Inside Vancouver Opera

The 2022-2023 Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program toured ten elementary schools performing their show Singing Stories, a fun and exciting operatic experience that asks the question, what if the show goes wrong but in the best possible way? Join host Ashley Daniel Foot in a discussion about Singing Stories with five members of the Young Artists Program: Sawyer Craig, Luka Kawabata, Amy Seulky Lee, Jeremy Scinocca, and Hillary Tufford. This year's School Tour is supported by Telus Friendly Future Foundation, CIBC Wood Gundy, Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, Diamond Foundation. Episode Credits: Host - Ashley Daniel Foot Guests from the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program - Sawyer Craig, Luka Kawabata, Amy Seulky Lee, Jeremy Scinocca, and Hillary Tufford Audio Editing - Mack McGillivray Music Credits: Japanese Lullaby 竹田の子守唄 (Takeda No Komoriuta) Performed by Japonské Trio - Natsuko Bručková, Tomoko Kanda, and Yukie Ichimura Doll Song “Les oiseaux dans la charmille” from Jacques Offenbach’s Les contes d'Hoffmann, performed by Katarzyna Dondalska Overture to Richard Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer, performed by the University of Illinois Symphonic Band

“To be loving we willingly hear the other’s truth, and most important, we affirm the value of truth telling. Lies may make people feel better, but they do not help them to know love.” ~bell hooks Vancouver Opera honours Black History Month and shares a conversation that took place during Indie Fest 2022, co-hosted by Debi Wong of re:Naissance Opera and Ashley Daniel Foot the Senior Manager of Partnerships, Engagement, and EDI.  Featuring:  -Rocky Jones, Minnesota Opera’s Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. -Dawn Pemberton, Vancouver’s own Queen of Soul. -Morgan-Paige Melbourne, Toronto-based queer interdisciplinary artist. This profoundly powerful conversation, a truth-telling reflects on the state of Black Opera and performance in North America, and the way forward to end cultural and urban erasures in communities of colour.

"Success is what music does to the human spirit. If audiences come out of a concert feeling better than when they went in, that's success." – Leila Getz.   In the season finale of Vancouver Opera Offstage, Les talks with Leila Getz, C.M., O.B.C., D.F.A., founder and Artistic Director of the Vancouver Recital Society. Leila has presented Canadian and Vancouver debut performances of some of the world’s most brilliant and respected young musicians over the past 40 years, building a diverse and loyal audience for the recital concert form that had once been labeled out-of-vogue. She is a member of the Order of Canada, the order of British Columbia, and a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for her contributions to Canada's musical landscape. Check out our episode at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage.

In this episode, meet the brand-new Artistic and Executive Director of Early Music Vancouver! Suzie LeBlanc, C.M., is a prolific Canadian soprano and recipient of the Order of Canada in 2015, with four honourary doctorates for her work. A performer and scholar in Baroque repertoire, she is also accomplished in classical and modern repertoire and improvisation. Her 2011 album, I am in need of music, won an ECMA for Best Classical Recording, and her original work has lent voice to her Acadian heritage.Check out our episode at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage.#VOffstage is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Buzzsprout - subscribe to the feed today!Support the show (http://tickets.vancouveropera.ca/dev/contribute.aspx)

In our official Preview Podcast for Vancouver Opera's new production of Carmen: Up Close and Personal and the 26th episode of Vancouver Opera Offstage, meet Brenna Corner, director and mastermind behind this brand-new digital opera. Brenna has worked as a director, actor, singer, choreographer, and fight director across Canada, the United States, and Europe. An alumnus of Vancouver Opera's Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program, she most recently directed VO productions of Hansel and Gretel and L'Elisir d'amore. Tickets and subscriptions are now available for Carmen: Up Close and Personal, premiering May 1st at digital.vancouveropera.ca.Check out our episode now at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage.Support the show (http://tickets.vancouveropera.ca/dev/contribute.aspx)

In this episode, Les chats with prolific Canadian Stage Director Michael Cavanagh. No stranger to Vancouver Opera audiences, Michael has staged numerous productions over the years including–most recently–Otello, Madama Butterfly, and Nixon in China. We're thrilled that Michael has recently been appointed as Artistic Director of the Royal Swedish Opera. Les talks with Michael about his journey, his deep connection with VO, and the honour of being appointed to lead a major European opera company with hundreds of years of history.Check out our episode's special features including Michael's Spotify Playlist and Les' Pick of the Week at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage!Support the show (http://tickets.vancouveropera.ca/dev/contribute.aspx)

In this special seasonal episode, our last podcast of 2020, Vancouver Opera Offstage has a holiday treat for our listeners: Les shares over 40 minutes of music recorded specifically for this podcast! Inspired by Menotti retracing his childhood memories of Christmas in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Les performs some solo piano music by Hungarian composers Franz Liszt, Béla Bartók, and Ernő Dohnányi, inspired by Christmas carols. Les also explores some of the history behind each composer and their work, with a guest appearance by Vancouver Opera Offstage co-producer and editor Vincent Wong, Senior Marketing and Sales Manager at Vancouver Opera.Check out our episode at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage, and don't forget to subscribe to Vancouver Opera's Digital Season to see Amahl and the Night Visitors at digital.vancouveropera.ca !This episode has clickable Music Selections: (available under "CHAPTER MARKERS" - tap the icon in the player with the three lines)Selection 1 (09:18): Franz Liszt, "In dulci jubilo: Die Hirten an der Krippe" (In dulci jubilo: The Shepherds at the Manger)Selection 2 (12:26): Franz Liszt, "Adeste fideles: Gleichsam als Marsch der heiligen drei Könige" (Adeste Fideles: March of the Three Holy Kings)Selection 3 (16:17): Franz Liszt, "Glockenspiel" (Carillon)Selection 4 (18:48): Franz Liszt, "Schlummerlied" (Slumber Song)Selection 5 (22:27): Franz Liszt, "Altes provençalisches Weihnachtslied" (Old Provençal Christmas Song)Selection 6 (24:12): Franz Liszt, "Abendglocken" (Evening Bells)Selection 7 (28:46): Franz Liszt, "Ehemals" (variously trans. as In Days Gone By, Old Times, Long Ago, Formerly) Selection 8 (38:44): Béla Bartók, "Romanian Christmas Carols"Selection 9 (55:39): Ernő Dohnányi, "Pastorale" (based on the carol "The Angel came down from heaven")Music recorded at Monarch Studios on December 5, 2020.Support the show (http://tickets.vancouveropera.ca/dev/contribute.aspx)

In this, our 20th episode, Les chats with two of Vancouver Opera's fabulous stage managers, Marijka Asbeek Brusse and Theresa Tsang. We'll go on a virtual tour of what goes on in opera in the rehearsal hall and from backstage of a major opera company. Theresa and Marijka will share experiences and challenges from their unique perspective and give us a unique glimpse of what some of their favourite productions look like from behind the curtains.Check out our special features for the episode, including guest Spotify playlists, Les's Spotify Pick of the Week and more at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage!Support the show (http://tickets.vancouveropera.ca/dev/contribute.aspx)

In this episode, Les chats with Canadian mezzo-soprano Mireille Lebel, who will be starring in Vancouver Opera's Digital Season Opening Production, La Voix humaine. Last appearing as Siébel in Vancouver Opera's 2019 production of Faust, Mireille grew up in Vancouver and was a member of the Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal before making critically successful debuts with opera companies and orchestras in Europe and North America. Check out our special features for the episode, including Mireille's Spotify playlist, Les's Spotify Pick of the Week and more at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage!Don't forget to subscribe to our fabulous digital season to see Mireille and be ready for La Voix humaine when it premieres October 24th at digital.vancouveropera.ca/la-voix-humaine !Support the show (http://tickets.vancouveropera.ca/dev/contribute.aspx)

In this very special video and audio episode, Les is proud to feature a series of introductions from the talented participants of our 2020–2021 Yulanda M Faris Young Artists Program. We’ll be meeting Toronto-based stage director Dana Fradkin, Vancouver-based baritone Luka Kawabata, Toronto soprano Jonelle Sills, tenor Ian Cleary who hails from Chatham, Ontario, Vancouver-based pianist Amy Seulky Lee, and mezzo-soprano Amanda Weatherall, originally from Cranbrook, BC.The Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists program was created to offer a bridge between formal academic educational programs and the professional world in a supportive and encouraging environment. It provides artists–singers, pianists and stage directors–with the opportunity to train with industry leaders through master classes, one on one coachings and performance opportunities as part of a residency program. Be sure to catch these wonderful artists in action by subscribing to our 2020–2021 Digital season, where they will star in The Music Shop and La Tragédie de Carmen.We'd love to hear from you if you have any feedback or suggestions for upcoming guests. You can reach us via email at online@vancouveropera.ca, and don't forget to check out this episode's special features, including Spotify playlists from each of our Young Artists on our website at We'd love to hear from you if you have any feedback or suggestions for upcoming guests. You can reach us via email at online@vancouveropera.ca, and don't forget to check out this episode's special features, including Spotify playlists from each of our Young Artists on our website and the video version of this episode at vancouveropera.ca/offstage.Support the show (http://tickets.vancouveropera.ca/dev/contribute.aspx)

In this episode, Les chats with we're speaking with Hungarian-Canadian mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó from her home in Toronto. Highly sought after in North America and Europe on both opera stages and concert halls, Krisztina has an impressive repertoire ranging from Bach to Claude Vivier as well as several world premieres, including George Benjamin's opera Lessons in Love and Violence which was nominated for a Grammy award. She last appeared at Vancouver Opera as Donna Elvira in the 2014 production of Don Giovanni. We are thrilled to welcome Krisztina to Vancouver, who has recently been appointed Assistant Professor of Voice and Opera at the UBC School of Music.Check out our special features for the episode, including Krisztina's Spotify playlist, Les's Spotify Pick of the Week and more at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage!Support the show (http://tickets.vancouveropera.ca/dev/contribute.aspx)

In this episode, Les chats with Teiya Kasahara & Asitha Tennekoon, co-founders of Amplified Opera. Teiya 笠原貞野 (they/them) is a queer, gender non-binary, multi-disciplinary performer/creator, and first-generation Nikkei-Canadian settler of Japanese and German roots. Teiya comes from a background of over a decade of singing both traditional and contemporary operatic roles across North America and Europe. VO audiences last saw them as the Queen of the Night in our 2013 BC First Nations inspired production of The Magic Flute. Sri Lankan tenor Asitha Tennekoon was winner of the 2016/17 Dora Award for Best Male Performance in Opera for his depiction of Paul in Tapestry Opera's Rocking Horse Winner and was last seen at Vancouver Opera in The Overcoat as The Manager. Asitha is also the creator of the blog Wandelprobe, in which he provides a platform for meaningful discourse on the state of opera.Check out our special features for the episode, including Teiya & Asitha's Spotify playlists, Les's Pick of the Week and more at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage!Support the show (http://tickets.vancouveropera.ca/dev/contribute.aspx)

In this very special July 1st episode, Les is joined by co-host Colleen Maybin, Vancouver Opera's Director of Learning and Engagement. With international focus turning a critical eye on systemic racial injustice, this Canada Day will be a day of reflection for many. Guests Michael Hidetoshi Mori and Marion Newman join us for a discussion about cultural representation in opera and the directions that the art form can take to better reflect the experiences of Canada's cultural mosaic. Michael is the general director of Tapestry Opera, which in May of 2019 produced the world-premiere of Shanawdithit, a landmark Canadian-Indigenous opera by Dean Burry and Yvette Nolan. Starring in the title role of Shanawdithit, was Marion Newman, who is a Canadian mezzo-soprano of Kwagiulth and Stó:lo First Nations, English, Irish, and Scottish roots, and a co-founder of Amplified Opera. Marion also sang in Vancouver Opera's 2013 First Nations inspired production of The Magic Flute.Check out our special features for the episode, including Marion and Michael's Spotify playlists, Les and Colleen's Spotify selection of the week, clips from Shanadiwthit, Missing, and The Magic Flute, and more at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage!Support the show (http://tickets.vancouveropera.ca/dev/contribute.aspx)