Don't miss: In the Alps with the Aurora Orchestra

Interview

"The girl in the Ayres piece In the Alps is a rather odd character; sometimes comic, sometimes sad but also whimsical and passionate. She has been brought up by goats in the wilds of the mountains and at the start, can only sing as the animals do. But then as she grows up, so her longing for human contact also grows and she is drawn to the sounds of the bugle coming from the town below."

In review: Hipermestra at Glyndebourne

Review

Fifty brides, a giant flying peacock, and appropriated costumes from the middle east are all present in Glyndebourne’s new production of Hipermestra by Cavalli. Long-established Glyndebourne veterans William Christie and Graham Vick collaborated to bring this opera to life for the first time since the seventeenth century.

"Why is it ugly?" & other good questions about new opera

Editorial

After all, opera isn't just music, and it isn't just theatre. If it's well-written opera, the music we hear is directly connected with the action and text. I often wonder: if people had heard famous film scores - Psycho, Star Wars, etc. - without having ever seen the films, would they find the music appealing? Would they find the Imperial March catchy, or full of wrong notes? If they thought those sawing strings from Hitchcock's shower scene sounded screechy and ugly, could they be blamed?

Talking with composers: Ivan Barbotin

Interview

"I don't really believe in inspiration. If what you are referring to by that word is a state of mind allowing for a free and easy flow of ideas, then I think it can be activated by simply sitting down and doing the work at hand. If at first nothing interesting comes to mind, I think the process itself eventually activates the neural circuitry required for being 'in the zone'."

Spotlight on: Abigail Levis

Interview

"Once you are out of school, and as you move through your training programs, you find that there is no definite way to be an artist and there is no right way to be an opera singer. It's about making choices and standing by them. It's about trying new things and finding what works for you in this moment and what does not."

Spotlight on: Dion Mazerolle

Interview

"Good singing for me means communicating. In and after school, we learn how to sing, breathe, how to create legato, vocal colour, control of sound, pronunciation but we do all this toward the ultimate goal of communicating something to our audience. Whether it is from opera, recital or oratorio, we are here to tell a story. When you achieve it, you feel like you have a purpose."

Spotlight on: Emma Char

Interview

"Until recently, I thought that if I wasn't doing everything I could to become a successful opera singer all the time (following all opportunities and constantly working my butt off to the point of exhaustion) that I should feel badly because I wasn't as completely committed as I thought I should be. Over time, I've come to feel that through relaxing a bit everything is actually a lot easier."

Spotlight on: Michael J. Scott

Interview

"As for what not to do, I can say as the most guilty party, stop bitching and moaning. It doesn't help anything and will put you in a terrible place emotionally. It is tempting and easy to sit around complaining about the system, about other singers, about the schedule being late again, but it's just a waste of your time and energy."

Spotlight on: Christina Haldane

Interview

"I feel one of the biggest challenges for us all not to compare our own successes with others. Have faith in your abilities and learn to keep re-defining your image of what 'success' looks like to you. Check in with what the 'old' you in a rocking chair would say about the choices you make now, any regrets? "

Spotlight on: Adam Fisher

Interview

"For me, exercise and the outdoors has always cathartic. Getting outside for a bike ride or weight training during a contract is such a great release for me. It's kinda like meditation and gives me a place to let out all the baggage built up from the process of creating art."