Michael Christie: new opera that the box office loves

Interview

It seems, when an audience is left to decide what they deem "opera", that they respond positively to hearing new works; Christie credits the community surrounding Minnesota Opera for the consistent support. "In some communities, new music doesn't go over quite as well," he explains. "Minnesota is a very particular community; I feel very lucky to be there."

Spotlight on: Naomi Eberhard

Interview

"Good singing is an honest, unobstructed release of beauty. Our body is our instrument. It must be healthy and in tune constantly. We must sing sincerely and only with a technique that we know is correct for us. Do not sing in a way that does not feel right, just because someone tells you it is the 'right' way to sing."

Toni Castells: new operas, & new science

Interview

"Science and technology have always fascinated me but at times I've wondered if they are slowly distancing us from our true nature and true purpose. My work is a diary of my existence, about what issues interest or trouble me at a particular stage of life, so I use my music as a cathartic experience to deal with these issues and try and understand them."

New programs: Opera at Tanglewood

Interview

"The main goal is to give these promising artists a taste of what a professional career in opera is like. They are held to very high expectations; each of them is assigned a full role and they must arrive with it 100% memorized. They are expected to be well prepared and eager to learn, show that they are team players, and act in a professional manner throughout the program."

Spotlight on: Geoffrey Penar

Interview

"I think when it feels bad for me, I'm not thinking about the action of the scene, I'm just worried about the next phrase. I remember a coaching with Patrick Hansen (head of Opera McGill). He told me, "Geoff, just act it! Stop thinking so much. Just make sense of the words and act it." And it fixed so many of the technical problems I was having instantly."

Talking with singers: René Barbera

Interview

"It gets to be a bit much," confesses Barbera."That's the hardest thing about this career, no question, is being on the road all the time." He's away from home roughly 10 months out of a given year; this season, he moved into his apartment with his wife in late December, and by the second week of January, they were gone for five months, minus a 36-hour stop at home between contracts.

Art imitating life: Pat & Emilia

Interview

The choice isn't always binary, and we've met plenty of singers who refuse to make an "either/or" decision about work and family. Still, it's one of the biggest points of crisis for a working artist, and there's something fascinating and meta about how Smallman's opera, and the singers in it, unpack this familiar story.

Spotlight on: Samantha Pickett

Interview

"The actual concept of opera is quite simple: Remember all of those angst-laden journal entries, love letters and hyper-realistic hormone-induced dreams you would have as a teenager? Imagine if those came to life, accompanied by the most glorious soundtrack you can fathom. That's opera."

Spotlight on: Stephanie Tritchew

Interview

"Why am I doing it professionally? That's easy: because I'm lucky enough to have that opportunity. If I wasn't doing it professionally, I'd be doing it for fun. I think if anyone could do their absolute favourite thing on the planet and get paid for doing it, they would every time."

All about the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute

Interview

We had the chance to hear from with baritone Brian Mummert, soprano Marjolaine Horreaux, and mezzo-soprano Georgia Burashko, three singers from this summer's Baroque Summer Institute; they chat about their experience so far, and why they've sought the focused training offered by Tafelmusik.