Cute & catchy: The Schoolyard Carmen

Review

Hardcore opera fans will also get a kick out of a show like Schoolyard Carmen. It's entertaining to hear how the music is re-purposed, and there's an added layer of humour comparing the aria contexts of Bizet's work, and Shoestring Opera's. The "Toreador Song" was basically the same - a cocky kid telling everyone how great he really is - and Carmen's sombre Card Aria retains its fateful mood as the young newcomer to school ponders her destiny while sitting expectantly in the Vice Principal's office.

Spotlight on: Eric Barry

Interview

"Thinking of the collective hours everyone in the room has spent honing their craft is mind-blowing, and in this brief instant it all comes together to create a magical moment in time that can never be recreated. Whoa."

Spotlight on: Michael Uloth

Interview

"Sooner or later, other jobs feel like work, but singing never does. My desire to become a better singer makes every chance to sing feel fun. Singing also reminds me to be playful and creative, which has always been a helpful balance to my overly cerebral and organized approach to life — something I missed while I was away."

4 unwritten skills professional singers need

Editorial

Interestingly enough, it's a reason to stay well-rounded, even while pursuing something time-consuming like singing; having something to say comes from having opinions on the world, and those are easier to come by outside of the bubble of singing and opera.

Talking with voice docs: Dr. Paul E. Kwak

Interview

"People have so much fear about injury or the discovery of pathology on the vocal cords," Kwak explains of common diagnoses like nodules, cysts, or polyps on the cords. "I think a lot of it was borne out of this unscientific school of voice teaching."

New voices: TSMF's Art Song ReGENERATION

Review

Hearing final-product concerts like this second Art Song reGENERATION is a bit like looking through a keyhole, piquing plenty of curiosity about these singers' work in a broader sense. Their performances spoke of a combination of thoughtful artists and excellent mentors.

Spotlight on: Danika Lorèn

Interview

"Be a good colleague not because you want to make a good impression on people, but because you care about the working environment that you are part of. A negative rehearsal space can be poisonous and a little bit of camaraderie can make a world of difference."

In review: Laura Mvula with the LSO

Review

Singing her own songs arranged by Troy Miller, Mvula possesses that truly remarkable quality that has come to be a holy grail for singers of all styles: that when she is performing, you feel like she is looking directly at you, talking to you specifically.

The value of creating new work for singers

Op-ed

"I appreciated that we weren't the focus of the project; we were the vessel for it. Everything in the experience was about making the art better and it was our job to the best performance possible. In any opera, the music comes from the libretto and every note means something. To have that be the full focus of the project meant that was a different musical experience for me."

No, opera is not misogynist

Editorial

Certainly, if you look at opera's plots in a vacuum, perhaps you could find evidence of misogyny. But it would entirely miss the point of opera - art, really - to ignore the opinions of its composers and librettists.