COC’s Youth Opera Labs offer an unbeatable–and free–opera-tunity ~ Arpita Ghosal
Opera-keen youth can take heart: the COC is still accepting Youth Opera Lab applications for Maometto II. But only until April 10.
Music & Opera
Theatre
City Youth Academy will be in high gear when school’s out for the summer ~ Arpita Ghosal
Entering its 3rd year this summer, the City Youth Academy comes from a long history of youth programming at Soulpepper, which keeps mentorship at its core.
Theatre
Soulpepper Family Festival is on–and “you have to go!” ~ Arpita Ghosal
Confession: my children have never seen a Soulpepper production. And my children’s music teacher, the performer Kyla Cook, has compounded
Music & Opera
Claire Morley shines a spotlight on artistic diversity in COC’s Free Concert Series by Arpita Ghosal
Claire Morley’s got a sweet gig. As the new Program Manager for the Canadian Opera Company’s Free Concert Series (FCS),
A chance trip to Lowville leads to an astonishing concert–and unexpected reunion
An accidentally-viewed post yielded a gift times 3 at the Lowville Festival of the Arts, thanks to cellist Rachel Mercer.
SONGBOOK 8: BRENT CARVER finds Rachel Mercer “grooving with a different kind of music”
To hear Brent Carver sing a dozen self-selected songs, ranging from musical-theatre tunes, the American Songbook, jazz standards and contemporary pop songs is a sublime prospect.
Sue Miner’s James and the Giant Peach: a toe-tapping thought-provoker
A musical version of James and the Giant Peach, directed by Sue Miner is now playing at Toronto’s Young People’s Theatre until January 4.
Why drama classes? So many reasons!
Through the use of stories, theatre allows us to explore different perspectives, encourage sharing and open communication, and identify options for change or action for an individual or a group of people. Theatre provides opportunities for personal transformation, in addition to the important artistic and aesthetic purposes it serves in our society. Drama education recognizes and engages the whole person — emotionally, intellectually, physically and socially. Thus, arts education is essential in the healthy development of young learners as they construct their personal identity, and their place in their community and world — not to mention their repertoire and understanding of arts and culture.
Music & Opera
Cellist Rachel Mercer: A Contemporary Classic
Acclaimed, award-winning cellist Rachel Mercer, also teaches chamber music at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. Rachel spoke with SesayArts about playing in The Poem/the Song, to what she attributes her continued success and where we can expect to hear her next.
SesayArts in Conversation with Pierre Simpson: Les Zinspirés–”waiting in the wings is a wild ride about to burst forth in 3D!”
If you’re a French-speaking Ontario teen with some Molière in your soul, then directors Guy Mignault and Pierre Simpson want