Kitchens seem to be a running theme in two concert offerings presented by Tapestry Opera later this month. First, an Acadian kitchen party, and then, an Iron Chef inspired musical concoction, take the vocal arts in very different directions.
Both events give Toronto audiences a chance to hear some of their favourite artists in an intimate, fun setting.
Le Kitchen Party (May 21)
Expect the cozy, yet lively atmosphere of a genuine Acadian kitchen party with host and Tapestry Associate Artistic Director and Women in Musical Leadership fellow Juliane Gallant, and a trio of Maritime musicians: Jacques Arsenault (tenor/accordion), Marie Andrée Gaudet (violin/fiddle) and Pierre-André Doucet (piano).
The program includes a world premiere by Composer Sophie Dupuis based on a poem by Pierre-André Doucet.
The Artists
Born in New Brunswick, Juliane Gallant is currently the Resident Conductor of the Calgary Philharmonic, and one of two in the first edition of Tapestry’s Women in Musical Leadership program. She has worked with several orchestras across Canada, including the Victoria Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, among many others.
A native of Acadia, Jacques Arsenault studied accordion as a child in Prince Edward Island. He later discovered his passion for singing as a tenor. He earned a Master’s of Music from the University of Alberta, and has performed across Canada since his professional debut in 2015.
Violinist Marie Andrée Gaudet has two Master’s degrees from l’Université Laval in Québec, one in music performance, followed by another in chamber music and orchestra. She is a native of New Brunswick, and makes her home in Moncton. After a start in the classical world, she returned to her roots to explore the music of Acadia.
Pianist and writer Pierre-André Doucet is a winner of the Knigge Piano Competition, and recipient of the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Career Development Competition, as well as the Prix d’Europe. He has performed across Canada and in South Africa.
Sophie Dupuis is a composer and violinist, and a native of New Brunswick. She has performed with, and composed works for, a variety of artist and ensembles, including Ballet-Opéra-Pantomine, Duo Holz, Ventus Machina, Made in Trio, and Din of Shadows, among others. Sophie holds a Master of Music and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Music in composition from Dalhousie University.
- Find more information and tickets for the event at Theatre Passe Muraille [HERE].
Iron Chef d’Orchestre | May 22
Associate Artistic Director, Dora-nominated conductor and Women in Musical Leadership fellow Jennifer Tung will co-host this event with tenor Keith Klassen, known to Tapestry audiences for his sense of humour.
Among the musical concoctions on the program are a world premiere by composer Ivan Barbotin and librettist Donna-Michelle St. Bernard.
Artists
Dora nominated conductor Jennifer Tung is the artistic director of Toronto City Opera, and assistant conductor of the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra. The multi-faceted artist works as a music director, collaborative pianist and soprano. She conducted the Tapestry Opera/Obsidian Theatre’s co-production of Of the Sea (Ian Cusson/Kanika Ambrose), and is on the faculty of the Glenn Gould School.
A graduate of the Opera Division at the University of Toronto, tenor Keith Klassen has performed more than 100 roles in both traditional and new opera repertoire. His career has taken him across North America, Europe, and the Bahamas. His reviews have noted him for both his vocal and dramatic skills.
Mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario. She went on to complete her postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She made her professional debut as a Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio member in 1998, and has gone on to a busy career that has taken her across Canada and beyond, including the lead in Atom Egoyan’s production of Béla Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle for the COC. She is also an assistant profession at the University of British Columbia.
Composer Ivan Barbotin and Librettist Donna-Michelle St. Bernard first met in Tapestry’s LIBLAB program. They later worked together as part of the writers’ room for S.O.S. Sketch Opera Singers.
Ivan is a native of St. Petersburg, Russia, and he founded a rock band as a teenager. He joined the noted Russian band Forum at 16, and toured Russia to sold-out audiences. His career took a detour after immigrating to Canada in 1990, but he returned to music a decade later to write his first ballet, the Velveteen Rabbit. He’s since composed two other ballets, as well as a variety of works for film and TV, including the Discovery Channel, and the BBC.
Canadian playwright, theatre director, emcee, and arts administrator Donna-Michelle St. Bernard is a Dora Mavor Moore Award winner, among other accolades. She is the artistic director of New Harlem Productions and was a finalist for the Siminovitch Prize in Theatre, and makes her home in Hamilton. Her works have been produced across the country, and she is in the midst of her “54ology”, a 54-play cycle, one for each of the countries in the African continent.
Randy the puppet will also be making an appearance.
- Find more information and tickets for the event at Theatre Passe Muraille [HERE].
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Anya Wassenberg is a Toronto City Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an experienced freelance writer, blogger and writing instructor.
