The Opera Glasses Podcast

She walked into an asylum on purpose and the world couldn’t ignore what she found. We’re joined by award-winning Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch to talk about 10 Days in a Madhouse, her opera with composer Rene Orth, and the real investigative journalism of Nellie Bly, who pretended to be “mad” to expose the brutal conditions inside a women’s institution in 19th-century New York. We start wi...

A premiere disappears three months before opening night, and the artists are told after the decision is already made. That’s the moment that frames our conversation with mezzo-soprano and broadcaster Marion Newman, a singer we’ve long admired for her voice, her wit and her steady insistence on truth. We talk about Indians On Vacation , the new Canadian opera adapted from Thomas King’s novel, and w...

A four-month-old mystery wrapped in newspaper. A fairy tale that has toured hundreds of times. A classroom full of kids who cheer without restraint. We sit down with Canadian composer Dean Burry to explore how opera becomes irresistible when it balances big myths with small, human truths. Dean shares the thread that runs through his work from The Brothers Grimm and The Hobbit to the headline-gripp...

A mountain hotel, a piano in the lounge, and two lovers who return in disguise with beards worthy of an NFB classic – Mozart has never felt more Canadian. We invited coloratura icon Tracy Dahl to share how a beloved trickster like Despina changes when the artist brings more life to the stage, and why comedy lands best when the ensemble breathes as one. The stories are wild, but the craft is precis...

A rising soprano, two audience prizes, and a leap into contemporary opera —this conversation brings you inside a young career. Opera Glasses down with Nikan Ingabire Kanate to map her path from Ottawa choir rehearsals to  the Curtis Institute, then through a fall packed with finals, flights and a first-prize finish at the Center Stage competition hosted by the Canadian Opera Company. We also open...

A revered classic can hide a hard truth. We sit down with director Mo Zhou to unpack how Madama Butterfly shifts when you move it out of fantasy and into the charged reality of post–World War II Japan. Mo charts her own journey from closed doors in commercial theater to a thriving opera career, and then into the heart of a work she once refused to stage. By resetting the opera in 1946 and 1953, du...

What happens when you bring together a 30-year veteran opera journalist and the complete archives of Canada's longest-running arts magazine? Magic, memories, and an unforgettable journey through operatic history. Joseph So, who has been writing for Opera Canada since 1995, takes listeners on a captivating tour through his remarkable career interviewing the greatest  singers of our time. From...

Why isn't anyone asking the hard questions about opera's future? In this riveting conversation, soprano Lucia Cesaroni and Tapestry Opera's Executive Director Jamie Martino challenge the status quo of an art form at a crossroads. "Wagner ruined opera," declares Cesaroni provocatively, questioning why we still expect modern audiences to sit through four-hour performances in...

Ever wondered what it takes to succeed in the high-stakes world of international opera competitions? This candid conversation with two rising stars - Sophie Naubert and Ihor Mostovoi - offers a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of the prestigious Concours Musical International de Montréal. The two singers provide invaluable insights into competition strategy, from repertoire selection to ment...

Growing up in Toronto with a musical theater obsession sparked by seeing Phantom of the Opera at age five, Charlotte Siegel never imagined herself an opera singer. "I was definitely not that 10-year-old thinking I wanted to be an opera singer," she confesses, "but I always knew I wanted to sing." Now performing Musetta in Manitoba Opera's La bohème , Siegel finds portrayin...

Cheryl Hickman is reimagining what an opera company can be in Newfoundland. As founder and artistic director of Opera on the Avalon in St. John's, she's built an organization that defies conventional wisdom about opera programming, audience development and digital engagement. Starting with a budget of just $25,000 in 2009 after a successful international singing career, Hickman has grown...

Prepare to be enchanted by the stories and insights of Canadian baritone John Fanning, a treasured gem in the world of opera. As a recipient of the Ruby Award and a member of the Order of Canada, John shares his remarkable journey from the grandeur of opera stages to a more family-centered life in Waterford, Ontario. We'll uncover his thoughts on transitioning from teaching at the University...

Join us for an enchanting encounter with Arianna Maubach, the mezzo-soprano sensation who captured hearts and won accolades at the Canadian Opera Company's Center Stage Competition. Arianna takes us on a fascinating journey from her beginnings in a non-musical family to her discovery of a love for singing with the Toronto Children's Chorus. Despite having family in law and entrepreneursh...

 Join us for a heartfelt episode of the Opera Glasses podcast as Elizabeth Bowman hosts her final show and introduces the new Editorial Director of Opera Canada, Michael Jones. With an impressive career spanning from Choirs Ontario to the Saskatchewan Arts Board, Michael shares how his first live opera experience with Britten's “Death in Venice” ignited a lifelong passion. We discuss his visi...

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is presenting a reimagined take on Poul Ruders's The Handmaid's Tale , a work-in-progress based on Margaret Atwood’s sobering novel.  Composer Dan Scholsberg was commissioned to arrange the work for chamber ensemble using different technologies to evoke Gilead.  The hope is for this arrangement to be used by more arts companies across the globe. Opera...

Prepare to be captivated as the extraordinary Irish-Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta graces our podcast. She makes her Carnegie Hall debut tonight singing Christian Muthspiel’s brand-new arrangement of Kurt Weill 's The Seven Deadly Sins .  Wallis, a mother and a luminary on the international opera stage, dives deep into how she successfully balances her career and motherhood.  Transition...

Greek-Canadian soprano Soula Parassidis joins us on The Opera Glasses podcast to talk about her organization, Living Opera , her Canadian debut in Montreal, and the international opera scene. Soula, the driving force behind Living Opera , talks about how it all began—spoiler alert: the catalyst was her husband and Living Opera partner, Norman Reinhardt's journey overcoming performance anxiety...

Embark on a riveting journey with The Opera Glasses Podcast as we host the magnificent Canadian baritone Elliot Madore , who opens up about the nuances of embodying roles in both contemporary and time-honoured operas. Elliot unveils the behind-the-scenes magic of collaborating with composer Matthew Aucoin for his role in Eurydice ( Boston Lyric Opera ) and contrasts this with his most recent perfo...

Canadian soprano Simone Osborne graces the Opera Glasses podcast - currently starring in Calgary Opera’s  The Elixir of Love , Feb 3 - 9, 2024. We talk about how she expertly balances career and family life. Simone offers a rare glimpse into her  craft and the supportive network that helps her excel both on stage and at home. After Calgary, she will be on the Canadian Opera Company stage as Norina...

In this episode, I, Elizabeth Bowman, am joined by the insightful Michael Zarathus-Cook, Managing Editor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Chief Editor of Cannopy Magazine . We're peeling back the curtain on the Emerging Arts Writer Program at the Banff Centre (part of Joel Ivany's Chamber Music and Opera program), revealing the nuts and bolts of nurturing new, vibrant voices in arts...

Experience a journey into the world of opera with special guest, Timothy Myers, one of America's most innovative conductors. Recently appointed as Music Director at the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra, Myers—who also holds the Music Directorship at Austin Opera—lends his unique insights into the changing landscape of opera and its audience in the post-pandemic world. Join us as we delve into t...

Italian-Canadian soprano and Principal at Cesaroni Consulting, Lucia Cesaroni, is a regular contributor to Opera Canada's print publications.  She writes the Stage Business and Essential Perspectives columns. The Opera Glasses host, Elizabeth Bowman, chats with Cesaroni about the state of the opera business, more specifically what audiences want, music education, the worth of artists in busin...

On July 12, Lebanese-Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury will be making her professional stage debut in the title role of Carmen at Oper im Steinbruch ( more information here ).  She talks about taking on new roles, the importance of fine tuning your technique, and has great advice for emerging singers coming up in this business. Born in Lebanon and raised in Canada, Joyce’s discography includes thre...

Canadian bass-baritone joins Elizabeth Bowman to talk about the wholehearted reimagining of one of the greatest operas of the 20th century: Béla Bartók 's Bluebeard’s Castle . Against the Grain Theatre will present this work March 29-April 1 at Harbourfront's Fleck Dance Theatre in Toronto.  This radical retelling, originally produced by the ground-breaking opera company Theatre of Sound...

 Guests: Ian Cusson , Composer; Kanika Ambrose ,  Librettist; Jorell Williams , Baritone We talk about the upcoming WORLD PREMIERE of the Tapestry Opera/Obsidian Theatre Group  production of OF THE SEA ( opens MARCH 25-APRIL 1, 2023 ). The work is a powerful new opera flowing with hope and heartbreak, written by Kanika Ambrose , composed by Ian Cusson —both are guests on this podcast. Also joining...