Monthly Archives: October 2026

Interviewing conductor Ivars Taurins

Posted on October 19, 2026 by barczablog

I bask in the reflected glory of interview subjects. If they look good I look good, and that’s especially true when they’re showing their brilliance in this space. One of the most enjoyable interviews I ever did was with George … Continue reading →

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Virtuoso Traviata to close COC fall season

Posted on October 18, 2026 by barczablog

I was glad to see the final show in the Canadian Opera Company’s fall run of La Traviata Saturday afternoon October 17th, a chance to hear the trio of principals (soprano Kathryn Lewek, tenor Long Long & baritone Russell Braun) … Continue reading →

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Third time’s a charm with Egoyan-COC Cosi fan tutte: starring Johannes Debus

Posted on October 11, 2026 by barczablog

I got lucky. The Canadian Opera Company Cosi fan tutte that I saw Saturday October 10th is the best one yet. This is the third time that the COC have staged the Atom Egoyan production of the Mozart opera “Così … Continue reading →

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Adanya Dunn rescuing Grande Duchesse for Toronto Operetta Theatre: an interview

Posted on October 9, 2026 by barczablog

Adanya Dunn is a singer I know from modern opera productions with companies such as Tapestry Opera, FAWN Chamber Creative or Against the Grain. I heard that the singer who was supposed to sing the title role in Toronto Operetta … Continue reading →

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Multiple layers and questions raised by Prophetess at Tarragon

Posted on October 8, 2026 by barczablog

My first impression of Prophetess was one of pure delight, laughing with an enthusiastic Tarragon Theatre audience at the delightful clarity of playwright Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho) and the direction of Mike Payette. Watching Margaret, a professor obsessed with … Continue reading →

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Drama and lyricism from Scarborough Philharmonic Showpieces

Posted on October 4, 2026 by barczablog

Scarborough Philharmonic opened their 2026-27 season Friday October 2nd with something of a bombshell announcement. SPO’s Artistic Director & Conductor Ronald Royer stood before us, disclosing that he’s fighting cancer. He confidently predicted he would beat it, returning fully next … Continue reading →

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Provocative To a Flame for an audist world

Posted on October 1, 2026 by barczablog

I’ve learned a new word. My new word is “audism“: discrimination or prejudice against deaf individuals. So if someone practising racism is a racist (practicing discrimination around race), I would add the word audist. When I first tried to type … Continue reading →

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