Vocal - my/maSCENA

Madeline Cooper (Ciboletta) & Marcus Tranquilli (Pappacoda) in Toronto Operetta Theatre's A Night in Venice. Photo: Gary Beechey (BDS Studios)

Review | Comic Carnevale in Toronto Operetta Theatre’s A Night in Venice

By Gianmarco Segato on 21 April 2026 Concert Reviews, Opera, Toronto, Vocal

Toronto Operetta Theatre closed their season with Johann Strauss’s 1883 operetta A Night in Venice. Set in Venice during carnival season, it revolves around plot devices that might be considered questionable today. These include a nobleman’s ‘right’ to deflower young women, and what must have been some hilarious cross-dressing at the time…all handled with taste and not too much unnecessary fanfare here. A young cast seized their roles for all they were worth, resulting in a fun afternoon (seen Apr. 19) of light entertainment—not a small thing given the current state of the world. As with many operettas, the story…

Alan Menken. Photo: Jag Gundu/Roy Thomson Hall

Review | Alan Menken: Stories from the King of Disney Music

By Amanda Wong on 21 April 2026 Concert Reviews, Movie soundtrack music, Piano, Toronto, Vocal

For those like me who grew up obsessing over Disney movies and music, A Whole New World of Alan Menken—the show written and performed by the composer himself—was the perfect homage to an illustrious legacy that is still constantly growing with new additions to his repertoire. Throughout the impressive two-and-a-half-hour-long (and decade-old) show, Menken took us on a magic carpet ride through a mostly chronological retelling of his career, chock full of personal anecdotes and fun behind-the-scenes facts from his works (seen at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall on Apr. 17). The show, with additional materials by Jennifer Lucy Cook and…

Philippe Sly (Arkel) with artists of Atelier Ballet in Opera Atelier's Pelléas et Mélisande. Photo: Bruce Zinger

Review | Drama Shines Through Baroque Intrusions in Opera Atelier’s Pelléas et Mélisande

By Gianmarco Segato on 20 April 2026 Concert Reviews, Opera, Toronto, Vocal

It’s no secret that Opera Atelier has wanted to present Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande for many decades, and finally, the results were unveiled last week at Toronto’s Koerner Hall to close the company’s spring season (seen Apr. 18). A “period” Pelléas is an intriguing prospect and in many ways, this was one of the group’s more memorable productions in recent seasons. Extremely strong casting and high musical values proved that Opera Atelier really should be producing operas outside their usual baroque/classical wheelhouse on a more regular basis. The inclusion of some of the company’s more typical “period” elements, however, threatened…

Aemilia Moser

Newswire | Aemilia Moser Wins 49th E-Gré National Music Competition in Voice

By Newswire on 20 April 2026 Canadian Music, Contemporary, Music Competition, Newswire, Vocal, West

Brandon, MB – The 49th Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition (E-Gré) for the performance of Canadian and contemporary music is pleased to announce its 2026 prize winners: 1st Prize: Aemilia Moser 2nd Prize: Kendra Dyck 3rd Prize: Camille Labonté City of Brandon Prize for the Best Performance of the Commissioned Work: Aemilia Moser Finalist Prizes (in alphabetical order): James Coole-Stevenson, Diana Rockwell, Hillary Tufford On April 18, 2026, six of Canada’s best emerging vocalists performed recitals for the 49th Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition (E-Gré) in Voice. The E-Gré Competition began in 1976 and is the most important annual Canadian and contemporary…

The Elora Singers

Newswire | Elora Singers conclude season: Passing of the Year

By Newswire on 16 April 2026 Arts Industry, Choral, Classical Music, Newswire

April, 2026 –The Elora Singers bring their 2025–26 season to a close with a captivating performance of The Passing of the Year by composer Jonathan Dove – a richly expressive choral work that reflects on the cycles of nature and the passage of time. Composed for double choir and piano, The Passing of the Year weaves together texts from poets such as William Blake, Emily Dickinson, and Alfred Lord Tennyson. Across its seven movements, the piece traces the changing seasons with vivid imagery and emotional depth—moving from moments of warmth and joy to quiet introspection and renewal. This special performance…

Christian Gerhaher (Wotan) & Brenton Ryan (Loge) in Salzburg Easter Festival’s Das Rheingold. Photo: Frol Podlesnyi

Report | Three Faces of Salzburg: A Musical Postcard from the Edge of Enchantment

By Michelle Assay on 10 April 2026 Opera, Orchestral, Vocal

Salzburg is a fairy-tale city, though not—or at least not only—in the usual sense of being merely preserved, lacquered, and offered up to tourists like a confection behind glass. It feels, rather, as if it exists outside time altogether: not so much frozen in history as suspended above it. Here, history presents itself aesthetically. Music does not simply inhabit the city; it circulates in its bloodstream. Nowhere is this more palpable than during the great festivals of Easter and Summer, when the place assumes its truest form. By day, Salzburg cheerfully commercialises the image of its most famous son, Mozart:…

La Scena Word Search (Theme: Opera Singers) Solution

By Lorili on 10 April 2026 Opera, Puzzles, Vocal, Word Search

SOLUTION for La Scena Word Search (April 2026) THEME: Opera Singers Information on Joan Sutherland (Wikipedia) Watch: Joan Sutherland, Sempre Libera (Verdi: La Traviata) Joan Sutherland Destroys the World in 3 Notes Joan Sutherland – “Ah Non Giunge” [9 High Eb Staccato] (N.Y., 1979) Joan Sutherland sings “Quando Rapita in Estasi” Live in 1979 (NYO) Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti Joan Sutherland’s Final Appearance in Opera

La Scena Word Search (Theme: Opera Singers)

By Lorili on 9 April 2026 Opera, Puzzles, Vocal, Word Search

How to Play Circle the letters of each of the words in the list and cross out the words as you find them. Words can be found horizontally, vertically, diagonally and backward. Letters can be used more than once. Once completed, write down the uncircled letters, and arrange them to spell out the solution (HINT: 10 letters) that is related to the theme. Download: printable puzzle in PDF format SOLUTION: See this page or see the next print issue. Solution to Word Search February/March 2026: NÉZET-SÉGUIN. See this page for complete details.

L-R: Christian Sanders; Andriana Chuchman. Photo: Chia Messina; Suzanna Rigden. Photo: Brent Calis Photography

Newswire | Pacific Opera Victoria Presents Orpheus & Eurydice

By Newswire on 8 April 2026 Dance, Newswire, Opera, Vocal, West

Victoria, BC – Opening on April 22 at Victoria’s Royal Theatre, Pacific Opera Victoria, in partnership with Ballet Victoria, presents Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Orpheus & Eurydice, a timeless retelling of one of mythology’s most haunting romances for four performances April 22, 24, and 28, at 7:30 pm, and April 26 at 2:30 pm. Based on the famous Greek myth of the musician Orpheus who conquers the spirits of hell using the power of music to bring his love back from the underworld, this production will take Victoria opera lovers into the world of French baroque music and dance. With music that is both ethereal and…

Photo: Olga Shirokova

Elisabeth Boudreault: A Return to Puccini at Opéra de Québec

By Justin Bernard on 6 April 2026 Opera, Quebec City, Vocal

Opéra de Québec’s upcoming production of Puccini’s La bohème comes at just the right time in Elisabeth Boudreault’s career. A native of the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, now based in London, England, these days the Quebec soprano is spending more time on this side of the Atlantic. With her Opéra de Québec debut as Musetta, she reconnects with a composer she particularly admires and who has brought her luck in the past. “I fell in love with opera when I heard Puccini,” says Boudreault. “When I started singing at age 14, I didn’t want to hear anything else! My teacher tried to…

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