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FEATURE | When a Piano Lesson is a Life Lesson

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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THE VOICE | The Cult of Magda

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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THE CLASSICAL TRAVELER | A Music Man on a Mission

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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THE VOICE | Canadian Opera Company Unveils a 2015/16 Season Full of Firsts

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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WEEKEND ROUNDUP | Nine Posts You May Have Missed This Week

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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