{"id":28401,"date":"2015-05-13T14:11:02","date_gmt":"2015-05-13T18:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/?p=28401"},"modified":"2015-05-14T15:36:31","modified_gmt":"2015-05-14T19:36:31","slug":"profile-artist-in-focus-charlotte-burrage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2015\/05\/13\/profile-artist-in-focus-charlotte-burrage\/","title":{"rendered":"PROFILE | Artist in Focus: Charlotte Burrage"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The
Woodstock soprano Charlotte Burrage shares her thoughts on career and personal growth. Photo: Chris Hutcheson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

F<\/span>or mezzo Charlotte Burrage, May 15th<\/sup> 2015 is going to be a special day, a sort of a rite of passage. It\u2019ll mark her COC main-stage debut in a lead role, as the spunky and mischievous Rosina in The Barber of Seville<\/a><\/em>. \u201cI\u2019ve never sung any Rossini before, in fact this is my first coloratura role. So everything is new for me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Her folks will be coming in from Southwestern Ontario to be at the Four Seasons Centre, among an already sold-out audience cheering her on. Burrage will be on stage with her boyfriend and fellow Ensemble colleague, baritone Clarence Frazer as Figaro. I was at the Ensemble Studio Barber preview a few weeks ago, when they sang a sparkling \u201cDunque io son.\u201d There is no doubt in my mind that these two young singers are ready, willing and able to forge a career in the opera world.<\/p>\n

Born and raised in tiny Sweaburg just outside Woodstock, Ontario, Burrage was chosen to join the Ensemble Studio after winning Third Prize in the COC Ensemble Competition in 2012. I recall a very cute Dorabella in Act 1 Cosi fan tutte<\/em> in her first year, but this season Burrage has really come into her own. She sang her first Wagner as Grimgerde in Die Walkure<\/em> last February, and now ends her tenure in the Ensemble on a high note as Rosina.<\/p>\n

I recently met up with Burrage for a little chat near the opera house. She had just come from a Barber<\/em> rehearsal: \u201cI was able to spend two hours with maestro Rory Macdonald for a one-on-one. We worked through a lot of my music \u2013 it was wonderful. This is my first bel canto<\/em> role and it\u2019s been a very steep learning curve. I had to learn the coloratura technique in less than a year. It has helped my other pieces so much, just the flow of breath alone. And I learn so much just watching Serena (mezzo Serena Malfi, the first cast Rosina) in rehearsal \u2013 she\u2019s incredible! Listening to her, my recits have gotten so much better.\u201d<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> Let\u2019s back track a little and tell us how you got started. Have you always sung? Was there music at home?<\/em><\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> My parents started me in piano when I was seven, and took my first singing lesson at eight. I was in choirs and took theory lessons. My first voice teacher was\u00a0Beth Faulkner, then I studied with Vicki St Pierre. Like Andrew (Haji), I sang in the Amabile Choir, and in the choir at the United Church. We had a piano at home and my mom would play Christmas carols. I also did a bit of percussion and clarinet in high school\u2026nothing serious.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> When did you decide to study music seriously? <\/em><\/p>\n

CB: When I finished high school, I only applied for music in university. I had wanted to be a marine biologist, but when I started theory, piano, and choir, it became so all- consuming, and I really loved it and decided to keep going.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> Do you recall your first opera experience? <\/em><\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> When I started studying voice with Vicki St Pierre, she introduced me to the voice of Maureen Forrester on a CD singing Handel Arias\u2026I was 14 or 15. My very first live opera experience was actually in Paris, France \u2013 I won a trip on 96.3 FM to Paris!\u00a0\u00a0 It was Boris Godunov<\/em> at the Bastille. I absolutely loved it! But I don\u2019t remember ever thinking that I wanted to be an opera singer. That would be a weird thought to have, since I\u2019m from Sweaburg, a very small town with no opera\u2026<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> What made you decide to choose University of Toronto\u2019s music program?<\/em><\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> Vicki St. Pierre was a student of Darryl Edwards at U of T; Darryl is actually from Woodstock. I went there for six years, for my undergraduate and masters. I was mainly in the chorus for the first four years, and then all art songs for my masters. Andrew Haji, Adam Luther, Aviva and I were all in the same class.<\/p>\n

JS: Did you do much opera at U of T?<\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> I didn\u2019t do any, only art songs which I love. I was so used to being a recitalist, getting on the opera stage was nerve-wracking at first (laughs). It was fine when I stood and sang but the second I had to move\u2026 I\u2019m getting much better at it now. You just have to challenge yourself.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> So singing Rosina is going to be a departure for you. What do you think of Rosina as a character?<\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> She\u2019s feisty and a little mischievous, always one step ahead and wrap you around her pinkie. When I want to get into the mood of playing her, I think of my little sister Alana. She\u2019s four years younger than me and she\u2019s feisty, smart, sexy. There\u2019re just the two of us in the family, no boys. We grew up experiencing the same things; she was in Amabile Choir as well. She\u2019s artsy but more in the visual arts, in graphic design.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> You got into the COC Ensemble Studio after winning Third Prize in the Competition. Have you done a lot of competitions?<\/em><\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> No, that was my first. I never considered myself a competition sort of singer. Recently I auditioned for Belvedere (34th<\/sup> International Hans Gabor Competition) and I made it to the next round. It\u2019s being held this year in Amsterdam and I\u2019ll be going there at the end of June.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> Wow, that\u2019s great news! This is a very important competition. Do they pay your way to go to the finals in Amsterdam?<\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> No, unfortunately. I have a wonderful patron in Margaret Cameron, and she\u2019ll be going there with me to give me support. Sixty-one countries are represented at Belvedere.\u00a0When I auditioned, Canadian conductor David Agler was on the jury panel. I did my first Dorabella with him. He said most of the opera houses are represented at Belvedere and it\u2019ll be wonderful exposure.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> What arias are you going to sing in Belvedere?<\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> Sara\u2019s \u201cAll afflitto e dolce il piano\u201d from Roberto Devereux<\/em> is my starter aria; and the Composer\u2019s Aria from Ariadne auf Naxos<\/em> of course \u2013 I love singing that! It\u2019s my bread and butter.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> I enjoyed hearing you sing these two pieces. Sara\u2019s aria shows off your legato, and your high register sounds great in the Ariadne<\/em>. Have you always been an alto? What\u2019s your vocal range?<\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> I\u2019ve always been a low voice, but it was much lower before. I used to sing the Menotti Lullaby (from The Consul<\/em>). My range was from a low G to a F. Now I have a performance high B\/B flat. In my repertoire I don\u2019t have to sing lower than a low A, although Suzuki is a little low \u2013 I\u2019ll be doing that in Saskatoon Opera in June.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> Now that your time in the Ensemble is coming to a close. What was your experience like these past two years?<\/em><\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> It\u2019s been amazing for my artistic development and my personal life. It\u2019s been a privilege and an honour. The transition from university to a career is tough. Every day for the past 2 years, I\u2019ve had the comfort of knowing that \u201cI am worth it.\u201d Experts in the business have invested time and money in my development. You need so much more than just passion to make a career in opera. My experience in the Ensemble Studio has changed my life and I\u2019m eternally grateful.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> What are your plans after the Ensemble? <\/em><\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> After I finish the Ensemble on May 23rd<\/sup>, I fly to Saskatoon the next day for Suzuki in Madama Butterfly<\/em>. Then I\u2019ll come home for a couple of days before going to Amsterdam for the Belvedere Competition. I\u2019ll be doing Rosina again in the summer for Brott Opera, semi-staged with orchestra. Then Yeoman of the Guard<\/em> in September, and I\u2019ll do the COC school tour with the Dean Burry opera. I really enjoy singing for the young kids. The COC has hired me to sing Mercedes in Carmen<\/em> next season.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> Any plans to go auditioning in Europe?<\/em><\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> Absolutely. I\u2019ve talked to (COC General Director) Alexander Neef about this. I want to stay in Canada this year. My goal is to learn German and go to Europe to audition next year. It would feel really rushed if I go right from the Ensemble…I\u2019m not ready to leave Canada yet, but it\u2019s definitely in the works. There\u2019s something about the German language that fits so well for me. Italian I have to work harder, the placement is more forward.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> Any dream roles? <\/em><\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier<\/em> is at the top of my list…and I\u2019d love to do the Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos<\/em>. I\u2019ve actually never done a pants role before! I\u2019ve sung Dorabella and Cendrillon and now Rosina. I really like the German rep which suits my voice.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> I\u2019ve noticed that recent articles about you talk about your personal life. I gather that you and baritone Clarence Frazer are an item? How does it feel to sing together on stage?<\/em><\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> It feels incredible – we have a very supportive relationship. I had always been wary about dating a singer, but opera consumes your entire life and it\u2019s hard to be with people who don\u2019t understand the business. It\u2019s hard to explain to someone that you go contract to contract\u2026<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> What about having two egos in the family?<\/em><\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> Yes, absolutely. But we haven\u2019t experienced that yet \u2013 we\u2019re very supportive of each other.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> What do you do in your spare time? I read that you are a competitive swimmer? <\/em><\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> I haven\u2019t swam in a long time. (Laughs) I do run in the summer. I don\u2019t like gyms \u2013 I\u2019m from the country\u2026we\u2019re surrounded by farms. We don\u2019t have a lot of free time as the ensemble takes up a lot of my time \u2013 we have one day off a week. We love to entertain, food and wine, sports, family, long walks in the city. We both enjoy cooking a lot. Clarence makes a very delicious mushroom risotto. We do Korean dishes like bibimbap, and I cook Jamie Oliver a lot. My favourite time of the day is us sharing a meal, especially now that we\u2019re on the same schedule. We love spending quality time together.<\/p>\n

JS:<\/strong> What\u2019s the best piece of advice you\u2019ve been given? <\/em><\/p>\n

CB:<\/strong> Hmmm\u2026let\u2019s see. I\u2019m very analytical, and sometimes you just have to let go -\u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as a perfect performance,\u201d Darryl Edwards tells me. Tom Diamond likes to remind me that no one will die if I make a bad artistic choice \u2013 in other words, keep things in perspective and take risks. And this quote from Mark Twain \u2013 \u201cTwenty years from now, you\u2019ll be more disappointed by the things you didn\u2019t do than by the things you did.\u201d You need to say \u2018yes\u2019 regardless of doubts and fears.<\/p>\n

Correction: May 14, 2015. A previous version of this article misspelt Charlotte Burrage’s first voice teacher’s name as “<\/em>Bess Falconer.” The correct name is\u00a0“Beth Faulkner.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Want more updates on Toronto-centric classical music news and review\u00a0before anyone else finds out? Get our exclusive newsletter\u00a0<\/em>here<\/a><\/em><\/span>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0<\/em>Facebook<\/a><\/span> for all the latest.<\/em><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For mezzo Charlotte Burrage, May 15th 2015 will mark her COC main-stage debut in a lead role, as the spunky and mischievous Rosina in The Barber of Seville…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":28403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[118,43,4968,70],"tags":[729],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/05\/Burrage.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-7o5","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28401"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28401"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28401\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28421,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28401\/revisions\/28421"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28401"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=28401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}