Opera directors: an unfair disadvantage?

Op-ed

It's odd when you think about it too much: opera companies generally employ a person who is less musically literate than many 10-year old pianists, to make directorial choices in a theatre genre where music is the vital vehicle of the story. So, why isn't a strong musical background a prerequisite for directing opera?

She said/He said: Centre Stage 2015

Review

Last night, I went with Greg Finney to Centre Stage, the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Studio Competition. The competition is the culmination of nationwide auditions, narrowing the 120 applicants down to eight young Canadian singers. Dressed in gorgeous gowns and suits (gifted to them from The Hudson's Bay Company's Queen Street store), finalists sing on the Four Seasons Centre stage, with the COC Orchestra led by Music Director Johannes Debus. It's a pretty big deal for these aspiring young singers.

Meet the new Atelier lyrique: Geoffroy Salvas

Interview

Baritone 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."

Interview

Canadian-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!

News

The 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

Interview

Tenor 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

Review

Earlier 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...

Editorial

I'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.