Banff Diaries: the mid-way report

Editorial

Among the facts of the program are the moments of inspiration and joy that come out of opera, and working on opera in beautiful Banff. Each person at Open Space has had the chance to look at a stunning mountain vista, or stellar sunset, and say to the person next to them, "wow." There have been heroic tales of hiking mountains, of bear sightings, of conquering the horror that is 80% oxygen levels while being asked to sing.

Ian Smith of the EMC: "We unite through the common language of music"

News

In the wake of disbelief following the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union, we are saddened and stunned for the British and Northern Irish people. Among the industries that will surely feel the effects of an independent UK are the arts. We'd like to share a statement by Ian Smith, Head of Music at Creative Scotland, and Chair & President of the European Music Council.

Spotlight on: Geoffrey Penar

Interview

"I think when it feels bad for me, I'm not thinking about the action of the scene, I'm just worried about the next phrase. I remember a coaching with Patrick Hansen (head of Opera McGill). He told me, "Geoff, just act it! Stop thinking so much. Just make sense of the words and act it." And it fixed so many of the technical problems I was having instantly."

Call for submissions: Mahogany Opera Group's Various Stages

News

A Mahogany creation, with the aim to test and challenge new ideas in opera and music theatre, Various Stages is an annual programme that offers selected artists the chance to put their projects through various workshops, sharings, and public showings, with support given along the way.

Talking with singers: René Barbera

Interview

"It gets to be a bit much," confesses Barbera."That's the hardest thing about this career, no question, is being on the road all the time." He's away from home roughly 10 months out of a given year; this season, he moved into his apartment with his wife in late December, and by the second week of January, they were gone for five months, minus a 36-hour stop at home between contracts.

Art imitating life: Pat & Emilia

Interview

The choice isn't always binary, and we've met plenty of singers who refuse to make an "either/or" decision about work and family. Still, it's one of the biggest points of crisis for a working artist, and there's something fascinating and meta about how Smallman's opera, and the singers in it, unpack this familiar story.

Spotlight on: Samantha Pickett

Interview

"The actual concept of opera is quite simple: Remember all of those angst-laden journal entries, love letters and hyper-realistic hormone-induced dreams you would have as a teenager? Imagine if those came to life, accompanied by the most glorious soundtrack you can fathom. That's opera."

Spotlight on: Stephanie Tritchew

Interview

"Why am I doing it professionally? That's easy: because I'm lucky enough to have that opportunity. If I wasn't doing it professionally, I'd be doing it for fun. I think if anyone could do their absolute favourite thing on the planet and get paid for doing it, they would every time."

Being a nice person: why art really, really matters

Editorial

Ignorance like this is the real reason why art matters. Fixing this kind of problem is a more important and more universal benefit of the arts, moreso than honing your fine motor skills or learning a foreign language. Without the arts, people are left with an alarmingly low chance of understanding the world which they share with others.

Great ideas: Fenlon & Fenlon

News

It's an extremely personal way of presenting music; with Liebesbotschaft, Fenlon shows audiences not only what she feels about Schubert's songs, but distills her interpretation of the voice and piano parts into a singular source. The cycle is compiled to evoke "striking poetic and harmonic expedition", and the autonomy she earns by self-accompaniment offers "a spontaneous, relevant, and impromptu feeling" to familiar music.