Review: Opera Atelier’s beautiful “Pelléas et Mélisande” marks another ambitious first
“This Pelléas et Mélisande is an incredibly ambitious —and often exquisitely beautiful— undertaking.” ~ Arpita Ghosal
Music & Opera
Sandra Laronde’s “She Holds Up the Stars” soars big
“To create something that has all those different disciplines that feed each other—and the seams don’t show—that’s the hard part of it. And that’s the exciting part of it.” ~ Sandra Laronde
“Room Of Keys” reimagines the recital form and unlocks new rooms in “Bluebeard’s Castle”
Interview with David James Brock about the hybrid recital play “Room of Keys,” presented by Piano Lunaire
Ariana Maubach makes mainstage debut in COC’s “The Barber of Seville”
“I see a lot of myself in Rosina. Of all the characters I’ve portrayed, her temperament and qualities align most closely with my own. She’s playful, quick-thinking, and fiercely determined.” ~ Ariana Maubach
Leslie Ting’s new show asks “What Brings You In”
“What I hope is that in bringing with that a bit more of myself, that also changes our relationship. If the offering is different, I’m hoping the way it’s received can be different.” ~ Leslie Ting
Colleen A. Smith on 10 years of growth at the FirstOntario PAC and the new milestone season
“It is so important that people feel like they belong at the PAC, and further, that they see themselves on our stages,” Colleen A. Smith
Xin Wang’s “Cooo” is a responsive soundscape created especially for “new ears”
“I think sound discovery-based works are excellent choices for new ears… As long as we discover together, they are ready for it.” ~ Xin Wang
“Full send”: Midori Marsh sings an elephant’s journey to freedom in “Sanctuary Song”
“Whether it’s elephant to elephant, elephant to human, or human to human, in this piece music becomes our universal communicator…” ~ Midori Marsh
Korin Thomas-Smith on Wozzeck, Onegin and his unexpected path to opera
“Only after taking my first lessons and learning what classical singing was about did I realize that this was something I even liked – much less wanted to pursue.” ~ Korin Thomas-Smith
Opera Atelier’s epochal celebration: a love story and Canadian premiere
“When we first produced David and Jonathan for the Royal Chapel in Versailles in 2022, we were struck by the fact that the work was almost Shakespearean…” ~ Marshall Pynkoski
Soundstreams’ Danika Lorèn will make you feel “fearlessly alive”
“Even if the act of creating is inspired by sadness, anger, or any other emotion, I think it is always combined with love in some way.” ~ Danika Lorèn