Soprano Stacie Dunlop answers 25 questions, including her default drink of choice, the strangest place she’s ever been, and the thing that makes her happiest.
With a voice that has been described as a “powerful demonstration of musical artistry wed to superb technique”, soprano Stacie Dunlop is an avid performer of contemporary music. A specialist in new music, Stacie has commissioned works from Canadian composers R. Murray Schafer, Harry Freedman, Peter-Anthony Togni, Scott Godin, Tawnie Olson and Aaron Gervais. Recent performances include a cross-Canada tour of Kurtág’s Kafka Fragments, Peter Maxwell-Davies’ Miss Donnithorne’s Maggot, and premieres of new works by Norbert Palej, Laurie Radford and Adam Scime with Toronto’s New Music Concerts and The Hands of Orlac by Scott Good with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.
Future engagements include projects with Mexican/Polish composers in Poland in May 2016, her debut singing the Mad Handel Arias with Aradia Ensemble and a concert with The Array Ensemble in June 2016.
Q&A
What are three things that Toronto doesn’t have but should?
A good transit system; more affordable chamber music performance spaces with great acoustics that fit a capacity of 250; a subsidized program for transit and concerts/museums/galleries for artists.
The first three things that you do every morning?
Feed the cats, make a smoothie, take a pee.
Default drink/cocktail of choice?
Bourbon, straight up…preferably Blanton’s.
Name your favourite concert hall/venue in Toronto
Massey Hall.
Name your favourite concert hall/venue anywhere
Symphony Hall, Boston.
Your role models?
My grandmother and my voice teachers… all of the female voice teachers I had/or still have.
Your favourite sound?
Birds…in the morning…especially the Robin.
Your least favourite sound?
White Noise.
The dumbest thing that you’ve ever done to your hair?
Corn rows: resulting in a burnt scalp and a whole load of hair loss and damaged ends once they came out.
Is there a local music store that could sell you anything?
Long and McQuade has nifty stuff.
If you could board a plane this afternoon, where would it be taking you?
Mumbai, to visit my best friend, David.
What are you listening to as you answer these questions?
The white noise hum of a water truck outside…it is supplying the rain tower for the movie I’m working on tonight.
The strangest place you’ve ever been to?
Romania, in 1987…that was a difficult but eye-opening trip.
The three books that you read that made an impact on you in your formative years?
One Hundred Years of Solitude: Gabriel Garcia Marquez; The Magic Mountain: Thomas Mann; A Fine Balance: Rohinton Mistry.
Whose musical style do you covet?
Throat Singing…I can do it a little, but would love to study it in-depth to be really free with it.
The strangest talent that you possess?
I don’t really have one…I mean, I can sound like a mermaid…but anyone who can fiddle with their whistle tone can do that.
The character flaw in others that you can’t abide?
Dishonesty.
The different career path that you could have gone on?
Personal assistant…personal shopper…life organizer maybe?
Your most regrettable purchase ever?
My second car.
What is the game that you’re best at?
Euchre.
The strangest road you’ve ever travelled?
In Bali, between Ubud and Candidasa.
Three pieces, songs, or arias that you could listen to on repeat for an hour?
Madame Mao’s Aria: (I am the wife of Mao Tse-Tung) Nixon in China: John Adams.
Erwartung: Arnold Schoenberg.
This is the face of a woman who lied: Brief Encounter: Andre Previn.
The thing that makes you the happiest?
Sunny weather without the wind.
Scariest situation you’ve ever been in?
When I was mugged in Boston.
The best way to die?
Happy.
#LUDWIGVAN
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