Christophe Dumaux
What to wear to an audition, via the red carpet
HumourAuditions are fun, right? Completely fun. I know it gets old sometimes, but I always did find the ritual of dressing for an audition quite calming. Something to do other than be nervous, I figure. I do like the mini fashion-show with which I'm presented at any audition venue; I like noticing which mezzos stubbornly wear their best dress to sing Siebel (why not?), and whether or not the baritones are the type to match their shoes to their whatever.
4 secrets for better high notes
EditorialNo matter what voice type you are, it’s fair to admit that plenty of your most applause-worthy moments come with high notes. Fast high notes, loud high notes, entire-lungful-of-air high notes - they’re what we’re all waiting to hear. There, I said it. When it comes to producing great sound at the top of your range, I leave that process to the singers and their voice teachers. But I can profess to hearing a curious trend among singers as they’re mastering those big high note moments.
Soundstreams announces the cast of Julie
NewsThis November, Soundstreams present the North American premiere of Julie, the chamber opera by Philippe Boesmans, based on the 1888 Strindberg play, Miss Julie. "Depicting a flirtation that turns into an erotic danse macabre between its aristocratic title character and her father’s valet, August Strindberg’s play Miss Julie was considered too scandalous to be produced when it was written in 1888—only to become a defining classic of modern drama."
Go hear Majesty, Madness & Murder
NewsNext week, Ontario audiences have a chance to hear two exciting young sopranos in recital. On June 16 (Hamilton) and June 19 (Toronto), Teiya Kasahara and Stephanie Yelovich present *Majesty, Madness & Murder: An evening of Italian Opera and Art Song*, to raise funds towards tuition for the Operavision Academy in Urbania, Italy.
Opera on Steroids: Budapest!
EditorialIn late May I had the opportunity to experience opera from an entirely different viewpoint from which many of us are accustomed to in larger North American opera centres. I spent 10 glorious days in Budapest, attending operas, concerts and recitals in a variety of stunning venues, listening to a wide range of soloists, orchestral and choral ensembles in productions that simply blew the mind of this Torontonian.
In review: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
ReviewOn Friday, June 5th I hit up Artscape Wychwood Barns to see a small production of William Finn's 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Based on an improvisation play called C-R-E-P-U-S-C-L-E conceived by Rebecca Feldman, this show took the Tony Awards and Broadway by storm in 2005. I love this show, so it was a no-brainer to check it out.
Spotlight on: Michelle Siemens
InterviewCalgary-born mezzo-soprano Michelle Siemens was heard this past season on the Four Seasons Centre stage, as a finalist for the 2014 COC Ensemble Studio competition. Michelle has trained across Canada and in the United States, and I had the chance to work with her on one of her stops, singing Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream at Opera on the Avalon.
Spotlight on: Emily Peragine
InterviewI met Montana-born soprano Emily Peragine during her undergraduate degree at Oberlin College Conservatory, and she struck me immediately as a rare breed. Emily is a real lover of singing, and a refreshingly thoughtful artist. You can see more of what I mean by reading her beautiful blog. For a while now, I've been looking forward to the chance to introduce Emily to my readers, and she doesn't disappoint with this interview.
I just wanna do my nails
HumourPianists, am I right? I'm speaking for the pianists who have a #justgirlythings side, the ones who like to look like a half-decent person on top of showing off their skills at the keys. There's no shame in that, ladies (mostly, probably). I too have to make the decision between wearing Weitzman pumps and a) tripping on the way to the piano, and b) being able to use the damper pedal.
Spotlight on: Julia Dawson
InterviewJulia Dawson is a Canadian mezzo-soprano currently based in the United States. Julia is a hardworking, creative artist, and she's been keeping busy singing at the Academy of Vocal Arts, the Glimmerglass Festival, and Opera Philadelphia, to name a few. Get to know this smart singer: