4 foreign language challenges for singers

Without enough nasal quality in those very particular French vowels, you'll sound like an awkward American, speaking Italian with a bad head cold; go too far with your nasality, and you can be accused of making a gross mockery of what French sounds like to non-French people.

David Hertzberg's The Wake World: "A strange and sexy synergy."

Interview

"I hope people enjoy the show (!), maybe even get carried away, and that afterwards they experience the collection, and maybe even opera, or dare I say, art in general, with fresh ears and eyes."

Singers: it's time to expand your dating pool

Editorial

Having a partner who isn't a musician will also be a great way of making sure you don't lose your friends in the process of gaining a romantic relationship; you'll always need to have those cathartic, industry-specific conversations with people who get your shorthand, and it's a beautiful thing to have a few things that remain specially reserved for you and your singer friends.

"We all wear clothes. They sit right on our skin."

Interview

"This is the perfect opera for Bicycle Opera! It has given us an amazing opportunity to tour this work to locations outside of the regular concert venue, since we don't need a piano or any space for our instrumentalists. This year, we were able to bring the show to some spaces that had a direct connection to the material."

In review: Sweat

Review

It's a story that confirms one's hunches about where their $12 tank tops come from, and one that addresses the unresolved truths that are sadly outweighed by the temptations of corporate profit and customer convenience ("If I don't buy it, someone else will."). The opera itself is a cross between an ensemble piece and a vaguely heroic story of one factory worker who fights for fair treatment.

Moral issues & well-loved tunes: BK Opera's La traviata

Interview

"I think the idea that Violetta is a delicate, fragile person who sacrifices herself for a man is a problematic one. She makes the decision to leave Alfredo with a heavy heart and is independent and strong - which then makes her death all the more heart-wrenching."

Ariadne comes to the Berkshire Opera Festival

Interview

"I anticipate that with the Berkshire Opera Festival staff and the talent we bring in, artists and designers, that we will have similar if not greater success than last year. In addition, producing a lesser-know piece like Ariadne doesn’t worry us because the Berkshire audience is a sophisticated one. They do not need to recognize a name in order to attend a show. Exploring the entire operatic repertoire is a part of the Berkshire Opera Festival mission."

In review: SOLT's Canadian double-bill

Review

Night Blooming Cereus and A Northern Lights Dream have little in common except the fact that they're Canadian operas, set in the worlds of small-town Shakespeare, Ontario.

Young singers in Santa Fe: Stephen Martin

Interview

"Of course there is also the house audition, where directors, agents, and other music staff from opera houses from the United States and around the world attend to hear each apprentice sing an aria. It's huge exposure for us."

In review: Dead Man Walking at Miami Music Festival

Review

The audience was left with no question of Joseph De Rocher's guilt – but Sister Helen's resolute narrative transformed the convicted murderer into a man who is conflicted, complicated, and deeply human. In the final scene, De Rocher was administered the lethal injection, strapped upright to a gurney in imagery undoubtedly evoking a crucifixion. The audience, then, was left with questions: did De Rocher's death truly achieve justice? In admitting his guilt, did he open himself to forgiveness? Or were his horrible crimes simply unforgivable?