Aviva Fortunata: "It was a total blur!"

Interview

"There wasn't time for much but to put on my costume and have a quick chat with the other Norns about all the rope action. The next thing I remember is the curtain opening and then the scene ending, it was a total blur! After that, I had 16 minutes to change into my first Gutrune costume. There were at least four ladies waiting to get me ready, it was a real team effort, to say the least."

Tara Erraught: "My job is to tell a story."

Interview

"I also adore singing Hansel, as I feel like I play exactly as my brother was when we were children, and let me tell you, boys have more fun! (They don't care about keeping their clothes clean, or sitting up straight, or how their hair looks... they just eat, play and are merry!)"

Talking with singers: Robin Johannsen

Interview

"It's like a burning desire to connect with people," says Johannsen of her pursuit of opera. "I think I do it because there's unfortunately nothing else that I can find that makes me have that feeling that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing." Not everyone finds a career that's fulfilling, let alone one "where you really feel alive."

Talking with singers: Ailyn Pérez

Interview

"I would tell everybody that the work is real," she says with a laugh. "Just because now you've sung at the Metropolitan Opera or have a new production, or have reached your dream role...the work still remains." Pérez describes it as having to "reintroduce yourself all the time," taking charge of her own professional choices and constantly looking ahead to the next project.

Vera Causa Opera: "Opera for all."

Interview

"Accessible opera is opera which allows the viewer to have a direct connection with the work, and allows for performers that would otherwise not be able to partake in the production to be a significant part of it. The fact of the matter is there are things which hinder a direct connection to traditional opera. For us, we tailor our operas to suit the average person and in some ways take off the rose-coloured glasses."

Talking with singers: Angela Gheorghiu

Interview

"Often colleagues are scared to say "no", they fear that they would no longer be invited any more. Everyone wants to be able to sing a lot. Sometimes singers want everything, too fast and too soon. Nobody really constructs a real career, a personality which may, in the future, fill the concert halls and theatres. Many colleagues have difficulties and concerns with modern productions, but once again, no-one has the courage to refuse to perform on this basis."

Cloisters and clowns: SOPAC's inaugural double-bill

Interview

"It's a pair that, as far as we were able to find, had never been a pair before, and we've surrounded ourselves with the juxtaposed idea of the beauty and the beast 'out of the box' idea behind this double bill. We were also fascinated with the idea that neither production has been done frequently in Ottawa - they are a bit off the beaten path."

Apian opera: don't miss The Swarm

Interview

"Our aim is for the audience to feel part of the colony and one of the bees. The message is togetherness and love and we want the audience to be included within that. Just as every bee has a role within the colony, so too does the audience."

Talking with singers: Scott Hendricks

Interview

"This is a very good question. Firstly, my current self would tell my younger self to keep studying voice on a consistent basis. This is difficult because we travel so much and we're away from home for weeks and months at a time. Regardless, it's important to make time for touching base with your voice teacher and/or vocal coach."

Who's afraid of the aging singer?

Interview

"In later career, there is much less forgiveness for a less than standard performance, whether it is loss in vocal function, beauty, tone quality or whatever, there is much less margin for error. As a young singer, you are perceived as fresh and new, so companies are willing to give you more chances. It is much more challenging to maintain a career as you age than it is to begin. Companies will often hear younger singers in audition again and again, while they often dismiss older artists."