Pianist Hamelin Takes the Road Less Traveled
By Colin Eatock
TORONTO -- "If you look at my discography, I don't think you'll find anything like it anywhere else," says Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin in a wide-ranging interview. "I've always had a taste for the unfamiliar."
Bayrakdarian Tells Stories in Song for Edmonton Recital
By Bill Rankin
EDMONTON, Alberta -- Soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian genuinely conveys the stories of the songs she sings with physical, emotional, and musical charisma, and she is never more captivating than when she is singing an ornamented vowel.
Stylish ‘Abduction’ Kicks Off Season For Opera Atelier
By Colin Eatock
TORONTO -- Beyond Canada's borders, Opera Atelier isn't nearly as well-known as it ought to be. Its period-based production of Mozart's Abduction From the Seraglio, now playing, reflects the mom-and-pop operation's distinctive house style.
Yannick’s Return To Montreal Band Is a Mixed Affair
By Robert Markow
MONTREAL - The Orchestre Métropolitain has been blessed with a succession of outstanding music directors who brought the orchestra to higher planes of artistic excellence. The latest is none other than Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who remains loyal.
Griffey Secures Toronto’s Elusive Staging of ‘Grimes’
By Colin Eatock
Tenor Anthony Dean Griffey flew in on short notice to sub for ailing Ben Heppner and save the Canadian Opera Company season opener "Peter Grimes." But Benjamin Britten's 1945 masterpiece was not well served by the single-set community hall staging.
Tafelmusik Shows Virtues, Limits in Beethoven Concert
By Colin Eatock
The leading period ensemble in Toronto is the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, best known for its historically informed performances of Baroque repertoire. But the orchestra has been gradually pressing forward, embracing the Classical and even the early Romantic eras.
Summer Festivals: Small Treasures Await Discovery in Eastern Canada
By Colin Eatock
There's certainly no lack of summer music festivals in Eastern Canada. They're big and small, urban and rural, wide-ranging or strictly classical in their programming. Here are half a dozen festivals you may not know about.
Summer Festivals: Lanaudière Casts Musical Riches in Pastoral Setting
By Robert Markow
Nestled in picturesque, rural Quebec, is the small city of Joliette, home to Canada's largest classical summer music festival. The Lanaudière Festival has grown from a mere three concerts by the Montreal Symphony in 1977 to more than 30 events packed into a four-to-five week period in July and early August.
Canadian Opera’s ‘Carmelites’ Solid In Theater Values
By Colin Eatock
At first glance, it looks simply threadbare. But with poised and ritualized staging, director Robert Carsen has created a poetic theatrical experience. As well, the grand starkness of Michael Levine's design focuses attention on significant details
