With our production of Tristan und Isolde just a few weeks away, the name "Richard Wagner" is on the tips of everybody's tongues – even opera neophytes know his name! His music is still used extensively in film and television and his operas inspired the outdated operatic cliche "It ain't over til the fat lady sings." Read on to discover just how much you already know about the music of Richard Wagner.
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Posted by Danielle D'Ornellas / in Tristan und Isolde / comments (0) / permalink
American video artist Bill Viola is internationally recognized as one of today’s leading new media artists. His works have been exhibited throughout the world in museums including the National Gallery in London, the Berlin Guggenheim, and the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. During the course of his career, he has been instrumental in the establishment of video as a vital form of contemporary art and has taught at the California Institute for the Arts and the Getty Research Institute. Learn more about Bill Viola here.
The video imagery Bill Viola created for this production of Tristan und Isolde provides literal, metaphorical and spiritual complements to the tragic love between Tristan the knight and his beloved princess, Isolde.
In the video below, Heidi McKenzie interviews Bill Viola about the inspiration behind the video imagery he created for Tristan und Isolde. Listen as Viola reveals the influence of Eastern culture in his art (an interest he shares with Richard Wagner!) and more.
Photo of Bill Viola by Kira Perov.
On November 29, 2012, 10 finalists competed at the Canadian Opera Company’s Second Annual Ensemble Studio Competition for cash prizes and a chance to join the Ensemble Studio for the 2013/2014 season. At the competition, bass-baritone Gordon Bintner was awarded first-place and the audience-choice awards, tenor Andrew Haji took home the second-place prize and mezzo-soprano Charlotte Burrage received the third-place prize. View our recap for photos and tweets from the competition.
The three prize winners are joining the 2013/2014 Ensemble Studio as well as soprano Aviva Fortunata, baritone Clarence Frazer, and mezzo-soprano Danielle MacMillan. These six singers become part of an illustrious program that has launched the careers of over 150 Canadian singers, opera coaches, stage directors and conductors. They join returning Ensemble Studio members, soprano Sasha Djihanian, soprano Claire de Sévigné, tenor Owen McCausland and baritone Cameron McPhail.
Posted by Danielle D'Ornellas / in Ensemble Studio / comments (0) / permalink
Sara Fulgoni in the COC production of Bluebeard's Castle. Photo: Michael Cooper © 2001