5 items to make touring life more fun

Op-Ed

We were away for six weeks in the fall and four in the spring, touring our opera in remote parts of Québec and Ontario. It may not have been France, but I have had some of the best moments in my professional life.

Projecting on opera: Oper Frankfurt's Radamisto in revival

Review

Then the production succumbs to another tired trope in an attempt to solve the problem of too little too late. Tiridate slits everyone's throat in the midst of their celebratory epilogue as if to ask: is it still opera if no one dies?

Don't miss: Journey Opera North's bold inaugural production

Review

In a preview on Monday, the company showed an impressive cast of young local talent and a very thoughtful premise for the controversial show. The company has also included a violence and intimacy director in the production - a presence that, hopefully, will some day be a regular credit in programs.

Open secrets, big egos, & opera creeps

Op-Ed

I'm just done with it. It's exhausting and gross. I've learned (unfortunately) that on the Venn diagram of people who are pro-opera and people who are creeps, there's serious overlap.

AtG & UofT's Summer Modern Intensive: "They are eager. Period."

Interview

"The singers all study or have studied music and want to immerse themselves in the process and see how far they can stretch themselves. It can be daunting, but they are up for the challenge."

Little room for creativity in Font's WTO Barber

Review

This was a co-production with multiple opera houses around the world, including Houston Grand Opera and Opera Australia. As usual, the individuals in the company were top notch vocally, but unfortunately the production over all fell flat.

A freshly mixed bag at Tête-à-Tête's Opera Festival

Review

What I like about The Tete-a-Tete Opera Festival is that it is always a mixed bag. It is an incredibly liberating thing to watch so many creative performers and theatre-makers experiment with the limitations of the form.

Site-specific & intimate: selections from Tête-à-Tête: The Opera Festival

Review

All senses were catered to as audience members were misted with fragrant water and touched softly by the performers while being whispered and sung to directly.

Talking with singers: Mario Bahg

Interview

"The greatest purpose is to be evaluated. Every major competition brings famous vocalists or professionals involved in music to the jury."

Pountney's oversimplified War and Peace

Review

Writing an opera of this scale is not a simple charge and the task of producing it faces even more challenges; it is an immense work to attempt to pay homage to. There were a few magical, sparkling moments on stage that were completely true to the book, perfectly capturing the essence of Tolstoy's words.