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Recital Series

Another recital series for residents of the Downtown Eastside, Strathcona and Chinatown featuring soprano Melanie Krueger and pianist Michael Onwood.

On August 24 2008, City Opera gave another DTES recital, this time in our second year as participants in the Fearless Festival. This Festival is organized annually by the Community Arts Network of the Community Arts Council of Vancouver, with support from many fine people and organizations.

It was conceived by Sharon Kravitz in response to a massive story in the Vancouver Sun, ‘Four Blocks of Hell’. And it was conceived to show the city what progress is actually being made through the redemptive power of art and music.

Vancouver’s lovely weather drove us from Pigeon Park to the InterUrban Gallery where, dryness and many friends in attendance, we again offered our music for residents of the Downtown Eastside. It will was later telecast in rotation on Shaw Cable by Fearless TV, thanks to producer Sid Tan.

Soprano Melanie Krueger, joined by pianist Michael Onwood, offered a wonderful program of Tesori, Puccini, Gilbert & Sullivan, Rogers & Hammerstein, Offenbach, Lehàr, and Thomas. The audience joined them in singing ‘Climb Every Mountain’, as great an anthem of hope and optimism as the DTES deserves.

ARTISTS


Melanie Krueger, soprano


Michael Onwood, pianist

On 20 February 2009, City Opera participated in the Homeground Festival at Oppenheimer Park in the DTES. Pianist Michael Onwood and soprano Jamie Onwood presented music from well-known opera and operetta to a wonderfully receptive audience of DTES residents.

“It is an ongoing honour for our company to take part so often in the cultural life of the DTES,” said artistic director Charles Barber. “The poor have been cheated of so many beautiful things. Why must they also be cheated of the chance to hear Mozart, Brahms, or Schubert?”

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On Saturday 3 October 2009, City Opera gave its first recital in the West End, at historic Roedde House. Soprano Melanie Krueger and pianist Greg Caisley were featured in music that could have been — and very likely was — heard in this mansion 100 years ago.

This beautiful Victorian was full, and rang to the songs of its era — including The Songster, by Pauline Johnson herself. All thanks to Anthony Norfolk and his Board at Roedde House for making us welcome. Photos and more information to come.

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And on Friday 19 February 2010, beginning at 4:15pm, City Opera will again participate in the Homeground Festival at Oppenheimer Park in the DTES.

City Opera is proud to present soprano Caroline Jang, and pianist Michael Onwood, and to once again bring our music to the neighbourhood. Please join us for light classical and popular repertoire appealing to all.

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PREVIOUS EVENTS

May 2008
Four more free recitals in the DTES.