Talking with directors: Christopher Alden

Interview

American opera director Christopher Alden is in Toronto to direct Pyramus and Thisbe, a new opera by Barbara Monk Feldman based on the very old story of Ovid's. Canadian Opera Company General Director Alexander Neef had the idea to create a triple bill, pairing Monk Feldman's opera with two works of Monteverdi: Lamento d'Arianna (the only remaining fragment of his lost opera, Arianna) and Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda.

Rags to Reasonable's Personal Finance Holy Grail

News

My pal Chris Enns is a hardworking tenor, and creator of Rags to Reasonable, a blog about personal finance geared towards artists. He created this fantastic document, The Big Book of Back to School, which is a wicked one-stop link for all your questions about budgets, working as an entrepreneur, and managing your happy factor as well as your money.

Go see: Les paradis perdus / Remix

News

This week, go see something a little different. Originally created by Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie in 2005, Les paradis perdus / Remix is a melding of music and dance that's "a world within a world." The show is part of the new BRIGHT NIGHTS dance/theatre series, and Les paradis perdus features original music by Victoria-based composer Christopher Butterfield. Choreographer Laurence Lemieux leads dancers Luke Garwood and Erin Poole in this work that is "inspired by childhood memories both fond and fearsome."

Daniel Cabena on air india [redacted]

Interview

Canadian countertenor Daniel Cabena will soon head to Vancouver to collaborate with the British Columbia-based Turning Point Ensemble, and singers Zorana Sadiq and Alexander Dobson on Jürgen Simpson's new opera, air india [redacted]. Presented November 6-11th by TPE and Simon Fraser University Woodward's Cultural Programs, air india [redacted] is an operatic telling of the bombing of Air India flight 182 in June, 1985.

Opera da Camera's Hänsel und Gretel

News

Opera da Camera is all about accessibility. For their upcoming Hänsel, they'll hold two free pre-show talks, aimed at both young and adult audiences. "Before our matinée performance, there will be a pre-opera talk geared especially towards children with a professional story teller, and before the opening night there is a pre-opera talk given by a representative of the Goethe Institute of Montreal."

In review: La traviata at the COC

Review

Last night the Canadian Opera Company opened its new production of La traviata, and I was officially excited. La traviata is done often, but it's another thing to hear it done really well. I got my fix at the Four Seasons Centre with the first of two casts singing the 11 shows between now and November 6th.

Don't miss: Joyce El-Khoury in recital

News

On October 19th at noon, soprano Joyce El-Khoury is giving a recital at Classical 96.3 FM's The New Zoomer Studio in Liberty Village. Send an RSVP by email; the first 50 to respond will get two passes for the recital, followed by a gourmet lunch.

We don't have to starve: dreaming of an artistic middle class

Editorial

The starving artist. A cliché so played out it wouldn’t even deserve mentioning if it didn’t reflect the reality of so many. It’s generally agreed upon that since artists have the luxury of living their dreams, they’re signing up for a life of financial struggle. They knew life would be like this, and they chose it anyway.

Gems: Barbara Hannigan does comedy

Humour

Canadian soprano, conductor, and general Renaissance woman Barbara Hannigan has been on my mind lately, largely because she's in Toronto Oct 7th and 8th to conduct and to sing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Hannigan's website has tons of video gems available to view, one of which stuck out as a must-share.