Talking with Singers: Lucia Cesaroni

Interview

Canadian soprano Lucia Cesaroni is one of my favourite singers to hear, and she happens to be equally delightful offstage as well as on. She was even nice enough to give me a heartfelt and honest interview about her life as a singer. She talks about connecting with different types of artists, learning to be her own producer, and about how she found out that singing was just the thing for her.

Talking with singers: Adrian Kramer

Interview

​Like many others in the Canadian opera scene, I first met Adrian Kramer as a baritone in the COC Ensemble Studio. Recently, Adrian made a dramatic and successful shift into tenor singing, and I'm not the only person who heard a truly exciting leap forward.

Chris Mayell: The Opera Career

Interview

Canadian tenor Christopher Mayell is no stranger to Schmopera. This time I asked him if he would chat about the realities of a career as an opera singer. Financial struggles and lost inspiration are part of the opera singer’s trip, and Chris talks about his own experiences in a frank, important interview.

Kieren MacMillan: "We're too precious with opera."

Interview

I met composer Kieren MacMillan on a panel for Catherine Kustanczy’s CIUT 89.5FM radio show, Hydra, and I thought he was a man of great ideas. Among other genres, Kieren writes music theatre and music drama/opera; I was curious about the differences in the workshopping process for each. Kieren speaks on the development of new opera from his own experience as a composer, and tells us about what stories are best set to music.

Aviva Fortunata, finalist, 2015 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition

Interview

The BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition has announced its 20 finalists from around the world; Calgary-born soprano Aviva Fortunata is one of them. She’s a member of the COC Ensemble Studio, and just finished singing the role of Helmwige in Atom Egoyan’s Die Walküre. Aviva is the sole Canadian among the finalists, and in June she’ll head to Cardiff, Wales, to compete in the final competition round, which will be broadcast live online.

Fostering Maestras: The Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera

Interview

The Dallas Opera has announced an exciting new residential program: the Institute for Women Conductors. Running November 28th to December 5th, 2015, the program gives young women the chance to learn and gain conducting experience, with guidance from TDO’s Music Director Emmanuel Villaume, and Principal Guest Conductor, Nicole Paiement (pictured above). Six participants will be selected from the application process, and all six will conduct in a final concert with The Dallas Opera Orchestra.

Bud Roach, on Capella Intima

Interview

Tenor and guitarist Bud Roach is the founder of Capella Intima, an ensemble of singers and instrumentalists that has “carved out a niche for itself in the Toronto early music scene.” Known for their work with 17th century Italian Baroque music, Capella Intima is joining forces with the Gallery Players of Niagara for their next performance on March 6th at the Trinity-St. Paul Centre, which includes Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Bud Roach has a huge passion for what he does, and he was kind enough to answer a few of my questions about his work in Early Music (spoiler: he’s in it for the foul language).

Leslie Dala, on Postcard from Morocco, Julie, and His Conducting Bucket List

Interview

Canadian conductor Leslie Dala is currently in Toronto to lead two casts of students at the University of Toronto in their upcoming production of Dominick Argento’s Postcard from Morocco. Dala is a busy guy, as Music Director of the Vancouver Bach Choir, Principal Conductor of the Vancouver Academy of Music, and Associate Conductor and Chorus Master of Vancouver Opera. I hopped on the phone with him this week to ask him about all of the different hats he wears at work.

Erik Ochsner on conducting Star Trek: "goose bumps and tears are NOT optional!"

Interview

American-Finnish conductor Erik Ochsner has built himself a pretty cool career. On March 21st, he'll head to the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, for a viewing of Star Trek (2009) with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony playing the soundtrack, live, by Michael Giacchino. Ochsner is no stranger to combining popular culture with live music, having conducted concerts featuring music from Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, and Disney's Pixar films. I was eager to ask him about the significance of combining cultural elements of today with the symphonic orchestra of past centuries.

Go See This: Carla Huhtanen and Nicole Lizée in Tap:Ex Tables Turned

Interview

Tapestry Opera continues its 35th anniversary season with Tap:Ex Tables Turned, running March 20 & 21 at the Ernest Balmer Studio in the Distillery District. Soprano Carla Huhtanen (right) teams up with Montréal-based composer and turntablist Nicole Lizée (left) to present “a boundary-breaking, multi-media concert.”