Greetings, everyone!
I can’t believe how long it has been since my last newsletter and I’m happy to re-connect with you!
First off, I’m pleased to report that Opera Sustenida’s run of Il trovatore last September (!) was a great success – our three performances ran to packed houses and we couldn’t be more proud of all that we accomplished in just six months! We are currently in the process of editing our production to create “Il trovatore: THE MOVIE!” Our scheduled premiere of the movie is June 4th, with a special Launch Party in Toronto on June 3rd. Stay tuned for more details!
In more immediate news, I will be participating in a fundraiser concert for the organization “Daughters for Life,” a foundation that seeks to make education accessible and a reality for young women in the Middle East. The concert will take place at St John’s United Church in Oakville on Saturday, April 29th. Please visit the concert’s eventbrite page for more details.
I’ve been re-visiting my “Eternal Feminine” concerts and I wanted to share my performance of Ricky Ian Gordon’s “What the Living Do,” set to Marie Howe’s poem of the same name. Both the composer and poet lost a loved one to AIDS; to me, this piece is a reflection of what it means to continue living with such awareness of every small detail and a kind of fierceness that comes from having witnessed death so closely.
As we transition from the stillness of winter to the flush of spring, I hope you are able to take in the small details that make up our beautiful world. I am personally enjoying the subtle signs of spring, like more hours of sunshine, buds and blossoms emerging on the plants and trees, more wildlife activity in our backyard, and of course, the ability to sit outside in the sunshine without a coat!
With love and gratitude,
Daniella