Heavy scenes: the fast lane to a great rehearsal room

Editorial

Rehearsing comedy is a picky thing, and at least it comes with work-mandated jokes. Rehearsing tragedy can really underscore an artist's maturity, willingness to be vulnerable, and the respect that is the inevitable cornerstone of any collaborative work. It's an odd thing, to be grateful for a rape scene. Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that the heaviest of onstage stories are the best at fostering offstage relationships.

Spotlight on: Naomi Eberhard

Interview

"Good singing is an honest, unobstructed release of beauty. Our body is our instrument. It must be healthy and in tune constantly. We must sing sincerely and only with a technique that we know is correct for us. Do not sing in a way that does not feel right, just because someone tells you it is the 'right' way to sing."

Toni Castells: new operas, & new science

Interview

"Science and technology have always fascinated me but at times I've wondered if they are slowly distancing us from our true nature and true purpose. My work is a diary of my existence, about what issues interest or trouble me at a particular stage of life, so I use my music as a cathartic experience to deal with these issues and try and understand them."

New programs: Opera at Tanglewood

Interview

"The main goal is to give these promising artists a taste of what a professional career in opera is like. They are held to very high expectations; each of them is assigned a full role and they must arrive with it 100% memorized. They are expected to be well prepared and eager to learn, show that they are team players, and act in a professional manner throughout the program."

Banff Diaries: the mid-way report

Editorial

Among the facts of the program are the moments of inspiration and joy that come out of opera, and working on opera in beautiful Banff. Each person at Open Space has had the chance to look at a stunning mountain vista, or stellar sunset, and say to the person next to them, "wow." There have been heroic tales of hiking mountains, of bear sightings, of conquering the horror that is 80% oxygen levels while being asked to sing.

Ian Smith of the EMC: "We unite through the common language of music"

News

In the wake of disbelief following the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union, we are saddened and stunned for the British and Northern Irish people. Among the industries that will surely feel the effects of an independent UK are the arts. We'd like to share a statement by Ian Smith, Head of Music at Creative Scotland, and Chair & President of the European Music Council.

Spotlight on: Geoffrey Penar

Interview

"I think when it feels bad for me, I'm not thinking about the action of the scene, I'm just worried about the next phrase. I remember a coaching with Patrick Hansen (head of Opera McGill). He told me, "Geoff, just act it! Stop thinking so much. Just make sense of the words and act it." And it fixed so many of the technical problems I was having instantly."

Call for submissions: Mahogany Opera Group's Various Stages

News

A Mahogany creation, with the aim to test and challenge new ideas in opera and music theatre, Various Stages is an annual programme that offers selected artists the chance to put their projects through various workshops, sharings, and public showings, with support given along the way.

Talking with singers: René Barbera

Interview

"It gets to be a bit much," confesses Barbera."That's the hardest thing about this career, no question, is being on the road all the time." He's away from home roughly 10 months out of a given year; this season, he moved into his apartment with his wife in late December, and by the second week of January, they were gone for five months, minus a 36-hour stop at home between contracts.

Art imitating life: Pat & Emilia

Interview

The choice isn't always binary, and we've met plenty of singers who refuse to make an "either/or" decision about work and family. Still, it's one of the biggest points of crisis for a working artist, and there's something fascinating and meta about how Smallman's opera, and the singers in it, unpack this familiar story.