Christophe Dumaux
Talking with composers: Alexina Louie
Interview"Inspiration doesn't just suddenly strike. Most often, I sit at the piano and improvise until I find a musical idea that is worth keeping. I will sketch it out and work with it. Sometimes when I am stuck on a passage unable to come up with a musical solution, I think about it when I am not at the piano. Sometimes I work out possibilities in my head and get back to the piano to realize them. I have pages and pages of drafts, most of which I don't use, but working out the ideas gets me to a new place."
Talking with composers: Juliana Hall
Interview"Despite its difficulties, there is nothing I can imagine I would rather be doing with my life than composing art songs...it is my world, and it is where I belong."
Don't miss: Luminato's Bearing
News"Bearing is the first production in which I am examining what Indian Residential School means - to myself, to this company, and more importantly to this nation. This is not something that happened to a few people a long time ago; what happened then echoes and reverberates through all our lives. That's what Bearing means - how do we carry this history? How do we come to terms with it?"
Josephine and The Artizans' HipHopera: Act II
ReviewAbove it all, Josephine's voice soars. Hardcore opera fans may have a tough time with JATA's almost instrumental use of the voice - its function melodic, a unique ingredient in their music's texture - yet it's a testament to Josephine's savvy straddling of classically-inspired songwriting and producing work that has commercial appeal.
In review: Miss Hope Springs at Wigmore Hall
ReviewIt's difficult to come up with any artists who have recently graced Wigmore Hall who have that same power - whose mere entrance can rile up a crowd, who doesn't even have to play a note to have us on the edge of our seats. This is the kind of magical ability that classical performers should be trying to discover.
The practice tip you don't want to hear
EditorialThat's where slowness comes in. It's the great magnifying glass, the exposer of weak spots. It's in slow practice that you find the crux of the problem, the ignored detail, the missing piece that makes the difference between a section of music that's hit-and-miss, and one that's consistent like a Swiss watch.
In review: The Seven Deadly Sins at TSO
ReviewIvany seems to take a different tack with their relationship. It almost seems this time around as though Anna I (the singer) is actually part of Anna II's (the dancer) demise. She seems to be the one encouraging her sister to indulge in the seven sins in order to make their money. #CouPIMPgh.
Don't miss: Everybody's Got a Story
NewsKatie Edwards has conceived of this tribute to Canada's proud legacy of women singers and songwriters, and with the musical direction and arrangements by Jeannie Wyse, Everybody's Got a Story nods to greats like Joni Mitchell, Anne Murray, Celine Dion, Alanis Morissette, Shania Twain, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Jann Arden and Sarah McLachlan.
Talking with composers: Omar Daniel
Interview"Writing music is like building a house. Some decisions are based on inspiration (what material is the floor? Oak, maple? What colour is the stain going to be?). Others are based on using simple tools to build: a hammer and nails. When I am uninspired, there is always hammer-and-nail work to do."
Spotlight on: Iain MacNeil
Interview"I've learned that audiences and even audition panels will forgive vocal imperfection for a committed, sincere interpretation of a role or a piece. That said, I've learned that establishing a healthy singing technique that you can rely on day in and day out is priceless. Perhaps most importantly I've learned that a positive attitude helps to foster an effective and enjoyable work environment."