MYOpera BLOG

Alumni Spotlight – Stephanie Tritchew

Stephanie Tritchew played The Witch in the MYOpera production of Hansel & Gretel in April 2014

Stephanie Tritchew as The Witch in MYOpera’s Hansel & Gretel, April 2014 Photo: Greg King

Where are you from? I am originally from St. Catharines, Ontario

Where do you currently live? I currently live in Calgary, Alberta

What’s your favourite MYOpera memory? When I was in MYOpera, my castmate Ally and I were both preparing for the Eckhardt Gramatte competition and we were singing in MYOpera’s Hansel and Gretel. My favourite memory was being backstage and eating cotton candy and gummy candies (prop food–sorry!!) whilst trying to cram contemporary music into our brains

What role did MYOpera play in your career/life? MYOpera was great for me for a few reasons. Firstly, being a young artist, it’s always amazing to have stage experience and another role to include on my resume. I was very busy during the production time, so it really challenged my time management. I found our production useful because it was unconventional, and it’s always really useful and interesting to work with a director’s new concept. And lastly, as a young mezzo, I don’t get much opportunity to sing German opera. It was really challenging from a memory standpoint but also, the witch’s part is very wordy. Singing a lot of fast German was tough!

What have you been doing since MYOpera? After MYOpera, I competed in the Eckhardt Gramatte competition, went on tour with The Bicycle Opera Project and I am currently an Emerging Artist with Calgary Opera.

What’s your favourite opera (to watch/listen to)? Hard question! If I can only choose one, I think maybe Dialogues des Carmelites by Poulenc.

What’s your guilty pleasure song (any genre)? Also a hard question! My answer always changes but right now I’m loving Anthony’s Song (Movin’ Out!) by Billy Joel, Papa Don’t Preach by Madonna and All About the Bass by Meghan Trainor.

Traveling is always an adventure! What’s your favourite/most memorable travel experience? My absolute most favourite travel experience was spending 2 months in Italy during the summer of 2012. Probably the best summer of my life.

Do you have a signature dish/meal that you make? Tell us about it! I love making appetizers! When I was 18, I worked as a hostess at Montanas Cookhouse and I used to get antijitos after every shift. Since I only made like $10/hr. and only got 50% off food, I was spending quite a lot of money on antijitos. I had this really cool manager who felt bad and photocopied the spec sheet for me. So I make those for every event and mine are better than Montanas (if I do say so myself).

Singers/Artists are busy people! What’s your favourite snack when you’re on the go? I’ll eat pretty much anything as long as I have a tea or coffee!

Alumni Spotlight – Laura Brandt

Laura Brandt was Parasha in MYOpera’s Triple Bill, April 2013.

Laura Brandt as Parasha in MYOpera’s Triple Bill, April 2013

Where are you from? I’m originally from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

Where do you currently live? I’m currently a member of the emerging artists at Calgary opera and living there.

What’s your favourite MYOpera memory? Favorite MYOpera memory is doing our performances together at the Crescent School!

What role did MYOpera play in your career/life? MYOpera helped keep me busy and gave me a project to focus on during one of those scary transitional times after grad school. I was also new to Toronto and it helped me to connect with other artists in the city!

What have you been doing since MYOpera? Since MYOpera I’ve been an emerging artist with Calgary Opera. It’s been an awesome opportunity to learn from the great singers, conductors, and directors who come through, and continue to build my skills and repertoire. I’ll be making my mainstage debut with them this spring as Frasquita in Carmen.

What’s your favourite opera (to watch/listen to)? Favorite opera has to be one of the hardest questions. One of my top two is definitely Salome, and then I love watching Traviata. Last season Calgary Opera did Der Fliegende Holländer and that also became an unexpected favorite.

What’s your guilty pleasure song (any genre)? Right now I’m obsessed with watching the video for Blank Space by Taylor Swift

Traveling is always an adventure! What’s your favourite/most memorable travel experience? Maybe not the best memory but certainly most memorable was when I was doing a summer program in Italy and ended up in hospital with an infection…. I learned so many weird Italian words trying to describe my symptoms and find the right medication. I wrote postcards from a wheelchair while hooked up to an IV. I felt completely nauseous and was writing stuff like ‘having a great time in Italy’

Do you have a signature dish/meal that you make? Tell us about it! Umm I make really good jambalaya? I’m trying to become a better home cook all the time!

Singers/Artists are busy people! What’s your favourite snack when you’re on the go? I try to drink lots of water, my guilty pleasure snack is chips!

Alumni Spotlight – Peter Bass

Peter Bass played The Father in the MYOpera production of Hansel & Gretel in April, 2014.

Peter Bass as The Father in Hansel & Gretel Photo: Greg King

 

  • Where are you from? Edmonton, AB

  • Where do you currently live? Toronto, ON

  • What’s your favourite MYOpera memory? I remember the intimacy of the rehearsal experience. It really brought a unified performance getting to work in close proximity of my castmates.

  • What role did MYOpera play in your career/life? Vater in Hänsel und Gretel

  • What have you been doing since MYOpera? I am on a short hiatus while I harness my voice with a new teacher.

  • What’s your favourite opera (to watch/listen to)? Anything by Britten, especially Billy Budd

  • What’s your guilty pleasure song (any genre)? “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” by Frank Zappa (Not that I’m guilty about Zappa, just the subject matter…)

  • Traveling is always an adventure! What’s your favourite/most memorable travel experience? Driving across Canada with a trailer on my car. I especially enjoyed camping on the shore of Lake Superior with old friends.

  • Do you have a signature dish/meal that you make? Tell us about it! “Bachelor’s Special” which is simply Grilled cheese sandwich and Campbell’s Tomato soup with a substantial amount of crackers.

  • Singers/Artists are busy people! What’s your favourite snack when you’re on the go? Peeled and sliced apple with lemon juice.