2024 SPRING NEWSLETTER
“Im wunderschönen Monat Mai…”
Spring has sprung!
I’ve recently returned from Vancouver where cherry blossoms have exploded into giant pink pom-pom balls. You can see them everywhere there, and that is something I truly miss about being based in Toronto, so I always feel extra lucky when I get to witness these blossoms on the west coast.
Last Monday I performed at the opening night reception for the TED Conference. I sang “Un bel dì vedremo” in a sparkling black tuxedo staring out giant windows of the Vancouver Convention Centre into Burrard Inlet, watching the ships pass by Stanley Park — a very meta moment while embodying Cio-cio-san.
It’s going to be a bustling spring, so keep those allergy nasal sprays and tissues handy, and continue to be “Brave and Brilliant!”
T.
April 27 & 30 — Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
VERDI’s REQUIEM
I feel an immense honour to perform the soprano solo in Verdi’s Requiem with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Jean-Sébastien Vallée conducting. I’m joined with my fellow colleagues Andrew Haji, Rose Naggar-Tremblay and Geoffrey Sirret.
Note, there are two performances in two different locations:
Saturday April 27 is at the George Weston Recital Hall in North York
Tuesday April 30 is at Koerner Hall in Toronto
May 3 & 4 — Confluence Concerts
DICHTERLIEBE: WHOSE LOVE?
For my inauguaral curation with Confluence Concerts, my dear collaborator, David Eliakis and I are excited to present to you Dichterliebe: Whose Love? at the beginning of next month.
Drawing inspiration from the original German poetry of Heinrich Heine’s “Lyrisches Intermezzo,” Dichterliebe: Whose Love? takes us down a queer, chosen journey rather than the expected 19th-century Lieder recital of Robert Schumann’s music. Exploring the central question, “whose love is important, valid, and celebrated?” is the impetus for our inquiry into our classical music educations, the traditions we have perpetuated in both music and life, and the sex and gender norms that still govern much of today’s performance practices and social discourse. We are striving to make space for a gender-expansive interpretation of love through a variety of settings from Schumann’s original works and those of his contemporaries.
Join us for two performances May 3 & 4 at 7:30 pm in Heliconian Hall, with a pre-show chat starting at 6:45 pm.
May 10-24 — Nuova Vocal Arts
SILENCE
a new opera
In May I will have the great pleasure to workshop a new opera called Silence in the title role!
This opera is being commissioned by Nuova Vocal Arts (Edmonton, AB) to celebrate and commemorate their 25th anniversary. The opera is composed by the incredible Leslie Uyeda with a libretto by Darrin Hagen based on the original stage-play by Moira Buffini, and to be directed be founding artistic director Kim Mattice Wanat.
Stay tuned for more details about this world premiere coming soon!
I will then stay on in Edmonton to work with the young singers in workshops and one-on-one sessions.
May 29 & 30 — Confluence Concerts
CONFLUENCE SONGBOOK
And to round out the spring season, the entire Confluence team will perform songs from the vast repertoire they have accrued over the last 6 years. I’m delighted to perform with Suba Sankaran, Patricia O’Callaghan, Andrew Downing, Larry Beckwith and more.
Join us for 2 performances at Heliconian Hall on May 29 & 30 at 7:30 pm. There will be a pre-show chat starting at 6:45 pm.