Tonight marks the end of a week of Contemporary Performance Studies at the Vancouver International Song Institute. I have had the extreme pleasure of working directly with composers Joseph Glaser, Jake Heggie, and Jeffrey Ryan. I have workshopped works by all three of those composers, as well as works by John Greer and Monica Pearce. After a week of…
I arrived in Vancouver on June 1 for a week of Contemporary Performance Studies at the Vancouver International Song Institute. Sunday was a quick orientation and rehearsal day. Monday, Tuesday, and today were filled with inspiring workshops, coachings and sessions (I hesitate to call them lectures because they’ve really been interactive discussions). So far I have…
May is a prep month for a busy June (thankful to HAVE a prep month!). Today I am making my practice charts and schedule for three upcoming events: Vancouver (June 10), Toronto (June 13), and Parrsboro, NS (June 30). Schedule details and links will be updated soon. As I was starting my research for the…
(Brace yourself for cliché): I can never believe how the time flies! Seriously. It’s already SHOW WEEK for Essential Opera’s FIFTH show, Two Weddings and a Funeral We’re closing our season with a double bill of two Italian one act operas: Donizetti’s Il campanello and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. To get a flavour for the show,…
This week I have the pleasure of participating in a workshop called Tapestry New Opera 101. A handful of singers and pianists come together to workshop Canadian opera works taken from the Tapestry Songbook, which spans over 33 years. I am going to this workshop with pianist Cheryl Duvall. We’ve never worked together, but my…
In a week’s time I’ll be making my way to Windsor for the Intimate Classics tour of Messiah with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra. There are 4 performances: a matinee on Dec. 7, and three evening performances on Dec. 7, 8 and 9. Check out my schedule page for exact dates, locations and tickets! I’ve learned…
Starting to fill the fall schedule with some awesome music and artists. Schedule update to follow in the coming weeks. For now, check out my bio page for some strong hints. Cheers!
Wonderful things have been happening here in Halifax this week. A new workshop, Opera from Scratch, has brought together 6 singers and 6 composers from across North America. The composers wrote short operas based on a Nova Scotia theme; and, together, we’ve been workshopping the operas morning, noon and night since last Monday. I have…
I love having any excuse to come home! I am especially grateful to be performing in another MCO tour on the south shore of Nova Scotia. Check out the website for details on the performances in Annapolis Royal, Yarmouth, Shelburne and Lunenburg. The Lunenburg performance is accompanied by orchestra. www.maritimeconcertopera.com
Read about Essential Opera’s productions of Alcina in the May 1- June 7 issue of The Whole Note. Read about Essential Opera in the May 7, 2012 issue of MACLEANS magazine. Co-artistic directors Erin Bardua and Maureen Batt were interviewed by Jaime Weiman on what it’s like to perform and produce a Massenet opera. Read…