{"id":72006,"date":"2021-08-26T09:03:59","date_gmt":"2021-08-26T13:03:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=72006"},"modified":"2021-08-30T08:20:07","modified_gmt":"2021-08-30T12:20:07","slug":"whos-date-divas-opera-sustenida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2021\/08\/26\/whos-date-divas-opera-sustenida\/","title":{"rendered":"WHO\u2019S WHO | A Date With The Divas From Opera Sustenida"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Opera
Nicole Whitney Dubinsky, Opera Sustenida. (Image courtesy of the artists)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

UPDATE FROM OPERA SUSTENIDA<\/del><\/h1>\n

Picture the scene: It\u2019s April 15, 2020. Four musician friends are chatting online, bemoaning all of their cancelled gigs (performance opportunities, competitions, music lessons, and more), and wondering when they will be able to return to live performances to see their audiences and students in-person. Fast forward one month, and that possibility seems even further away; which is why their conversation has now begun to revolve around the idea of creating a virtual concert series, which would allow them to bring the excitement of opera to an audience in the comfort of their own homes.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to September 2020, and these four musicians have evolved into Opera Sustenida, and have successfully livestreamed their first concert, Divas for Hire!!<\/em> In this inaugural concert, audience members could vote to select the concert repertoire ahead of time and submit questions to be answered live during the event.<\/p>\n

The Divas produced this concert entirely by themselves; recording and filming their performances individually in their homes, creating dynamic virtual staging for each piece, and editing the finished audio and videos. Divas for Hire!!<\/em> proved to be a great success, pulling in a sizable audience both local and international, and it became clear that Opera Sustenida was here to stay.<\/p>\n

\"Opera
Opera Sustenida’s Stephanie DeCiantis (image courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Opera Sustenida features the talents of Canadian musicians Stephanie DeCiantis (soprano), Nicole Whitney Dubinsky (soprano), and Daniella Theresia (mezzo-soprano), all supported by the richly sensitive playing of Suzanne Yeo (pianist).<\/p>\n

Stephanie DeCiantis does double duty as the ensemble\u2019s staging director and film editor; her contemporary, relatable and witty re-imaginings of opera classics are one of Opera Sustenida\u2019s signature features. This could be experienced in their February 2021 concert, Date with the Divas (Vol. 1)<\/em>, which included:<\/p>\n