I went to say hi to Rose and met two professional opera singers:
That’s Cassandra Warner on the left, Terressa Virchen on the right, and Rose in the background making it all happen. Catch Cassandra this fall at the Elgin Theatre performing in “Iphigenie en Tauride”, and Terressa is soon moving to NYC to make it big; break a leg, ladies! (and brave of you to let me blog your photo with half-done hair).
They’ve both just returned from Germany where they were performing a Mozart opera at the Lyric Opera Studio . And if you’ve never gone to an opera, start with Mozart as they said he’s “the starting into opera go-to guy”.
Even more interesting is that apparently opera is flourishing here in Toronto more than anywhere else in North America. Like, the Toronto Opera Company in their new home at Avenue Road and Queen has had a sold out season whereupon most companies are stuggling and some even closing, like the New York City Opera Company just did.
They also said it’s great here because young singers get a shot at it all where in many other places they don’t, and did you know the whole thing is funded primarily by private donations? Woah, I know.
When I found out they had enormus voices I was pumped because I love the stuff and occasionally give a good blast of Nessun Dorma as I’m flying down the road. Cassandra’s gonna contact me sometime to do a little “Exploring Opera” but lady, you should know I’m crap at singing and only know words to Bjork songs.
If you score tickets to the Opera out of that connection, take me!