Music degrees & expectations: 4 tips for new students

Editorial

Remember that being able to call yourself a Curtis student or a Juilliard student or say you attend the Conservatoire is a statement about status, and no indicator of your musicianship. So, be fair to your chosen school and what it can offer; more importantly, be honest with yourself about your academic goals.

Fab nights: Whose Opera is it Anyway?

Editorial

The players onstage, who in fact make up "Canada's only Opera Improv group" had fun and poked fun. They conjured up cringe-worthy audition situations, laid out solid impressions of well-known opera bosses, and basically roasted every stereotype of "Canadian contemporary opera". By design, what happened onstage was not only relevant to the audience, but hopelessly intertwined.

In review: TSMF's Night at the Opera

Review

There were some serious highlights of the evening; Lorèn earned some well-deserved "bravas" after her stunning "Caro nome" from Rigoletto, and Honeywell made an impactful entrance with his first aria, "Ah, la paterna mano" from Verdi's Macbeth. Relyea made us lean in with his "Il lacerato spirito" (Don Carlo), and Nesrallah broke the ice with her lovely starter, "Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix" (Samson et Dalila). Plus, honourary singer of the evening Nikki Chooi broke hearts with the Méditation from Massenet's Thaïs.

Don't miss: Beatrix Potter at Edinburgh Fringe

Interview

"Beatrix Potter's storytelling was straightforward and honest. She never talked down to her young readers whilst still making them believe that it's perfectly normal for animals to talk and interact with humans."

Cute & catchy: The Schoolyard Carmen

Review

Hardcore opera fans will also get a kick out of a show like Schoolyard Carmen. It's entertaining to hear how the music is re-purposed, and there's an added layer of humour comparing the aria contexts of Bizet's work, and Shoestring Opera's. The "Toreador Song" was basically the same - a cocky kid telling everyone how great he really is - and Carmen's sombre Card Aria retains its fateful mood as the young newcomer to school ponders her destiny while sitting expectantly in the Vice Principal's office.

Spotlight on: Eric Barry

Interview

"Thinking of the collective hours everyone in the room has spent honing their craft is mind-blowing, and in this brief instant it all comes together to create a magical moment in time that can never be recreated. Whoa."

Spotlight on: Michael Uloth

Interview

"Sooner or later, other jobs feel like work, but singing never does. My desire to become a better singer makes every chance to sing feel fun. Singing also reminds me to be playful and creative, which has always been a helpful balance to my overly cerebral and organized approach to life — something I missed while I was away."

4 unwritten skills professional singers need

Editorial

Interestingly enough, it's a reason to stay well-rounded, even while pursuing something time-consuming like singing; having something to say comes from having opinions on the world, and those are easier to come by outside of the bubble of singing and opera.

Talking with voice docs: Dr. Paul E. Kwak

Interview

"People have so much fear about injury or the discovery of pathology on the vocal cords," Kwak explains of common diagnoses like nodules, cysts, or polyps on the cords. "I think a lot of it was borne out of this unscientific school of voice teaching."

New voices: TSMF's Art Song ReGENERATION

Review

Hearing final-product concerts like this second Art Song reGENERATION is a bit like looking through a keyhole, piquing plenty of curiosity about these singers' work in a broader sense. Their performances spoke of a combination of thoughtful artists and excellent mentors.