Inside Vancouver Opera
80 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago -Inside Vancouver Opera is a unique backstage glimpse into the world of Vancouver Opera. Join us as we chat with opera experts, artists, Vancouver Opera staff and others to explore the world of opera on and off the stage.
This podcast offers an insider’s glimpse into the artistry, experiences, and perspectives of the talent involved in taking breathtaking opera productions from the page to the stage.
Find out more at VancouverOpera.ca
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Episodes
Episode 27 | Behind the Camera Lens on the Digital Season with Mike Southworth
May 05, 2021 17:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBMeet Mike Southworth, who was responsible for the camerawork and videography behind Vancouver Opera's 2020–2021 Digital Season, on #VOffstage with Les Dala. Listen Now! www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage Subscribe to the season now: digital.vancouveropera.ca #VOGoesDigital In this episode, Les takes us on a glimpse behind the camera lens to get a perspective of what it takes to bring opera from the stage to the screen. Our guest is Mike Southworth, president of Collide Entertainment, who is res...
Episode 26 | Up Close and Personal about Carmen with stage director Brenna Corner
April 07, 2021 20:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MBIn 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 a...
Episode 25 | The Music Shop Pre-Show, with Composer & Librettist Richard Wargo
March 02, 2021 20:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MBThis very special 25th episode of Vancouver Opera Offstage is also the official Pre-Show talk for Vancouver Opera's The Music Shop, which premieres online Saturday, March 13. We're delighted to welcome Richard Wargo, composer of The Music Shop to talk about his creative inspirations for the opera and to share some tips for aspiring composers. Richard joins us from his home in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Check out our episode at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage, and don't forget to subscribe to Va...
Episode 24 | Bringing it home with Royal Swedish Opera Artistic Director and prolific Canadian Stage Director Michael Cavanagh
February 03, 2021 21:00 - 49 minutes - 33.7 MBIn 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 compa...
Episode 24 | Bringing it home with prolific Canadian Stage Director Michael Cavanagh, Artistic Director of the Royal Swedish Opera
February 03, 2021 21:00 - 49 minutes - 33.7 MBIn 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 compa...
Episode 23 | A Storied Career with Canadian baritone Brett Polegato
January 13, 2021 21:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MBIn our first episode of 2021, host Les Dala is joined by celebrated Canadian baritone Brett Polegato. Brett has sung on the most important stages of the world and is also a three-time Grammy Award recipient. VO Audiences will remember him last as Belcore in 2018's L'Elisir d'amore (The Elixir of Love). Brett tells us about some of his favourite roles over the year and talks about the special importance of art, literature, and poetry in the current times. Check out our episode, special featu...
Vancouver Opera's Holiday Thank You | A Touch of Brass Quintet Christmas Album "December"
December 23, 2020 04:00 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBAs we approach the end of a tumultuous year, the staff and board of Vancouver Opera want to thank you for supporting our vision and mission. Thank you for listening to our podcasts, participating in our Vision planning, generously donating, and watching our digital releases of La Voix humaine and Amahl and the Night Visitors. This season, please enjoy some holiday music from A Touch of Brass. all members who perform with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra! We hope you have a very happy holiday ...
Episode 22 | A Holiday Treat for our Listeners!
December 16, 2020 20:00 - 1 hour - 44.9 MBIn 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 t...
Episode 21 | Special Guests from Vancouver Opera's Amahl and the Night Visitors
December 02, 2020 18:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBIn this episode, Les takes us on a behind the scenes glimpse into the creation of Vancouver Opera's next digital opera: Amahl and the Night Visitors. This new take on a delightful holiday classic has its digital premiere on Saturday December 12th, featuring an exciting BC cast alongside members of the Vancouver Opera Chorus. This podcast's guests include Stage Director Sarah Jane Pelzer, Andreas Dala (Amahl), and Stephanie Tritchew (Mother), alongside Les (Music Director). Check out our spe...
Episode 20 | Adventures in Stage Management: Behind the Scenes with Theresa Tsang & Marijka Asbeek Brusse
November 18, 2020 02:00 - 46 minutes - 31.9 MBIn 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...
Episode 19 | Highlights of two decades with former VO General Director Jim Wright
November 04, 2020 18:00 - 46 minutes - 32.1 MBIn this episode, Les speaks with Jim (James) Wright, former General Director of Vancouver Opera who led the company from 1999-2016. As the longest-serving General Director in the company's history, Vancouver Opera presented a wide range of repertoire during his tenure including the world premieres of Lillian Alling, Stickboy, and the Canadian premiere of Nixon in China. Jim also oversaw the creation of our community engagement program Opera Speaks and the appointment of Jonathan Darlington ...
Episode 18 | An inspirational journey with mezzo-soprano and star of La Voix humaine, Mirelle Lebel
October 21, 2020 19:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBIn 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, includin...
Episode 17 | Singing with the Greats with Tenor and UBC Voice and Opera Professor J. Patrick Raftery
October 07, 2020 22:00 - 47 minutes - 32.5 MBIn this episode, Les chats with J. Patrick Raftery, who is professor of voice and opera at UBC and who has had an illustrious singing career as both a tenor and a baritone. Recipient of the Richard Tucker Music Foundation Prize, Patrick has appeared on the world's greatest stages including the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, La Scala and the Paris Opera to name a few. He has shared the stage with some of the greatest operatic legends including Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni. Check o...
Episode 16 | Introductions from the 2020-2021 Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists!
September 23, 2020 20:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MBIn 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 Yo...
Episode 15 | Transforming adversity to creative inspiration with The Kettle Society and the Can You Hear Me? Project's Lesley Sutherland, Jerry LaFaery, and Coreen Douglas
September 09, 2020 18:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBIn this episode, Vancouver Opera's Director of Learning and Engagement, Colleen Maybin brings you an uplifting story about music, connection, and community. The Can You Hear Me? Project is an unique choral video from Vancouver Opera and longtime community partner, The Kettle Society, conceived as a way to shine a light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the members of The Kettle Choir and Writers Guild. Run out of The Kettle on Burrard Street in downtown Vancouver, these two unique ...
Episode 14 | Sharing the love of performance with Hungarian-Canadian mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó
August 26, 2020 23:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBIn 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 pro...
Episode 13 | Keeping pace with internationally respected conductor and former VO Music Director David Agler
August 12, 2020 19:00 - 27 minutes - 19.3 MBIn this episode, Les catches up with internationally respected conductor David Agler. David was Music Director of Vancouver Opera from 1992 to 1999 and recently stepped down after a 16-year tenure as Artistic Director of the prestigious Wexford Festival. David has held leadership positions in opera companies throughout the world and guest conducted across Canada, the US and Europe. David joins us from his home in Vancouver. Check out our special features for the episode, including an interv...
Episode 12 | Imagining the future for opera with soprano and multidisciplinary performer Teiya Kasahara & tenor Asitha Tennekoon, co-founders of Amplified Opera
July 29, 2020 19:00 - 44 minutes - 30.4 MBIn 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...
Episode 11 | Shaping the voices of tomorrow with UBC Opera's legendary Nancy Hermiston
July 15, 2020 18:00 - 51 minutes - 35.4 MBIn this episode, Les chats with Nancy Hermiston, Director of the University of British Columbia Opera Ensemble, and Chair of the UBC School of Music's Voice and Opera Divisions. Nancy's prestigious career has taken her across the globe. She is the inspiration and mentor to many local artists including our recent guests Rachel Fenlon and Simone Osborne, and is an Officer of the Order of Canada for her achievements as an opera singer, stage director and educator. Check out our special feature...
Episode 10 | Canadian Visions with Tapestry Opera's Michael Hidetoshi Mori and First Nations mezzo-soprano Marion Newman of Amplified Opera
July 01, 2020 21:00 - 46 minutes - 31.9 MBIn 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 ...
Episode 9 | Coaches in Conversation: Demystifying the role of the répétiteur with Kinza Tyrrell and Tina Chang
June 24, 2020 17:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBIn this very special "Coaches in Conversation" episode, available in both video and audio, Les is joined by members of the wonderful music staff at Vancouver Opera: Kinza Tyrrell, Principle Répétiteur and Associate Chorus Director and Tina Chang, Pianist and Répétiteur. Les, Kinza, and Tina discuss the role of the répétiteur in opera and de-mystify this rather exotic-sounding title. This episode is available on Vancouver Opera’s social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube) as wel...
Episode 8 | From the Countertenor to Executive Director: Matthew White of Early Music Vancouver
June 17, 2020 19:00 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MBIn this episode, Les catches up with Matthew White, Executive and Artistic Director of Early Music Vancouver. Matthew has served at the helm of Early Music Vancouver for eight years, and previously was Executive Director of Pacific MusicWorks in Seattle. Prior to that, he had already gained international acclaim as one of Canada’s leading countertenors and as the founding director of the Quebec-based ensemble Les Voix Baroques. Matthew gives us a peek into his exciting plans this summer for ...
Episode 7 | Breaking barriers in the digital world with Vancouver Island's own Rachel Fenlon
June 10, 2020 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBIn this episode, originally recorded on May 8th, 2020, Les speaks with soprano and pianist Rachel Fenlon. Raised in Victoria, BC and currently based in Berlin, Rachel began her professional career at Vancouver Opera as part of the inaugural year of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program. Her roles with VO have included Pamina in The Magic Flute, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, and most recently, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro, 2017). Rach...
Episode 6 | In the spotlight with Vancouver-born lyric soprano Simone Osborne
June 03, 2020 16:00 - 50 minutes - 34.7 MBIn this episode, Les speaks with Vancouver-born lyric soprano Simone Osborne. Simone was one of the youngest-ever winners of the Met Competition in New York at age 21, and most recently headlined Vancouver Opera's 2019 production of Faust in the role of Marguerite. Simone is currently based in Frankfurt, Germany and shares some delightful stories of inspiring mentorship, finding balance as a busy soprano, and her formative experiences. Check out our special features for the episode, includi...
Episode 5 | Perspectives on performance with Canadian bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch
May 27, 2020 16:00 - 38 minutes - 26.8 MBIn this episode, Les speaks with Canadian bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch, who most recently starred as Joseph De Rocher in Vancouver Opera's 2017 production of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking. Daniel has been involved in the creation of several world premiere operas, including Brokeback Mountain, The Fly, JFK, and Marnie, among others. In addition to his accomplished career in opera, Daniel has also appeared on Broadway in the role of Schaunard in Baz Luhrmann's 2002 Broadway musical adaption ...
Episode 4 | Sharing stories from legendary Canadian mezzo-soprano Judith Forst
May 20, 2020 20:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBIn this episode Les takes a stroll down memory lane with legendary Canadian mezzo-soprano Judith Forst. Judi has an association with Vancouver Opera dating back to the 1960s, when she was a member of the first training program for young singers. Since that time she has had a prestigious international career with appearances at some of the most important opera houses of the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, and San Francisco Opera. Judi most recently appeared with Vancouver O...
Episode 3 | A Chat with Canadian Stage Director Rachel Peake | On her process and vision as a director from theatre to opera
May 13, 2020 18:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBIn this podcast, Les speaks with Stage Director Rachel Peake, who last directed La Cenerentola for Vancouver Opera in 2019 and is the Associate Artistic Director of the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta. Rachel was also director of 2014's Stickboy and will return to direct Vancouver Opera's 60th Anniversary Season production of George Bizet's masterpiece Carmen. Rachel gives us a fascinating look into her process as a director in both theatre and opera. Check out our special features for...
Episode 2 | Catching up with Jonathan Darlington, Music Director Emeritus of Vancouver Opera
May 06, 2020 17:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBIn this podcast, Les chats with Vancouver Opera Music Director Emeritus Jonathan Darlington. We explore Jonathan's musical journey and how he got involved in the world of opera, and Maestro Darlington also shares his thoughts on Mozart, Verdi and Strauss, composers whose operas have figured prominently in his tenure at Vancouver Opera. Plus, we get a peek at what Jonathan is doing to keep busy during this quarantine period. Check out our special features for the episode, including Jonathan'...
Episode 1 | An Interview with Tom Wright, General Director of Vancouver Opera
April 29, 2020 16:00 - 40 minutes - 27.8 MBIn our first podcast, Les chats with Tom Wright, Vancouver Opera’s newly appointed general director. Tom previously held the position of director of artistic planning at VO for 13 seasons. Les and Tom discuss leadership during a pandemic and his vision for the future of Vancouver Opera. Check out our special features for the episode, including Tom's Spotify playlist, Les' listening recommendation of the week, and more at www.vancouveropera.ca/offstage ! Support the show (http://tickets.van...
Episode 0 | Welcome to Vancouver Opera Offstage!
April 27, 2020 08:00 - 1 minute - 1.17 MBA series preview of the Vancouver Opera Offstage podcast with Les Dala; an introduction from Episode 1. Support the show (http://tickets.vancouveropera.ca/dev/contribute.aspx)