Elza van den Heever and the MET Orchestra: A stunning all-Strauss program
Meet the new Atelier lyrique: Geoffroy Salvas
InterviewBaritone Geoffroy Salvas joined the Atelier lyrique this season, and he appeared in L'Opéra de Montréal's 2015 production of Kevin Puts' Silent Night. Salvas has sung since he was very young, starting in choirs at school; he studied piano and cello, but singing was always there. A lover of architecture, Salvas took videographer Anne Kostalas to some of his favourite spots in his hometown of Montréal.
Chris Lysack, on singing: "It’s naked."
InterviewCanadian-born tenor Chris Lysack brings a lot to the table when he takes on roles like Florestan (Fidelio), Walther von Stolzing in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and the Prince in Rusalka. He studied voice at the Manhattan School of Music, after he earned a Doctor of Music as a pianist, and a PhD in French literature, both from Indiana University.
Meet the director: Liza Balkan
Interview"Why do I do it? I love telling stories." Balkan agrees that the process can be different from theatre to opera, from workshop to finished product, but it's always inspiring. "The collective minds in a room, what can be created that way is just so delicious."
The AGO, now with more music!
NewsThe AGO has partnered with Tapestry Opera to launch a new concert series on Friday evenings, each featuring music go to hand-in-hand with what's on at the Gallery. Yesterday the AGO launched J.M.W. Turner: Painting Set Free, an exhibition of over 50 large-scale paintings and watercolours by British artist Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851).
Meet the new Atelier lyrique: Caroline Gélinas
Mezzo-soprano Caroline Gélinas has begun her first season as a member of the Atelier lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal, and this month she'll have her performance on the mainstage in Strauss' Elektra. Caroline is from a small village in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and she talks about her passion for the outdoors, and how her hikes in the woods fostered a love of singing.
Meet the new Atelier lyrique: Kevin Geddes
InterviewTenor Kevin Geddes, is originally from Québec City, QC, and this is his first season with the Atelier lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal. Videographer Anne Kostalas followed Kevin to Montréal's Poutinefest, where he chats about his roots in AC/DC, Pink Floyd, and high school musicals.
In review: Opera Atelier's Armide
ReviewEarlier this month I spoke with OA Artistic Director Marshall Pynkoski, who said, "love can be something that saves people or destroys people. Love is amoral. Love cuts through like a knife – anyone in love is cut open. Love is more powerful than hate, but that doesn’t mean it’s a happy ending."
Happy Hallowe'en, Miles...
EditorialI'm always looking for an excuse for more Benjamin Britten, and thankfully he wrote the notoriously creepy opera based on Henry James' novella, The Turn of the Screw. It's got ghosts, troubled kids, maybe a haunted house, maybe some mental illness, and the general eeriness of what I imagine is a damp, foggy English countryside.
Talking with singers: Joyce El-Khoury
InterviewCanadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury is the perfect person to ask about Violetta Valéry, the heroine of Verdi's beloved La traviata. She has sung the role in over twelve productions, including at Welsh National Opera, Palm Beach Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, and currently with the Royal Opera House.
In review: David Warrack's Abraham
ReviewWednesday, October 28, 2015 at the Metropolitan United Church on the corner of Queen Street East and Church Street in the heart of Downtown Toronto was the the premiere of a new Canadian work by composer David Warrack.