C HARTI N G O UR OW N CO U RS E S I N C E 1983 At Dexter, quality reigns. Regardless of the type of real estate transaction, we know real estate stakes are high. So we set our standards even higher. Every DEXTER REALTOR® is backed by their colleagues and managing brokers, so every client enjoys the knowledge and experience of the entire Dexter team.
YE S, IT ' S P O SSIB LE TO LOVE YO UR BROKERAGE MEET THE #NEXTDEXTER AT DEXTERREALTY.COM
South Granville 560-2608 Granville Street Vancouver, BC V6H 3V3 604 263 1144
Yaletown 1399 Homer Street Vancouver, BC V6B 5M9 604 689 8226
PRESENTED BY
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
5
STAY CONNECTED AT STRAIGHT.COM
Proud Media Sponsor
Vancouver Opera 2018-19 Season and Festival
Vancouver's leading arts source.
Program 2 Feb 28 Mar 1 2 Choreography Jorma Elo 1st Flash Adi Salant New Work Crystal Pite Solo Echo
Queen Elizabeth Theatre | balletbc.com platiNum SeaSoN SpoNSor
produCtioN SpoNSor
daNCer NiCole Ward. photo miChael SloBodiaN.
CommuNity BalCoNy SpoNSor
hotel SpoNSor
Support for Ballet BC haS BeeN geNerouSly provided By
media SpoNSorS
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
7
8
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohemeVO
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
9
10
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohèmeVO
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
11
12
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohèmeVO
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
13
14
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohèmeVO
WE BRING NEW HOPE TO PEOPLE FACING CANCER?
WITH YOUR HELP, BC As the fundraising partner of BC Cancer, your support will advance research and enhance care for all British Columbians.
DONATE TODAY bccancerfoundation.com
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
15
INTERVIEW WITH JUDITH YAN Challenging expectations on the road to the podium As a successful conductor in a field that is traditionally male-dominated, do you have any inspiring words for aspiring female musicians and artists? As a child, my parents showed me a picture of a conductor, named Helen Quach. We watched a clip of her conducting the New York Philharmonic and I always thought that was what women did. As a conductor, there is one goal: represent your colleagues and make them look good. Companies in general are far more interested in your ability to fulfill responsibilities, produce a quality of work, and (I feel this is important) how enjoyable you are to work with. How do you bring a fresh take to Puccini’s much-cherished music, that has so much history to it? La Bohème is a masterpiece that is much more than a woman dying of consumption, the man she loves, set to stunning music. What makes the work timeless is Puccini’s depictions of the complex and intimate world of each character, from the brilliantly drawn principal characters to the magnificent chorus. Take the minor but very important character of Alcindoro: he has all the money in the world but he doesn’t have the love of Musetta while Marcello has Musetta’s love,
INTERVIEW WITH JI-MIN PARK The Passion in Rodolfo Ji-Min Park studied at Seoul National University, South Korea, with Professor Philip Kang, and at the Vienna Conservatory, Austria, with Professor Carolyn Hague. In 2007 he joined the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and became a Principal Young Artist in the 2009-10 season. Park has won numerous international awards including First Prize at the 5th Klaudia Taev International Estonian Music Competition, and he represented South Korea in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2009. Your career has taken you around the world. What have been your biggest challenges and inspirations along the road to success? I lost my voice early on just after La Bohème at Covent Garden. I tried everything but my voice didn’t come back. I prayed 16
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohemeVO
he doesn’t have the means to keep her. Benoit has property but he yearns for his youth, and while Rodolfo’s love for Mimi forces him to lie to her for he cannot save her. How did growing up in Hong Kong and Canada contribute to your decision to become a conductor? I am very fortunate to have been born in Hong Kong and grown up in Canada. Hong Kong, with its tremendous appetite for culture and art, is the very definition of cosmopolitanism.
a lot and went to church, and from that faith, the message came to me to be modest, to think about my life and why I got this gift, and then my life changed. I wanted to be able to share this message. When I sang, I could see the audience’s faces. They’re smiling and happy. I can help them forget their struggles, their problems, and if they come to theatre I can give them three hours of happiness. Although this is your début with VO, you will be performing Rodolfo for the 100th time. How has your interpretation of the role changed over time? One hundred times - I’m not that old! But it always feels like the first time when I’m doing this role. When I was first meeting the VO directors, conductor, singers, it felt like a breath of fresh air and that’s why it doesn’t feel like one hundred times! When I first sang La Bohème, I only learned the technical things, like how to hit the high notes. Then I learned more about Puccini’s music, why he wrote this, and what he wanted to say not only for love, but for life. After one hundred times, I now understand how to convey Puccini’s message.
When I was 9, my family came to this great country of ours, Canada. We were welcomed without reservations.
the world. Last year, I was in Australia, Seoul, Edmonton, St. John’s, and I get to see all of these companies again in 2019.
There is an attitude of openness that is so much a part of Canada and an inquisitive friendliness that is part of Hong Kong. To explore beyond, to see different points of views, is necessary in this profession. I’m lucky that my family exposed me to this attitude from a young age, that to be in new environments and meet new people was something to celebrate.
However, as a Canadian, it is always thrilling to work in and contribute to my own country!
There are very few female conductors working in your field, particularly female conductors of colour working in the West. What challenges have you faced? I think every job has its challenges. Perhaps its having been born into the pragmatism of Hong Kong – as the supplier, if your customer is happy, they’ll engage you again. If they don’t, find out why and try harder. Each engagement, I try to be better than the last, to deliver a better experience for everyone. You have conducted around the world. Tell us your favourite places to work. Each of my mentors, from the late Richard Bradshaw to Donald Runnicles, encouraged me to explore the world. As a musician, the minute you walk into any rehearsal studio, orchestra pit, stage, or theatre, it’s like coming home. And the best part are your colleagues – it’s like having family all over
You conduct ballet, opera, and symphony. What are the differences, if any, between leading an orchestra for ballet compared to opera? Each medium has taught me how to better serve the other. Symphony allowed me to focus on sound, to tell a story without visuals or words. Ballet taught me how to incorporate many technical demands while making it seem effortless. In ballet, you must serve many: the choreography, the traditions, the physical demands particular to each dancer, while maintaining musical integrity and a dramatic narrative. Opera, with its union of sound, visual, and words, perhaps has the richest resources of all. I am always intensely aware of the Director’s vision, from stage directions, to lighting, to even set changes, as every element affects the pacing of a performance. To attend an opera (especially this brilliant Barbe & Doucet production) live and in person, even one as beloved and wellknown as La Bohème, the experience will always be new.
It’s difficult to describe, but the audience will experience this when they come to the opera house. What role would you most like to be offered and are there any singers you particularly admire for this role? What upcoming role are you most looking forward to? Manon, by Jules Massenet. I love French repertoire. And Giuseppe Di Stefano, the tenor. In his time it was very rare for Italian tenors to sing French repertoire, but he sings beautifully. He’s my favourite singer. He had a dramatic and scandalous life, but on stage he sang amazingly and when he performed it was with sincerity and fiery passion. Di Stefano was the type of singer who was all for the show for his audience. I’m going to sing Lucrezia Borgia by Donizetti. It’s a very rare bel canto opera. I’ve sung many styles of music, but bel canto like L’Elisir d’amore and Lucia di lammermoor has something special. It gives us a better opportunity to really sing on stage, with less orchestra, so that the audience can hear very clearly. The text is also very historical, and the story is rooted in reality. That’s why I love La Bohème, it’s very realistic. VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
17
18
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohemeVO
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
19
20
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohemeVO
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
21
22
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohemeVO
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
23
24
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohemeVO
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
25
26
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohemeVO
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
27
30
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohemeVO
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
31
32
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohemeVO
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
33
PROUD SPONSOR OF THE VANCOUVER OPERA ARTS NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.
vancouversun.com
34
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohemeVO
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
35
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
37
VO DEVELOPMENT
39
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
41
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
43
VO DEVELOPMENT
45
"The crystal clear sound on Fazioli pianos create
endless possibilities for all musical collaborations."
Lisa Tahara, pianist & Brenna Hardy-Kavanagh, violinist
W W W . S H O W C A S E P I A N O S . C O M
VO DEVELOPMENT
47
48
VO DEVELOPMENT
VO DEVELOPMENT
49
SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE YVR is proud to support the Vancouver Opera. As a community-focused and financially independent company, the way in which YVR operates and governs allows us to support and reinvest in our communities. YVR donates more than $1,000,000 annually to local organizations and charities. Celebrating Flight by Don Yeomans
VO DEVELOPMENT
51
VO DEVELOPMENT
53
Experience the richness of choral music by women composers and arrangers as Elektra celebrates International Women’s Day 2019, offering performances of compositions and arrangements from Canada and around the world.
Morna Edmundson, Artistic Director
Stephen Smith, Pianist
Two forces of Canadian classical music come together for a very special concert in Vancouver. Elektra Women’s Choir is delighted to collaborate for the first time with soprano Suzie LeBlanc in a program of music about music.
March 9, 2019 7:30 pm Pre-concert talk with featured composer, Marie-Claire Saindon 6:45 pm
May 4, 2019 7:30 pm
Shaughnessy Heights United Church, 1550 West 33rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC
Shaughnessy Heights United Church, 1550 West 33rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC
VO DEVELOPMENT
55
THE JUICE TRUCK
www.thejuicetruck.ca | 604.719.8861
VO DEVELOPMENT
56
V A N C O U V E R
OPERA
VO DEVELOPMENT
57
VO DEVELOPMENT
59
UBC OPERA 2018/19 SEASON DON GIOVANNI Opera in Two Acts Sung in Italian with English surtitles Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart June 20, 21, 22, 2019 – 7:30 pm June 23, 2019 – 2:00 pm Old Auditorium, UBC Campus Conducted by Leslie Dala Directed by Nancy Hermiston Vancouver Opera Orchestra
ILLUSTRATION BY ROAN SHANKARUK
Box Office: 604.822.6725
Additional Special Event information at
www.ubcopera.com
Chor LEoni March 1,2,3 | 8pm March 2 | 4pm VancouVer Playhouse
Erick LichtE artistic Director
CAPELLA
An explosion of choral, jazz, and pop music with Jodi Proznick and her band.
chorleoni.org | 1.877.840.0457
60
VO EDUCATION
Tickets online: ubcoperatickets.com
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA BOHÈME
61
62
VANCOUVER OPERA | #BohemeVO
A Global Sensation. Cannot Be Seen In China. Based in New York, Shen Yun is a non-profit performing arts group that is reviving China’s authentic ancient culture and bringing it to millions around the world.
Where Art Connects Heaven & Earth
“Simply astounding
“Inspirational and educational.
“This is
to watch and a pleasure to the ear.”
I encourage everyone to see and all of us to learn from.”
the highest and the best
—Opera Online
—Donna Karan, fashion designer, creator of DKNY
—Olevia Brown-Klahn, singer and musician
MARCH 22–31 QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE
of what humans can produce.”
Sold Out Across North America Last Season. Secure Your Best Seats Now!
888.974.3698 | ShenYun.com/Van