By Colin Eatock on February 12, 2015
Jack Diamond isn’t a musician – but he’s been a big influence on the classical music scene in Toronto. Many opera fans will recognize him as the architect of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, where the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada perform...
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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 Jenna Douglas on February 3, 2015
In the last few weeks, a recurring topic has come up among my artist friends. The crux of the issue can actually be boiled down to one question: are you still an artist if you can't survive on your artist income?...
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By Robin Roger on February 3, 2015
In Woody Allen’s film, The Purple Rose of Cairo, the heroine’s world is turned upside down when the matinée idol from the movie she is watching steps from the screen and enters her life. Recently I reversed Allen’s plot device by stepping into a film, when I travelled to New York City to have a piano lesson with Seymour Bernstein, the subject of a new documentary by Ethan Hawke: Seymour, An Introduction...
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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 Paul E. Robinson on January 22, 2015
Tucson, Arizona | I caught up with conductor Roger McMurrin recently in Tucson, Arizona. In a few weeks time he was scheduled to make a return visit to Bishkek, Kyrgystan for a series of concerts, but home these days is Kiev, Ukraine where he has been making music and preaching the Gospel for the past 22 years...
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By Neil Crory on January 16, 2015
On Wednesday evening the Canadian Opera Company announced its 2015-2016 season in Grand Opera style. No exclusive little cocktail party for a handful of press here – instead General Director, Alexander Neef went straight to his public and pulled out all the stops. Over a 90 minute programme he offered the crowd of over 1700 an 'event' overflowing with informal chat, Q & As, video segments, interviews, live music, surprise guest singers, a full orchestra conducted by COC Music Director, Johannes Debus - and the complete Act II finale of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. Brent Bambury, the affable CBC Radio One host, functioned as moderator and kept the various elements moving along in a quick and orderly fashion. With the massive set for Richard Wagner's Die Walküre in the background, all that was missing was the chorus...
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By Michael Vincent on January 7, 2015
Rock icon Courtney Love has been cast as the star of Todd Almond's Kansas City Choir Boy, an experimental opera staged by the Prototype Festival at the Manhattan Arts Centre on January 8...
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By Michael Vincent on December 14, 2014
SCHMOPERA | #UncleJohn: the Toronto Story
Jenna Douglas was at the Toronto premiere of Against the Grain Theatre’s production of #UncleJohn this week, and had plenty to say about it. Check it out!
WHO'S WHO | The Chamber Music Society of Mississauga
The Chamber Music Society of Mississauga joined our WHO'S WHO family this week, and we couldn’t happier to welcome them to the fold.
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By Jenna Douglas on December 13, 2014
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