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Browsing: Vocal

Timothy Vernon New Artistic Director of Opera Lyra: Renowned conductor begins immediately

By Newswire on 30 June 2015 Newswire, Opera, Vocal

“Timothy Vernon will bring a lifetime of opera success to audiences in the National Capital. His outstanding productions and innovations have won ovations across Canada and the world. What a musical coup for all of us!” – Victor RabinovitchVictor Rabinovitch, Chair of the Board of Opera Lyra, and John Peter Jeffries, General Director of Opera Lyra, announced today that Timothy Vernon has been appointed new Artistic Director of Opera Lyra, starting immediately with the 2015-2016 season. Maestro Vernon is one of the leading figures of the Canadian operatic scene and brings to Opera Lyra an exciting new artistic vision for the future…

MIMC Day 2: Korean Tenor Kim Wins 2015 MIMC

By Newswire on 9 June 2015 Newswire, Vocal

By Wah Keung ChanPhoto: Antoine SaitoThe second night of the Finals of the 2015 Montreal International Musical Competition began with the anticipated Canadian soprano France Bellemare, whose semifinal performance of Dvorak’s Song to the Moon reminded me of 2007 MIMC winner, Canadian soprano Marianne Fiset’s simple regal stature.Unfortunately, Bellemare was plagued by strained high notes as she has a tendency of lifting her head and tilting it to the right to sing anything above a high F as she did in “Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante” from Bizet’s Carmen and “Porgi amor” from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. It…

Park Takes Day 1 of Montreal Voice Competition

By Newswire on 4 June 2015 Art Song, Newswire, Vocal

By Wah Keung ChanPhoto: Antoine SaitoLet’s get the suspense out of the way. South Korean soprano Hyesang Park took the Day 1 Finals of the 2015 Montreal International Musical Competition (MIMC). From the first notes of her opening aria “Je veux vire dans ce reve” from Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette, we knew her voice would soar above the orchestra, and it unfolded as expected, with a spontaneous final standing ovation after her last aria.Park’s programme was perfectly planned, concluding with the mad scene from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. The repertoire in between, a Mozart concert aria, Dupac’s Chanson triste and…

Tapestry Opera Receives Opera America Grant

By Newswire on 6 May 2015 Newswire, Opera

TAPESTRY OPERA RECEIVES GRANT FROM OPERA AMERICA TO FUND 12 INDEPENDENT COMPANIESIndie Opera T.O to use funds for innovative digital awareness campaign Toronto, ON — Tapestry Opera is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a grant of $35,000 USD in the third year of OPERA America’s Building Opera Audiences grant program. This program, made possible by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, supports the efforts of North American opera companies to build informed, enthusiastic audiences for opera through innovative marketing projects. Tapestry Opera was granted funds to support 12 independent opera companies in Toronto through the budding Indie Opera T.O movement.Tapestry Opera is one of nine organizations in…

American Composer Philip Glass is Eleventh Glenn Gould Prize Laureate

By Newswire on 14 April 2015 Chamber Music, Contemporary, Newswire, Opera, Orchestral

Philip Glass Announced asEleventh Glenn Gould Prize LaureateA fearlessly innovative, collaborative and prolific composer“I am very pleased to be the winner of the Eleventh Glenn Gould Prize. It is for me a special honor as I am one of the many musicians who have been inspired by him. Glenn Gould’s name is associated with a lifetime of excellence in music interpretation and performance. Also I am aware that this award places me in the company of some of the most celebrated names in the broad spectrum of the music of our time. It is, therefore, with great pleasure that I accept this award.” – Philip…

Video of the Day – Carlo Bergonzi (1924-2014): In Memoriam

By Paul E. Robinson on 8 August 2014 Opera, Video of the day

Italian tenor Carlo Bergonzi was 90 years old when he died this past week. He had a long and illustrious career. His made his debut at La Scala in 1953 and at the Met 3 years later. Thereafter, he was a regular at the Met for 30 years. He was not the most exciting tenor of his generation. But he was widely admired for his beautiful tone and good taste.Like too many artists Bergonzi didn’t know when to quit and left a major blemish on his career. In 2000 he attempted to sing the leading role in Verdi’s Otello in…

Video of the Day – Bernard Labadie In Munich

By Paul E. Robinson on 17 June 2014 Baroque and Early, Orchestral, Video of the day, Vocal

It was recently announced that Quebec conductor Bernard Labadie would step down from his post as music director of Les Violons du Roy. He will become founding director, presumably a title which suggests far less conducting than in the past. Now comes an announcement this past week that Labadie has cancelled all conducting engagements through the rest of 2014 “for health reasons.”In the past few seasons Labadie has become incredibly busy as a guest conductor with orchestras around the world. He is an authority of historical performance practice and a very welcome guest conductor wherever he goes. We understand that…

“Copland and Mexico” in Austin, Texas

By Paul E. Robinson on 28 March 2014 Concert Reviews, Contemporary, Opera

by Paul E. RobinsonMaestro Peter BayCopland: Two Mexican PiecesCopland: El Salón MéxicoChavez: Chapultepec (Three Famous Mexican Pieces)Revueltas: Redes (complete with film)Joseph Horowitz, scriptwriter and producerAustin Symphony/Peter BayLong Center for the Performing ArtsAustin, TexasSaturday, March 22, 2014Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas (a student at St. Edward’s College in Austin [1917-18]) and American composer Aaron Copland were born within months of each other – in December (1899) and November (1900), respectively. Both enjoyed considerable success in the 1930s, but while Copland went on to become one of the iconic figures in American music, Revueltas died of pneumonia, alcoholism, poverty and heartbreak, at the…

Uniworld River Cruise: Unexpected “European Jewels”

By Paul E. Robinson on 12 February 2014 Concert Reviews, Opera, Orchestral, Romantic

by Paul E. RobinsonCLASSICAL TRAVELSRiver Cruise along the Main, the Rhine and the DanubeAugust 2013This past August, Marita and I thoroughly enjoyed the “European Jewels” Uniworld River Cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. We were not expecting a concentration of musical events on this excursion; rather, we thought it would give us a view of Europe from a new perspective (i.e., docking within walking distance of towns and cities) – and it did, but to our delight, there was glorious music on this cruise as well, often in unexpected places. Up until about 20 years ago, this particular river cruise would not…

Video of the Day – Hannigan Sings and Conducts Ligeti

By Paul E. Robinson on 27 December 2013 Art Song, Video of the day

Canadian soprano Barbara Hannigan is an extraordinary artist, and is rapidly becoming internationally renowned. Here she is both singing and conducting the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in Ligeti’s Mysteries of the Macabre. Is there any other performer who could have pulled this off?Hannigan is so good it is going to be hard to decide whether she is more gifted as a soprano or as a conductor. Not to mention her remarkable talents as an actress.She has already given over 75 premieres, and just over a week ago gave the first performance of the Hans Abrahamsen song cycle Let me tell you…