Category Archives: Toronto opera news and views

We sail the ocean blue

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kwNext week the University of Toronto Opera Division will be staging HMS Pinafore; the first Gilbert and Sullivan at the MacMillan for 25 years.  There are four performances; at 7.30pm on the 27th, 28th and 29th and a 2.30pm matinée on the 30th.  Following UoT practice it is double cast.  The cast for the 27th and 29th includes Charles Sy, a finalist in the COC’s Centre Stage next week as well, and Karine White.  They are probably the two singers from UoT who have most impressed me this year and are definitely worth hearing.  Michael Albano directs and Sandra Horst conducts.  Tickets are $40 adult, $25 senior, $10 student.

Julie

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julie_02The Canadian Stage season brochure for 2015/16 landed in my mailbox yesterday.  I was intrigued to see that, among the ten productions on offer, there was an opera and a contemporary one at that.  Julie is a 2005 adaptation of Strindberg’s 1888 play Miss Julie with a libretto by Luc Bondy and music by Belgian Philippe Boesmans.  Matthew Jocelyn directs.  There will be eight performances at the 867 seat Bluma Appel Theatre from November 17th to November 29th 2015.  More details here.

It seems like the Toronto contemporary opera scene is coming to life.  As well as Tapestry’s ongoing efforts we had Airline Icarus, Shelter and When the Sun Comes Out this summer and who knows what’s to come.  It almost makes up for the COC commemorating the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1 by programming nothing written since then.

This week gets a bit ridiculous

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If you aren’t already committed to the opening night of Tapestry Briefs or Adrian Kramer and Lucia Cesaroni’s show at the Extension Room, there’s now another option for Thursday night.  Aprile Millo is presenting a concert of operatic excerpts performed by members of Mary-Lou Vetere’s studio including Teiya Kasahara.  It’s being billed as a “gala”; whatever that means.  It’s at Trinity St. Paul’s at 7pm.  Ms. Millo is also performing at Trinity St. Paul’s on Saturday at 7.30pm.

Opera Spectacular! 2014 Toronto

Tapestry weaves an exciting line up for 2014/15

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More details have been announced on Tapestry Opera’s season.  This week sees Tapestry Briefs: Booster Shots; previously previewed here.  January 24th, 2015 sees Tapestry Songbook V with baritone Peter McGillivray and young Canadian singers in concert performing the beautiful and absurd repertoire from Tapestry’s 35 year old Canadian collection.

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Line up for Centre Stage

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The line up for Centre Stage; the final auditions for the COC Ensemble Studio has been announced.  The seven singers are:

  • Mezzo-soprano Zoe Band (Toronto)
  • Soprano Eliza Johnson (Stratford, Ont.)
  • Baritone Dimitri Katotakis (Toronto)
  • Baritone Nathan Keoughan (Charlottetown)
  • Tenor Aaron Sheppard (St. John’s, N.L.)
  • Mezzo-soprano Michelle Siemens (Calgary)
  • Tenor Charles Sy (Toronto)

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Upcoming events

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127-recitals-at-rosedale-2014-2015This Sunday sees the first of the season for Recitals at Rosedale.  Entitled A Walk on the Dark Side: Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales, it will feature soprano Leslie Ann Bradley, mezzo soprano Allyson McHardy and baritone Geoff Sirett with pianists Robert Kortgaard and Rachel Andrist. The programme features works by Mahler, Debussy, Symanowski, Weil, Gershwin and more.  It’s on November 9th at 2.30 pm at Rosedale Presbyterian Church and tickets are available here.

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COC’s Semele is Brooklyn bound

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New Yorkers will get a chance to see Zhang Huan’s somewhat controversial production of Handel’s Semele at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in March.  The COC is touring the production, seen in Toronto in 2012, with the wonderful Jane Archibald again taking the title role.  The supporting cast is, on paper at least, more than a match for the one seen at COC.  Colin Ainsworth is the god Jupiter, and Welsh contralto Hilary Summers portrays both Jupiter’s jealous wife, Juno, and Ino, Semele’s sister. Katherine Whyte playsJuno’s messenger, Iris and Kyle Ketelsen sings both Semele’s father, Cadmus, and the god of sleep, Somnus. Athamas will be sung by Lawrence Zazzo.  Christopher Moulds conducts with the COC Orchestra and Chorus.

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Upcoming worthy causes

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elizabethkNovember 17th sees the second annual Elizabeth Krehm memorial concert.  It’s at Metropolitan United Church at 8pm and will feature Beethoven’s 9th sympony.  The soloists will be Rachel Krehm, Erin Lawson, Adrian Kramer and Jeremy Bowes with the Canzona Chamber Players and a choir drawn from the Univox Choir and friends of the Krehm family.  Evan Mitchell conducts.  Admission is by tax receiptable donation to St. Michael’s Hospital where Elizabeth spent the last month of her life.

On 28th November, at Runnymede United Church a starry cast are donating their services for a charity performance of Bach’s Weinachtsoratorium.  The beneficiaries will be the Toronto Symphony Volunteer Committee Education Program  and Open Table Community Meal at Runnymede United Church.  Johannes Debus will conduct the Bach Consort with soloists Monica Whicher, Vicki St. Pierre, Lawrence Wiliford, Colin Ainsworth and Russell Braun.  Tickets are $50 in advance or $60 on the door.

COC releases some 2013/14 season financial information

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eyeshades2013/14 saw the decline in ticket sales and box office revenue at the COC continue, though less precipitously than in the previous couple of years.  Sales were down from 109297 tickets in 2012/13 to 106748 seats sold in 2013/14.  Revenue was also down from $9.9 million to $9.7 million.  A reduction in performances boosted capacity utilisation to 94% but heavy discounting at both ends of the season left the revenue per seat essentially static at just under $91.

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Upcoming events

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vh-headshotThis evening at 7.30pm at Trinity St. Paul’s The Talisker Players have their first concert of the season entitled Songs of Travel.  Virginia Hatfield  will be performing the French baroque work Le Sommeil d’Ulisse by Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre and the rarely performed Algoma Central by Louis Applebaum. Also featured is baritone Geoffrey Sirett in Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel and Vally Weigl’s Songs of Love and Leaving. Also on tomorrow.

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