Musician Marketing Masterclass

Editorial

The 6 skills/topics listed above are core to an effective marketing package. Yup, it takes time and work to acquire any of these items. But it will not cost you thousands of dollars, nor is it impossible…if you have the determination to use your search bar, put in a few hours a week, and chip away at the tasks over time.

Spotlight on: Maika'i Nash

Interview

Maika'i Nash is one of Canada's busiest pianists and vocal coaches. He is the Resident Music Director of Opera 5, and he has worked with singers in Toronto, Montréal, and New York City, making his debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall this past season with soprano Andrey Luna.

Spotlight on: Christopher James Ray

Interview

Christopher James Ray is a rising conductor based out of Houston, TX. In recent seasons, Christopher has been busy at Florida State Opera and Sarasota Opera, and he'll make his debut at Opera on the James in 2015/16. Christopher is a student and protégé of American composer Carlisle Floyd, having assisted him on Of Mice and Men in 2012, and recording an album of Floyd's songs with mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer.

James Rolfe & Anna Chatterton, on creating Crush

Interview

Here at The Banff Centre, we're working on Crush, a new opera by composer James Rolfe and librettist Anna Chatterton. It's a fascinating piece, based on Mozart's Don Giovanni, this time featuring a female protagonist named Donna. I was thrilled when Anna and James offered to talks about the process of creating Crush.

Lost in translation?

Op-ed

A translated libretto is one of the more exasperating things in the life of an opera singer. Not always, of course; English to German and vice versa work pretty well, similarly with Italian to French. For reasons that sound trite, singing an English Il barbiere di Siviglia or a German Carmen can feel uncomfortable and weird.

Catty commentary, or what's not useful for opera

Op-ed

The Cardiff broadcast looks a bit like a mix between mainstream talent shows (So-and-So-Country's Got Talent, etc.) and TSN; I'm not opposed to the preamble, introducing the singers with an interview and building hype with all the backstage footage. What I didn't like was the commentary. I was appalled to hear what was being said about these young singers; perhaps the idea was to provide context and insider information for listeners, but I think it was just mean.

Banff Diaries: Day 0

Editorial

It happened; I got on a plane (and then a bus) and landed in Banff. There was the usual mid-flight panic about whether or not my running shoes were actually in my suitcase (they were) and oh god did I forget my phone charger???

Greg & Jenna's 2014/15 Opera Season Roundup

Humour

Greg Finney and I caught plenty of shows together over the 2014/15 opera season in Toronto, and we like to join forces with our reviews to see where we agree, disagree, come to fisticuffs, etc. I figured a recap of our most memorable of the year was in order, so, over some wine, Greg & I chat about what shows, and which artists, we both loved.

Turning opera "inside-out, upside-down" at Summer Opera Camp

Interview

In the last of our conversations with the folks behind the Canadian Opera Company's Summer Opera Camp, I chat with drama specialist Jen Johnson and design specialist Sonja Rainey. Drama teacher Jen is Co-Artistic Director of Kick Start Arts, a not-for-profit aimed at using the arts "to empower students, youth and adults to express themselves through the creative process." Sonja is a Dora-award nominated set and costume designer, working most recently with the Bicycle Opera Project for their East coast tour this summer.

A summer surprise

News

On this beautiful Saturday morning, we've got exciting news to announce! For four weeks starting Monday, I'll be writing from the beautiful Banff Centre, where I'll be joining Against the Grain Theatre and the Canadian Opera Company at Open Space: Opera in the 21st Century. I'll be there to music direct the workshop production of James Rolfe's new opera, Crush, which is a completely cool take (homage?) on the Don Juan story and Mozart's Don Giovanni.