11 minute read
In The Spotlight
TRACY CANTIN Praised for her “full, gleaming sound” (Chicago Tribune), Canadian soprano Tracy Cantin “has it all - agility, power and dazzling coloratura” (Chicago Sun-Times), not to mention “vocal and physical allure, with interpretive intelligence and stage presence to boot” (Chicago Tribune).
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www.tracycantin.com
By Jacqui Chaisson Photos Courtesy of Tracy Cantin
I started singing at quite a young age, around 10 years old if I remember correctly. I began taking voice lessons with Beth Cassey, who was an extraordinary teacher and to this day remains a very dear friend. I certainly never imagined that I would grow up to become a professional singer, but Beth saw something in me, and she fostered a spark, that grew into a dream, that became a reality and I will be forever grateful to her for that.
PEIL: What professional training have you had?
I began my university training at UPEI and studied there for two years before transferring to the University of Alberta where I completed my undergraduate degree in Music Performance. I then attended the University of Western Ontario, where I graduated with my master’s degree in Voice Performance and Literature. Next, I spent two years at McGill University where I received my Artist Diploma in Voice Performance. Then I moved to Chicago, where my “on-the-job” professional training truly began—I spent three years as an Apprentice Artist at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, one of the preeminent training programs in the world. I was the only Canadian selected during my tenure, and it was an incredible learning experience! The Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the most prestigious opera companies in the world, so for three years I was able to watch and learn from the very best in the business, including none other than Renée Fleming!
Technically I made my professional debut during my 1st year as a Young Artist at Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2012. I played the 5th Maid in Strauss’ Elektra, and even got a couple of good reviews for my small role. After I had completed my many years of training though, I made my true professional main stage debut in 2017 with Edmonton Opera. I played Chrysothemis, also in Strauss’ Elektra. It always felt particularly poignant to me that my professional debut was made in the very same theatre where I saw my first live opera so many years before!
PEIL: What is your favourite performance or role?
That is always such a difficult question, because every time I start to learn a new role, it quickly becomes my favourite! It is so hard to choose just one, but I prefer to play the more dramatic and fiery characters, like Anna Bolena (Anne Bolyn). I think my very favourite role that I’ve performed so far, though, would have to be Miss Jessel in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw. She’s a ghost and I’ve never had so much fun diving into a character. In fact, I distinctly remember a particularly terrifying stage entrance that was so effective that someone in the audience very audibly gasped and then briefly fainted!
PEIL: You’ve won some very prestigious awards, can you briefly describe what that is like?
Opera singers are often compared to Olympic athletes, and for good reason! We spend our entire lives meticulously training our bodies and minds to do extraordinary things, and competitions are a great way to showcase not only your talent, but your dedication to your craft and your point of view as an artist. I have been so fortunate to have had some success in the competition circuit over the years, but I’d like to stress that winning isn’t everything. Even in the competitions that I’ve lost, there was always an opportunity to learn something. Presenting yourself in front of a panel of judges is difficult, no matter the discipline, and having the fortitude to believe in yourself and believe that you have something special to offer is what truly matters! Win or lose, being an artist is a lifelong journey, and competitions are merely a pit stop.
PEIL: You’ve performed all over the world, where do you call home?
Sometimes it feels like my home is wherever my suitcase is! I do travel quite a lot for work, but when I’m not PEIL: Which role do you consider your “dream role?”
I think most sopranos would answer “Tosca, hands down!”, but for me, I have always dreamed of playing Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth. Not only is Verdi’s music absolutely sublime, but the character of Lady M is just so exquisitely layered and interesting. I would love the challenge of bringing her to life, someday. Anyone who knows me, though, knows that one day I would absolutely love to play Marilla in Anne of Green Gables. We went to see that show every summer when I was growing up, and nothing would make me happier than to play the eternal matriarch!
PEIL: What upcoming performances are you looking forward to?
Later this summer I’ll be joining the roster at Opéra de Montréal for Verdi’s Il Trovatore, and then in the fall I’ll be making my debut with Calgary Opera as Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen. I have recently begun a lovely relationship with the PEISO, and I look forward to performing with them next January for their long-awaited Beethoven’s Symphony No.9. I am especially excited, though, for a recital tour through the Atlantic provinces next February. Presented by Debut Atlantic, I’ll be joined by fellow Maritime artists tenor Marcel d’Entremont and pianist Dakota Scott-Digout, and we will be presenting a wonderfully diverse program that we’ve been developing entitled LOVE LANGUAGES. I hope to see you there!
PEIL: Any other interesting facts about you that you’d like to share?
Well, you might be surprised to find out that I am a licensed auctioneer! Believe it or not, auctioneering uses so many of the same skills that I have honed through my singing training, it turned out to be a very natural fit. Sold it!
EXPLORE THE CENTRE FOR ALL CANADIANS
By Alana Lauren
The cast of Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™ (photo: Louise Vessey)
Confederation Centre of the Arts is an expansive arts complex nestled in the heart of Downtown Charlottetown. Six iconic sandstone pavilions bring together Victoria Row, Province House, and the shops of Queen and Grafton Streets. Venture up or down one of the Centre’s many entrances and you’ll find a treasure trove of rich arts experiences—the envy of any major city.
Confederation Centre is host to the long-running Charlottetown Festival, a three-month musical affair featuring seven productions across three venues.
“The 2022 Festival is a celebration of our region, and the people who help to define what it means to be from Atlantic Canada,” explains Adam Brazier, artistic director of performing arts. “There is a common thread of East Coast resilience and community woven throughout every show this summer.”
The Charlottetown Festival kicks off in June with the world premiere of Tell Tale Harbour, a new musical comedy co-written by and starring music icon Alan Doyle. It tells the story of a struggling Atlantic fishing village looking for a miracle when an opportunity arises to bring a stateof-the-art frozen French fry facility to town. Realizing this might be their last chance to save their beloved community, the townspeople come together to secure the factory. Part heist and part farce with lots of music, the story of Tell Tale Harbour is as relatable as it is ridiculous, as hilarious as it is heartfelt, and full of East Coast pride. (June 14 – September 24, Mainstage Theatre)
After a two-year hiatus, PEI’s most iconic redhead returns to the Centre in Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™. With a company of 28 amazing Canadian talents and a 14-member live orchestra, this classic family musical has delighted millions of people at Confederation Centre. This humorous and touching show will inspire your imagination, tickle your funny bone, and mesmerize you with its exhilarating singing and dancing. (June 18 – September 3, Mainstage Theatre)
The festival also includes two productions about pioneering women from Atlantic Canada playing at its cabaret-style venue, The Mack. Betty’s Song is a new play written and Nova Scotian businesswoman who challenged racial segregation at a cinema in 1946. The personal and powerful show features the dynamic and inspirational music that filled the life and home of the civil rights trailblazer, including hits like Dream a Little Dream of Me, Smile, and A Change is Gonna Come. (August 3 – 13, The Mack)
The Outdoor Amphitheatre comes alive in the summer with highenergy, family-friendly productions. Munschables brings the exciting and silly world of beloved children’s author Robert Munsch to life. It stars members of the cast of Anne of Green Gables—The Musical™.
Mi’kmaq Heritage Actors are back for an exclusive three-week engagement of the new show Epekwitnewaq Mi’kmaq Voices. The Xclusiv Dance Crew also returns with the new show Island Vibe, which explores hip-hop, Afrojazz and contemporary movement, as well as breakdancing and tap. The Outdoor Amphitheatre program runs July – September, and admission is by donation.
The Confederation Centre Art Gallery (CCAG) offers engaging exhibitions of Canadian visual art. Enjoy a short visit or spend the whole afternoon in the CCAG’s spacious setting discovering a fascinating array of historic and contemporary pieces. Admission is by donation; open year-round.
Shannon Bool: The Shape of Obus Bool foregrounds her recent research on the erotic drawings and interior spaces produced by the influential and controversial architect, designer, and urban planner Le Corbusier. In various mediums, including tapestry, collages, and sculpture, she explores modernism in visual art and architecture. (May 7 - September 18)
Re: visiting This exhibition tracks the changing careers of eight notable Canadian artists by bringing their recent work into comparison with earlier pieces in the Confederation Centre Art Gallery’s collection. (June 4 - December 31)
performed by Island singer-songwriter Ashley Condon. The show is based on the true story of her mother, who was one of the first women to captain her own lobster boat in Eastern PEI. The hilarious coming-of-age story takes you through the perils of raising a saucy teenager in 1990s rural PEI (July 5 – 29, The Mack)
Hey Viola! is a cabaret-style show about Viola Desmond, a black
Krystle Dos Santos Hey Viola!
Alan Doyle (photo: Heather Ogg)
Ashley Condon, Betty’s Song
▲ The Summer Trade (Photo: tourism promotional image, postwar era, PEI National Park, courtesy of Earle MacDonald.)
The Summer Trade Using images and artifacts, this exhibition chronicles 150 years of Prince Edward Island tourism through thematic modules such as promotion, attractions, and souvenirs. It is a tale of tourists in search of what travel brings: entertainment, experience, and the recovery of innocence. (June 11 - October 9)
Matues Revisited A collection of vibrant porcupine quillwork art created by The Quill Sisters collective, three artists from Epekwitk who have dedicated their time, passion, and creativity to reinvigorating the unique and dynamic tradition of Mi’kmaw quillwork embellishment on birchbark forms, will be featured in the Fredric and Ogden Martin Concourse Gallery. Matues Revisited is presented in partnership with the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Centre for Craft Nova Scotia, and the Mary E Black Gallery. Curated by Aiden Gillis.
Historic Walking Tours and The Story of Confederation Replica both offer immersive experiences with Indigenous and colonial histories, including selfguided visitation or guided walking tours. ▲ Shannon Bool, Oued Ouchaia, 2018, jacquard tapestry, embroidery, 209 x 325 cm. Collection of the artist, courtesy of Daniel Faria Gallery, Toronto.
◄ Ron Shuebrook, Plea, 1982, acrylic on linen, 244 x 167.5 cm. Purchased in memory of Roy and Helen Bruce, 1990, CAG 90.4.2.
Historic Walking Tours Join a variety of guided tours to learn about the defining moments in both Prince Edward Island and Charlottetown’s Pre-Confederation history. From Mi’kmaq histories to French and English colonisation to the union of Canada, discover how this city became known as Canada’s birthplace. Each tour is approximately 75 minutes.
The Confederation Chamber Replica Explore The Story of Confederation—a striking replica of Province House’s Confederation Chamber. “A Building of Destiny illustrates” through video the significance of the 1864 Charlottetown Conference and nearby Province House National Historic Site. Keep an eye out for tour guides around the Centre and nearby historic district as they interpret stories of Canada’s Birthplace. Also, check out the artifacts, interpretive panels, and exhibits to discover more about the founding and ongoing evolution of the nation. Visual and performing arts and Canadian heritage come alive at Confederation Centre throughout the year. This is the go-to space for the very best in live concerts, art classes, family entertainment, and so much more. Visit their website for full listings and tickets.
Confederation Centre of the Arts 145 Richmond Street, Charlottetown 902.628.1864 info@confederationcentre.com www.confederationcentre.com
