Winnipeg was the first stop on my winter opera trip of Canada and the U.S. I try to see the work of the other Canadian opera companies and since I had never attended a performance at Manitoba Opera I made Winnipeg part of the trip, attracted by an all-Canadian Tosca with Wendy Nielsen (Tosca), Richard Margison (Mario Cavaradossi) and Gaétan Laperrière (Scarpia), conducted by Tyrone Paterson and directed by Valerie Kuinka. Filling a huge auditorium when the outside temperature is -15 degrees Celsius and tons of snow on the ground is probably the ultimate proof that the survival of opera is assured even under the toughest conditions.

I was lucky to have the great Canadian film-maker Guy Maddin as my company for the performance. As you may know he is a native and resident of Winnipeg and his movie My Winnipeg is a great declaration of his love to the city. We got to know each other right after my family and I came to Canada two years ago and have been in touch ever since. It was great to catch up with him.

Over the past few hours I jumped about 30 degrees up on the temperature scale. Really looking forward to spending two days in warm and sunny Los Angeles.