Right from its premiere in 1790, Mozart’s Così fan tutte has proven to be a vexing one for operagoers.

First sparking criticism for its scandalous immorality, now interrogated for the way it paints its female leads, the opera continues to be a springboard for conversation. With the piece making a high-profile return to the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts this winter, we wanted to dig deeper with musicologist Margaret Cormier to get her take on some of the more intriguing – and perennially problematic – aspects of the opera.

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What a difference 20 years makes. I had the great pleasure of making my Canadian Opera Company debut with this production of Elektra in 1997 at the invitation of the late Richard Bradshaw.  It was his idea to pair two great Strauss one-acts, Elektra and Salome, using many of the same physical elements but with two very different directors. 

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Whether it was a school play or a concert, dance lessons, drama camp, or just listening to music on the radio, there was probably a moment in your life when the performing arts first revealed their magic to you. We may not have realized it at the time, but those first impressions leave a lasting impact and shape how we interact with the world. In this edition of NOTES, three young arts professionals, all of whom interned with the Canadian Opera Company early in their careers, explore how their first encounters with the arts opened up the world and connected to a larger sense of belonging.

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