Table of contents for Fall 2021 in Opera Canada

At the time of writing most of our companies have not announced any plans to go ‘live’ with ‘big opera’ until January 2022. Exceptions this fall are in Québec where there will be an Atelier lyrique-led double bill in Montreal and a fully-staged Elisir in the province’s capital. And in November/December, there are live shows in Winnipeg and Vancouver. The Canadian Opera Company will present an all-digital fall season. In ruminating about this state of affairs with colleagues, writers, and artists, no one seems to be able to tease out why we’re still in this boat, this far into the pandemic. Across Europe and the US, many theatres are open at full capacity due to the requirement that audiences and artists provide proof of being vaccinated, recovered or tested. While…

WHEN I ASKED baritone Jean-Francois Lapointe what led him to take on the role of Artistic Director of Opera de Quebec, he said that the time was right for such a move: “I was never just a singer and for a long time I was even my own agent. As an artist I felt I needed a wide-ranging overview of the profession. I know the business and I have always been interested in all aspects of stage production, so I was quite prepared to become an opera administrator.” During the last 30 years of a brilliant international career, Lapointe has not only given over 2,000 performances of at least 80 major baritone roles, but had also been active behind the scenes, creating his own company (Arioso), acting as Artistic Director…

FEB. 20, 1940 — JUNE 18, 2021 With the death of Father Edward Jackman, many religious and cultural organizations have lost an ardent and committed benefactor. He was a charter subscriber to this magazine, having first encountered Founding Editor Ruby Mercer through her opera-related radio broadcasts. He became an active member of the board in late 1989 and remained a generous donor even after stepping back after a quarter century to honorary board membership. In 2014 he was honoured with an Opera Canada Award. His connection to the magazine encompassed multiple interests—a life-long love of opera and music-theatre, a passion for documenting and preserving records and historical narratives, and a strong sense of duty to support Canadian artists and creators. The scion of two prominent Ontario families, Edward John Rowell…

SEPTEMBER Canadian Opera Company, Toronto The COC’s all-digital fall season opens with a bang—Canadian star baritone Russell Braun and American powerhouse soprano Tamara Wilson unite for a program of Verdi, Bizet and Korngold. Wilson also sings the “Liebestod” from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde… the complete role must surely be on her horizon. Premieres Sept. 25—sign up at coc.ca/watch where fall programming will be available for 6 months. Opéra de Montréal OdeM presents a live double bill of Riders to the Sea, Vaughan-Williams’ tale of an Irish family living at the mercy of the sea, coupled with the world premiere of Le Flambeau de la nuit by Hubert Tanguay-Labrosse and Olivier Kemeid. Opening Sept. 25, featuring members of OdeM’s Atelier lyrique along with mezzo-soprano Allyson McHardy and soprano Andrea Núñez.. Soundstreams,…

SECRET MUSEUM The Museo Sorolla, dedicated to the Spanish painter and housed in his former residence, is often overlooked but always worth a visit. OPERA INTERVAL Taberna del Alabardero is right beside the Teatro Real and its old school charm is perfect for glass of cava during intermission. PIANO BAR Toni 2 is an authentic late-night piano bar with alternating pianists and a demanding but fun audience. TERRACE WITH A VIEW The rooftop terrace at the Principal Hotel along Gran Vía offers a glamorous alternative to the Círculo de Bellas Artes. GARDEN LUNCH The beautiful and romantic garden of Donde Monica makes it a perfect spot for an afternoon or evening meal. VIBRANT LAVAPIÉS Wander along the discreet Calle del Doctor Fourquet from the Museo Reina Sofía towards the Tabacalera…

The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity shrank considerably when the pandemic hit in March 2020. It’s revenue fell from $75 million to $35 million in a month; hundreds were laid off. But like many other creative enterprises, the Banff Centre persisted with innovative online programming that kept itself culturally engaged, and provided artists a way station on their disrupted creative journeys. One such platform was the Centre’s Opera in the 21st Century program, which would ordinarily have been an on-site, monthlong residency in early summer, offering a select group of earlycareer singers, pianists and directors an intensive experience making innovative opera under the guiding hand of Artistic Director Joel Ivany, who has led the program for seven years. (Ivany was given a three-year extension in July.) The program’s pandemic…

To fans of classical voice, it’s a familiar feeling. I am referring to the excitement when opera lovers hear a beautiful new voice, an instrument with the capacity to thrill and delight. Here in Canada, there is no shortage of promising young singers emerging each year from our conservatories and university music departments. And when the stars are aligned for the lucky few, they may well go on to fine careers, following in the footsteps of past greats like Jon Vickers, Teresa Stratas, Maureen Forrester, Louis Quilico, and Ben Heppner. That’s the best-case scenario. To be sure, performing arts professions are notorious for their impermanence. For every singer who has an enviable career trajectory, many disappear, not to be heard from again. Audiences and critics love success stories, while those…

VIDEO The Ghosts of Versailles CORIGLIANO CHĀTEAU DE VERSAILLES SPECTACLES CVS036 AMERICAN COMPOSER JOHN Corigliano’s first opera, The Ghosts of Versailles, has had eight major productions since its December 1991 premiere at the Metropolitan Opera, but none as hauntedly authentic as this one documented live at Royal Opera of Versailles in December 2019. The theatre opened in May 1770 with a performance of Lully’s Persée, staged to celebrate the marriage of the future King Louis XVI and the 14-year-old Marie-Antoinette. Her restless shade is central to Corigliano’s Ghosts, one conceit of which is that she and other aristocratic souls are in the queen’s private theatre in Versailles for a new work by another ghost, Pierre Beaumarchais, creator of The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro. Figures from the…

When Simran Claire graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) with a Masters of Music in March 2020, she was stepping into an industry that was shutting down. Theatres: shuttered. Productions: cancelled. Performers: unemployed. Yet over the past year, the Vancouver-based mezzo-soprano and multi-disciplinary creator has pushed through adversity and established herself as one of Canada’s most promising young artists. Growing up in Surrey, B.C., Claire started vocal lessons when she was 10. Her teacher spotted her preternatural abilities and introduced Claire to classical repertoire. “Because I was a giant nerd, it really appealed to me to do something hard,” she chuckled. After completing several RCM exams while in high school, Claire fell in love with classical singing and decided to pursue it further at university. When she graduated…

…very little? Or, that mentorship only reinforces existing hierarchies? Wrong on both counts. In the arts, we tend to style ourselves as bastions of humanity, beauty and generosity. And yet, in Big Bad Corporate America there exist more examples of paying it forward and sharing expertise than have ever been available to, never mind prioritized for artists in opera. These coalesce tangibly in mentorship. Artists exist in scarcity—too many singers, fewer and fewer jobs, especially in Canada. Cue the mid-pandemic Portfolio Career, as we #levelup and get curious about new fields and develop new skills. (We need a sexier name for this New Normal, though, because visions of manilla folders are terribly pedestrian. Flexpressario? Entreprenomnivore?) Mentorship provides the most in-demand, transferable skills, while also forging meaningful connections. Universities and multinationals…