Today I enjoyed the second Toronto Vocal Showcase.

The first one was held almost exactly two years ago in late August 2023, the brainchild of Ryan Hofman.

In 2023 he said “Today…I hope I changed the game going forward.“

The game is scary considering how expensive the art form has always been for the producers, how few jobs there are for young singers. I am grateful some people still want to sing, to try to live the challenging life of the artist.

The singers had eight minutes each, usually two arias.

Last year Ryan brought 13 artistic personnel to hear the performances, while this time there were over 20 of us listening & watching at Hope United Church on Danforth.

Here is the program we heard today, each singer expertly accompanied by Ivan Estey Jovanovic, Pianist.

“Or sai chi l’onore” from Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart &
“Marietta’s lied” from Die tote Stadt by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
sung by Lauren Estey Jovanovic, Soprano

“Una Furtiva Lagrima” from L’Elisir D’Amore by Gaetano Donizetti &
“Fra Poco ricovero” from Lucia di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti
sung by Joel Ricci, Tenor

“Chi il bel sogno” from La Rondine by Giacomo Puccini &
“Depuis le jour” from Louise by Gustave Charpentier
sung by Cassandra Amorim, Soprano

“Nobles Seigneurs, salut!” from Les Huguenots – Giacomo Meyerbeer &
Métamorphoses, FP. 121: No.2 C’est ainsi que tu es- Francis Poulenc
sung by Lissy Meyerowitz, Mezzo-soprano

“Je suis encore “from Manon – Jules Massenet &
“My darling Jim” from Glory Denied – Tom Cipullo
sung by Kathryn Rose Johnston, Soprano

“Mein sein Sehnen, mein Wähnen” from Die tote Stadt – Erich Wolfgang Korngold &
“Avant de quitter ces lieux” from Faust – Charles Gounod
sung by James Coole-Stevenson, Baritone

“Dawn, still darkness” from Flight – Jonathan Dove &
“From Rosy Bowers” Don Quixote – Henry Purcell
sung by Christian Masucci Facchini, Countertenor

“Glitter and Be Gay” from Candide – Leonard Bernstein
sung by Nicole Whitney Dubinsky, Soprano

“Ach, ich fühls” from Die Zauberflöte – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
“Da tempeste” from Giulio Cesare – George Frederic Handel
sung by Olivia Morton, Soprano

—INTERVAL—

“Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific – Rodgers and Hammerstein &
“Why Do the Nations” from Messiah – George Frederic Handel &
“Si puo” from Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo
sung by Johnathon Kirby, Baritone

“Ah mes amis” from La fille du régiment – Gaetano Donizetti &
“Ecco ridente” from Il barbiere di Siviglia – Giaochini Rossini
sung by Joseph Adams, Tenor

Lubava’s Aria from Sadko – Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov &
“All’afflitto” from Roberto Devereux – Gaetano Donizetti
sung by Kcenia Koutorjevski, Mezzo-Soprano

“Oh had I Jubal’s Lyre!” from Joshua – George Frederic Handel
“Deh vieni, non tardar” from Le Nozze di Figaro – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
sung by Amy Moodie, Soprano

“Vivi tu te ne scongiuro … Nel veder la tua Costanza” from Anna Bolena – Gaetano Donizetti &
“Thou Shalt Break Them” from Messiah – George Frederic Handel &
“Di rigori armato il seno” from Der Rosenkavalier – Richard Strauss
sung by Jeremy Scinocca, Tenor

“Signore ascolta!”from Turandot – Giacomo Puccini &
“Dove sono” from Le Nozze di Figaro – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
sung by Chelsea Kolic, Soprano

I feel privileged, getting to hear so many talented young singers.

When I asked Ryan how many actual jobs were the result of Toronto Vocal Showcase 1.0 he couldn’t answer precisely (indeed my question may seem kind of stupid & literal-minded): but there were definitely a couple of connections made. Holly Chaplin & Alex Beley are two and there may be more.

That’s good news.

Pardon me for sounding literal minded again, but it boggles my mind –speaking as someone who pays the Canadian Opera Company for a subscription– that they don’t seem to be trying hard enough to put Canadians in their operas. It is understandable to cast a famous singer who sells tickets or a virtuoso who sings something Canadians can’t sing (for instance when Christine Goerke sang Brunnhilde). Of course that makes sense. But the COC have cast two unknowns as their Romeo and their Juliette. Will unknowns put bums in seats? We shall see. They must have noticed that I will show up whether the leads are Canadians or imports.

For the operas that feature young personages why not use young Canadians? The audience may make a connection to the singers, even if they’re not famous: because they’re Canadian.

If it works for wine & whiskey, why not singers?