lived on a farm north of Toronto. When John was a child his family’s budget precluded music lessons at first, but at age eleven they purchased him an accordion. In junior high a teacher he’d known since...
From Pocketbook to Playbill: Paris Opera and Alexander Neef
Following weeks of rumours, Alexander Neef, the current General Director of the Canadian Opera Company was formally announced as the new Director of the Opéra National de Paris in late July. He starts in autumn 2021, succeeding current director Stéphane Lissner, who...
Carlo Rizzi discusses Puccini, love, and the limits of tradition
“I got up at 5am, but it’s okay—I’m an early riser!” Maestro Carlo Rizzi is still adjusting to a six-hour time difference. The celebrated Italian conductor is currently in Toronto preparing to open Turandot, which marks the start of the 69th season of the Canadian...
Profile: Rising Canadian star Joel Allison soaks in Salzburg
“I think they liked it,” Anne Sofie von Otter congratulated Joel Allison after he sang his first piece, an aria from Handel’s dramatic cantata Aci, Galatea e Polifemo. And indeed they did. The audience at the Young Singer Project (YSP) Masterclass at the 2019 Salzburg...
Vancouver Bach Festival is a garden of vocal delights
Opera lovers on the West Coast are in for a treat this summer. The Vancouver Bach Festival, presented by Early Music Vancouver (EMV), is featuring, amongst its varied offerings, some vocally-focused concerts that boast a range of both Canadian and international...
News: COC General Director Alexander Neef named new General Director of Paris Opera
After many weeks of rumors swirling in the media, the Canadian Opera Company has officially announced that its General Director, Alexander Neef, has been named the next General Director of Opéra national de Paris beginning in the 2021/2022 season. The year is...
News: Joseph Rouleau, superstar Canadian bass, passes away at 90
On Friday it was announced that Joseph Rouleau passed away in Montréal. He was 90. The bass, born in Matane, Québec in 1929, enjoyed a long career singing star roles in an array of houses, including, notably, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where he made his house...
News: Announcing the new RBC Opera Canada Emerging Opera Artist Program
Opera Canada is excited to announce its new Opera Canada Emerging Opera Artist Program, sponsored by RBC. The program formalizes and brings under one umbrella Opera Canada's historic and continued mandate to highlight the extraordinary achievements of emerging...