By Joseph So on February 10, 2015
For diehard voice fans, there’s nothing like a vocal competition. You get to hear (and see) young artists strutting their stuff, striving for fame and glory, not to mention prize money. The Christina and Louis Quilico Awards is a competition with a twist – it’s only open to current Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio members. The 2014-15 COC Ensemble Roster is a particularly strong one with some wonderful singers, so this promised to be good. The event took place last evening at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Sadly, illness prevented tenor Andrew Haji from competing, and fellow tenor Owen McCausland was out in Victoria singing Arturo in Pacific Opera Victoria’s production of Lucia di Lammermoor. But the rest of the Ensemble was out in full force and it proved to be a highly enjoyable evening...
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By Lev Bratishenko on February 10, 2015
Wear a down parka to the Met in winter for a Slavic double-bill like Iolanta and Bluebeard’s Castle and you feel like the only caveman too stupid to club a mink. A sweet Russian lady handed me her spare with maternal concern, but if I felt any embarrassment it vanished in the dead animal’s embrace, and people stopped staring...
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By Neil Crory on February 8, 2015
The Canadian Opera Company lost its star tenor, Clifton Forbis, yesterday due to illness. He was scheduled to sing the demanding role of Siegmund in the 4:30 performance of Richard Wagner's Die Walküre.
Fortunately the COC had engaged the young American tenor, Issachah Savage, as the 'cover' for the COC's run of seven performances. Yesterday Savage sang the third performance and, in so doing, has secured his reputation as a major contender for star status among dramatic tenors worldwide...
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By Neil Crory on February 6, 2015
Those who have met and/or worked with the American dramatic soprano, Christine Goerke describe her as "fun to be with", "unassuming", "down to earth", "hard working", "a real charmer" - the furthest one can get from your stereotypical, card-carrying Valkyrie...
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By Neil Crory on February 2, 2015
On Saturday, January 31, the Canadian Opera Company officially launched the revival of its lauded 2006 production of Richard Wagner's epic Ring Cycle with seven performances of Die Walküre at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. The production runs through February 22nd...
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By Michael Vincent on January 31, 2015
Since announcing his retirement from the stage last April, (due to an "unreliability" in his voice), Canadian tenor, Ben Heppner seemed content with maintaining his role as announcer for CBC II's radio program “Backstage with Ben Happner”. But the question remained – what of his singing? Is that really it?
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By Neil Crory on January 31, 2015
Born in 1910, Olivero made her professional operatic debut in Turin in 1933, at the age of 23. Within a few years, she had established herself as one of Italy's hottest new talents, securing her reputation over the next few years by singing everything from Lauretta (her debut role), to heavier roles such as Cio-Cio San, Mimi, Manon Lescaut, and even Elsa. In the 1939/40 season, she also added Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur to her repertoire – a role which was to play an important part in her career...
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By Neil Crory on January 25, 2015
Contrary to popular belief, critics and reviewers do not - for the most part - enjoy writing negative commentary. I know that I don't. But what can be said about the Canadian Opera Company's new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts which opened on Saturday afternoon?
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By Joseph So on January 22, 2015
Don Giovanni has always been among the most popular operas in the standard repertoire. A quick check of the statistics from the last five seasons puts it at No. 10, out of a total of 2,581 operas performed by over 900 companies worldwide. Not only is it held in the highest regard by opera lovers, and scholars, but composers the likes of Rossini, Tchaikovsky, Gounod, Flaubert and George Bernard Shaw also had nothing but praise for this dramma giacoso.
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By Michael Vincent on January 21, 2015
Around this time last year, Opera Hamilton made the announcement that due to a lack of funding, it was closing its doors for good. It wasn’t the first time Hamilton has lost an opera company. Opera Hamilton’s predecessor, Opera Ontario, went bankrupt in 2008, and despite moving from Hamilton Place to the Dofasco Theatre —(a smaller venue designed to cut costs) it wasn’t enough to balance the books...
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