Listening to pop music: an opera critics's running playlist

Editorial

The cool thing about being an over-educated musician listening to pop music while on a runner's high is that you can do what I call varsity-level listening. It just means that compared to how the average person who didn't do two degrees in Western classical music, you're listening to music with more tools in your ears.

Homegrown gems: TOT presents A Northern Lights Dream

Editorial

"Representation matters. New works matter. Canadian works matter. We are proud to have the honour and privilege to give space to these characters and voices - and relish the opportunity to do more in the future."

Opera InReach to stream Art For Peace: A Fundraising Concert for Ukraine

Editorial

"Exploring themes of resilience, hope, and justice, Art for Peace aims to raise funds for Ukrainian individuals in need while also demanding peace in Ukraine," Opera InReach says of Art For Peace. The concert is also supported by the Ukrainian Art Song Project, Tapestry Opera, Against the Grain Theatre, and individual international artists.

Opera + politics + blurry lines + being kind

Editorial

At the same time, if you wear blackface in 2019, you've got to be quite stubborn indeed not to apologize for it. And if you're an opera singer who insists that opera-singing shouldn't be interrupted by a pandemic, I think that you show a really low level of humility.

The new opera fan's perfect listening party

Editorial

On February 9 at 7:30pm ET, join PROTOTYPE's listening party, featuring the soon-to-be-released album by David T. Little and Royce Vavrek, Am I Born.

Contributor Michael Pecak to make conducting debut at COT

Editorial

Next month, Pecak will make his principal conducting debut with Chicago Opera Theatre, in the world premiere of The Beekeeper. The opera is a one-act with music by Wang Lu and a libretto by Kelley Rourke that hints at mystery and a bit of spookiness.

Canadian pride: Boston's Svadba looks like a must-watch

Editorial

I have a special spot in my heart for this 2011 opera, often billed as Svadba-Wedding. I saw it in what I believe was it's earliest stages, in rehearsals for the first performance with Queen of Puddings Theatre in Toronto.

Opera creeps back to Canada & it reminds me of Beethoven

Editorial

In the before times, I was all for stories that had big emotions and swept me out of reality; now, it feels futile to expect that a great high note can affect us with the same ease that it did before we all lost ourselves to a public health emergency.

3 children's books that would make excellent operas

Editorial

Simple and evocative language, a close relationship between visuals and text, even a few great rhymes thrown around — this is the stuff of excellent children's literature. And in case I'm not clearly driving my point home, the stuff of great operas.

Don't miss: Angel Blue's star-studded webinar

Editorial

Star mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, Grammy-nominated countertenor Anthony Roth Constanzo, acclaimed stage director James Robinson (who directs both Fire and Porgy at the Met), and David Lomeli, Santa Fe Opera's Artistic Administrator and Casting Director at the Bayerische Staatsoper — they'll all join Blue for a 90-minute discussion moderated by Opera America CEO Marc Scorca.