OperaBreaks, a series of online short films created by Domoney Artists Management and featuring its roster of performers, launched on October 3 with a performance of Puccini’s "Quando m'en vo" from La bohème by soprano Jennifer Taverner (ADP ‘11).
When asked about her participation in this project, which uses our new reality of the pandemic to reflect a series of operatic scenes, Jennifer shared the following:
“After so many months of lockdown with no performances in sight, I was very grateful to have the OperaBreaks project to work on. It was nice to be singing again and was especially wonderful to be reunited with colleagues and friends to create something unique and fun to put out into the world! A much-needed boost in morale during this difficult time for artists.”
New videos are released each week and can be found here.
Nahre Sol, also known as Alice Gi-Young Hwang (ADP ’17 / New Music Fellow ‘18-19), recently released Alice in Wonderland, her debut album of original works for keyboard. Featuring a mix of compositions for solo piano, synthesizers, and prepared piano, this recording was selected as “disc of the week” for the October 25 radio broadcast of CBC Music’s In Concert.
In addition to this video, the title track from this new recording, Nahre Sol’s YouTube channel showcases her distinct perspective as a classically trained pianist with an insatiable appetite for new ideas about music theory, harmony, practicing, and composition.
In October, TSO Associate Principal Bassoon Darren Hicks (Rebanks Fellow ‘14-15) and his fellow section member Samuel Banks were featured in a TSO/Toronto Star Musical Moment video. Their video – a transcription of “Largo al factotum” from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville – was recorded in an Italian deli in recognition of this work’s cultural significance.
This program features musicians recording themselves live at home (or other remote locations), with new videos posted each week here. This series also features several GGS faculty members, including Jonathan Crow, Joseph Johnson, Rachael Kerr, Andrew McCandless, Michael Sweeney, Joaquin Valdepeñas and Gordon Wolfe.
Darren shared his thoughts on performing again after so many months.
"It is quite difficult to pin down in words what it feels like to perform after so many months of playing for the walls of my apartment. There is a large unknown factor that often comes when you return to something after an extended period away. Do I really remember how to do this? At times it almost feels like I have a new set of ears, as if the time away has cleared out the sense memory overload that often comes with a full orchestral season. In this difficult time these small bits of music-making reinvigorate the enthusiasm I have for playing the bassoon and playing with a dear friend. It's much like having a conversation with someone close whom you haven't seen in years: You hang on to every sound produced and every nuance made. Knowing how precious these moments are makes you cherish every millisecond."
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