Canadian mezzo-soprano Georgia Burashko takes us to São Paulo, Brazil, while she is touring Purcell‘s The Fairy Queen with Les Arts Florissants. The tour run from September 14th to 24th and will be making stops in Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia (tickets and info). The tour will continue with performances in Spain in late November.
Georgia is known for bringing vocal power and emotional depth to her performances. This season, she will be presenting a solo recital at the London Festival of Baroque Music, and with Les Arts Florissants she will perform as the alto soloist in Bach‘s Weihnachts Oratorium and make her role debut as Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas on a tour of Asia and Europe.
While in Brazil, Georgia chats with us about how she turns temporary accommodation into an oasis, where to find the most inspiring art and best… Japanese food..? Read on to find out more.
City where you’re working?
São Paulo — this vast, vibrant megalopolis: layered, unpredictable, full of energy and absolutely alive.
How long are you working on contract?
We are in São Paulo for ten days. We’re performing The Fairy Queen four times before heading on to Montevideo and Bogotá. This is actually part of a much larger tour — the production has been traveling since 2023, and we’ve done close to 30 performances around the world, including La Scala, Royal Albert Hall, Koerner Hall and Lincoln Center among others. In November, we’ll bring it to a close with a final short tour of Spain.
What’s the opera house like?
We’re performing at Teatro Cultura Artística, which has a rich history in São Paulo’s cultural life.
Where is the most peaceful place in the city?
Ibirapuera Park — it’s gorgeous and calm, with lush plants, striking architecture, and a slower rhythm than the rest of the city. My favorite São Paulo snack is a fresh green coconut, and you can find them everywhere. The sunrises are calm and soft, while the winter sunsets, around 6:00 pm, paint the sky in vibrant pinks — it’s totally magic.
Best coffee or tea?
The coffee here is incredible! I always travel with my Aeropress because my morning coffee is sacred… but in São Paulo, I haven’t had a single bad cup. I especially like Café Brim: the coffee is fantastic — smooth, rich, and unfussy. There’s definitely something special about enjoying local Brazilian beans.
Coolest bar or restaurant you’ve been to?
São Paulo has endless options, and so far, everything I’ve eaten has been delicious — but I love neighborhood spots where the food feels like home-cooked. SubAstor is a hidden gem, but the real thrill for me has been Liberdade — I LOVE Japanese food, and discovering authentic sushi, ramen and little pastries here has been so exciting. Every bite tells a story, and the flavors feel alive with history and culture. And of course, the steak here lives up to the reputation.
An activity you have done that is unique to the area?
Walking through Beco do Batman — an open-air gallery of constantly changing street art. São Paulo treats its walls as living canvases, and it’s inspiring.
Is there something unexpected that happens locally that you discovered?
The Japanese influence is everywhere. São Paulo has the largest Japanese community outside Japan, beginning with immigrants in the early 1900s. Today, you see it in neighborhoods like Liberdade, in festivals and in the food. I’ve loved exploring it — from street snacks to hidden restaurants — the flavors are bold, joyful and full of history.
How did you find accommodation?
The theatre actually booked our hotel, so I didn’t have to worry about it. But when I’m touring, I build a little oasis in my room. I come equipped with my candle, Aeropress, eye mask, massage balls and every lotion and potion I might need — little comforts that make even a temporary space feel like home.
What’s the most important thing you think of when it comes to finding accommodation as a singer?
Peace, comfort and the ability to recharge. Even if the hotel is arranged, creating a personal sanctuary with my own rituals keeps me grounded and my voice ready to perform.
Have you had a chance to explore some galleries or museums?
Yes — and the São Paulo Biennale absolutely blew me away. It’s held right in Ibirapuera Park at the Pavilhão Ciccillo Matarazzo, and this edition is extraordinary: vast, inspiring and filled with modern art that pushes boundaries. Installations, soundscapes and pieces weaving ecology, identity and Indigenous cosmologies made it feel less like an exhibition and more like a gathering of voices from around the world (I especially loved the fiber art). To experience it surrounded by the park’s beauty — green palms, water and people drinking coconuts in the sun — was unforgettable.
Is there anything else you’d recommend?
Spend a Sunday in Liberdade. The Japanese street market is alive with food stalls, red lanterns and crafts. It’s a total adventure.
LEARN MORE ABOUT GEORGIA BURASHKO
VISIT HER WEBSITE
© Photo used with permission from the artist
São Paulo at sunset
© Photo used with permission from the artist
Beautiful views
© Photo used with permission from the artist
Georgia’s favourite São Paulo snack, fresh green coconut
© Photo used with permission from the artist
São Paulo Biennale
The Fairy Queen: South American Tour
Les Arts Florissants
September 14-24
SOPRANO: Paulina Francisco
MEZZO-SOPRANOS: Georgia Burashko, Rebecca Leggett, Juliette Mey
TENORS: Ilja Aksionov, Rodrigo Carreto
BARITONE: Hugo Herman-Wilson
BASS-BARITONE: Benjamin Schilperoort
DANCERS: Anahi Passi, Baptiste Coppin, Samuel Florimond, Alary-Youra Ravin, Daniel Saad, Timothée Zig
The Fairy Queen is back on tour for several special dates in South America! Created in 2023, this highly successful reinterpretation of Purcell’s masterpiece celebrates the friendship between the arts, cultures, and generations… for a spectacular show blending music and dance. In an enchanted forest, reality mingles with dreams, illusion and the supernatural, as young people gather to escape the city and indulge in the magic of nature. Little by little, as the tunes and dances unfold, the boundaries between dancers, singers and musicians become blurred… leading to the creation of an egalitarian and fraternal community, united by the joy of music. Freely inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Fairy Queen invites us to plunge into an enchanting and playful universe, which continues to amaze us more than 300 years after its creation. First performed in London in 1692, just three years before Purcell’s untimely death at the age of 35, this “masque” (or semi-opera) is the work of a young prodigy. It includes some of the most beautiful arias he ever composed – such as the poignant “O let me weep” and the lively “Thrice happy lovers” – in which his art of counterpoint and sense of theatricality come to the fore. It is precisely this brilliance, this energy and this youthfulness that this new production invites us to see and hear. Conducted by William Christie and Paul Agnew, alongside choreographer Mourad Merzouki – who makes his operatic directorial debut – this Fairy Queen is an opportunity to discover the latest laureates of Le Jardin des Voix, Les Arts Florissants’ academy for young singers. These eight soloists, selected from all over the world and already the focus of attention on the Baroque planet, take turns embodying all the characters in this joyous fable, alongside contemporary dancers from the Compagnie Käfig and musicians from the Les Arts Florissants orchestra. The result is a global lyrical experience, where the arts and cultures of yesterday and today interact and mingle, to the delight of the senses. A joyful, hopeful show that has delighted audiences ever since its creation!
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