Joseph So talks to Edith Wiens, the great Canadian soprano and celebrated teacher, about advice for aspiring singers As Canadian opera lovers know well, the Great White North has produced many outstanding classical singers. While most of them receive

Dove’s The Walk from the Garden May 22-24, 2024 “Artistic Director Spencer Duncanson is to be commended for taking the road less travelled with this gripping, meta-phorical tale for modern times.” —HOLLY HARRIS Floyd’s Susannah Feb 22-25, 2024 “It wa

Canadian baritone Étienne Dupuis will sing the role of Sancho Pança in director Paris Opera’s new production of Massenet’s Don Quichotte May 10 - June 11. Shortly after, he takes on the title role in Rigoletto as the Royal Opera House takes Oliver Me

Originally from the Netherlands, van Lierop immigrated to Canada at the age of seven. He attended McGill University, motivated initially by Montreal’s vibrant indie rock scene—he even had an Arcade Fire cover band! It was Michael McMahon’s Song Inter

It’s November 2023, and Tania Miller is at the helm of her first educational concert for the Brott Festival. She strides onstage, greeted by 2,000 screaming fans. As she waves and calls out, “Hello, boys and girls! How are you doing today?”, more ent

LC: What separates a good leader from a great one? PS: A clearly articulated vision and strategy for its execution are fundamental. But in the arts, from fundraising to management, a great leader is genuine—able to convince people that what you’re do

Olivier Bergeron takes us to the West Coast where Lacombe has taken on the Music Directorship of Vancouver Opera Few Canadian conductors have had a career so rich and diverse as that of JACQUES LACOMBE. Born in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, in the province of

THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN OPERA IS LED by Detroit. In a 2022 feature on the then-newly appointed Artistic Director of Detroit Opera, Yuval Sharon, New York Times writer and Detroit native Mark Binelli wrote: the future of American opera unfolding in Det

The late actor and comedian Charles Nelson Reilly was a great opera fan, though he was often highly critical of the old-fashioned and staid productions he was seeing. When asked why he still faithfully attended operatic performances he answered, “I a

JORDAN DE SOUZA LAUGHS UPON hearing he’s a prime example of positive leadership within the classical world. “I don’t know about that!” he says, chuckling, “but I do know that conducting makes you very aware of having to wear many different hats.” The

In December 2023, Pacific Opera Victoria (POV) announced the nomi-nation of Canadian stage director Brenna Corner as Artistic Director and confirmed long-term Associate Giuseppe Pietraroia as Principal Conductor. This announcement signalled a major s

Lev Bratishenko spotlights City Opera Vancouver’s new Artistic Director Survival isn’t enough. That’s the Gordon Gerrard, who sounds acutely aware conviction you take away from a conversation with City Opera Vancouver’s Artistic Director of the speci

The 2023 Rubies Nov 6, 2023 A night to remember Kusturok/Weisensel/Steele Li Keur: Riel’s Heart of the North Nov 18 – 24, 2023 “… many compelling moments ringing with truth in this show.” —HOLLY HARRIS Donizetti Lucie de Lammermoor Oct 21 – 28, 2023

MEASHA BRUEGGERGOSMAN-LEE, ELLIOT MADORE, JONELLE SILLS; STEVEN PHILCOX CENTREDISCS — CMCCD 32523 RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 2024 Canadian Art Song Project features the contributions of Black Canadian composers and poets FEBRUARY 2024 IS SET TO BE AN exc

LB: Hello Elliot in Zurich! EM: It’s a really special place for me. My international career started when I was 24 and I was offered a position in the ensemble program in Zurich. And it’s where I met my wife, so I always love to come back. I’m current

» TWO TENDENCIES ARE CLEAR: THE EXTENT TO which festivals now, perhaps more so than opera houses, are committed to opera as a forum for positive cultural, political, and interdisciplinary exchange and secondly, how Canadian singers are taking part in

EMERSON QUARTET, BARBARA HANNIGAN, BERTRAND CHAMAYOU ALPHA CLASSICS ALPHA1000 RELEASED SEPTEMBER 8, 2023 After 47 years of award-winning music-making, the Emerson String Quartet disbanded in October 2023; Infinite Voyage was their final release. THE

WHILE OPERA COMPANIES reduce both the number of productions and performances per season, here instead are leaders with a vision of collaboration, teaching tools with which to earn a living in the face of these realities…at music school! So-called boh

For decades, most young Canadian singers had little choice but to set off to Europe after their studies and look for a position in an opera house, more often than not in Germany, in order to gain some experience singing major roles. Soprano Jonelle S

I reached her in October, a few days before her performance of Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’été at the Societe d’Art Vocal in Montreal was recorded for broadcast by Radio-Canada as a recognition of her selection as ‘Classical Revelation 2023-2024’. Followin