Singing

“Rebecca is well known across Canada for her strong work in supporting roles, bringing vibrant characterizations, strong vocal technique and an assured stage presence to her work.” This is a quote from my old press packet.  But what does it mean to you checking me out today?

I am an artist committed to process, to exploration and discovery. I almost never sing the same role twice it seems.  Always a vocal and dramatic chameleon, with an eclectic and varied bunch of performance experiences my diverse career has included roles like Der Gymnasiast in Lulu for the Canadian Opera Company as directed by Nicholas Muni, Gaia in Daphne with Timothy Vernon and Pacific Opera Victoria, Bloody Mary in South Pacific with Edmonton Opera directed by Brian Deedrick, Nero for The Canadian Opera Company Ensemble directed by Stephen Wadsworth and Mrs. Grose with Manitoba Opera conducted by Bramwell Tovey and directed by Kelly Robinson as well as the inimitable Mrs. Mclean (“I wouldn’t tech them peas o’herrn”) from Susannah as directed by Morris Panych for Vancouver Opera.

Due to my  passionate attitude to my work and risk taking nature I have been particularly popular in contemporary opera having worked extensively with Tapestry New Opera Works and Wayne Strongman as a regular in the workshops as well as a featured artist in Opera to Go. I recently contributed to the final workshop for Lillian Alling, the new piece by John Estacio and John Murrell.   Other contemporary forays have included as The Wife/Owl in Janaceks Cunning Little Vixen (Pacific Opera Victoria), Astor Piazollas’ Maria de Buenos Aries with the Victoria Symphony and I was the Third Secretary in the Canadian Premiere of Nixon in China with Vancouver Opera.

I burst out of the gate as a young artist being, at the time, the youngest singer ever accepted into the Canadian Opera Company ensemble where I trained for four years (1987-1991).  Other achievements from the way back include Merola with San Francisco Opera (1991) as well as being a finalist in the Madama Butterfly Competition, The Mozart Competition, Guelph Spring Festival and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Regional.  I have received many awards such as a Grand Finals Scholarship- San Francisco Opera, Canada Council Project Grant and I was also the recipient of the prestigious Floyd S. Chalmers Award in 1993 which gave me $25,000 to study in NYC to cultivate my voice as the dramatic mezzo instrument it was maturing into.

I have worked with outstanding conductors, such as Mario Bernardi, Daniel Beckwith and Patrick Summers and stage directors such as Morris Panych, Glynis Leyshon, Kelly Robinson and Stephen Wadsworth. Phantom of the Opera, the Toronto production also figures prominently on my resume as I spent two years as a swing for Live Entertainment and I covered 7 roles for them.  I loved the adrenaline rush of not knowing which role you might be doing at any moment.

Concert work has been an ongoing source of pride and gratification as I have had the opportunity to play and explore repertoire as diverse as Rogers and Hammerstein in a salute with the Hamilton Philharmonic to the Alto Rhapsody with The Victoria Scholars.  I have performed Bach, Mozart and Opera evenings and much more with the symphonies of Victoria, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Halifax and Newfoundland.

In recent years I have become more active as a teacher, clinician and have flirted with institutional teaching being most recently on staff with The Canadian College of the Performing Artists training young singers how to use the voice as a paint box of story telling.

With my love of song as a means of communication I have created several shows that mix monologue and songs from the great American song book.  I have written, produced and directed Wanna Sing a Show Tune a humorous journey where I play a dishy diva that brings the offstage shenanigans onstage and I created an emotional journey in Impressions of Emily Carr using the writings of this great painter to illuminate the final years of her life using her own texts interspersed with songs.

As an actor I am fascinated with the motivations of my characters, which explain my love of philosophy and psychology and no doubt is what led me to becoming a Certified Life Coach.  My workshops about living The Resonant Life for young artists programs create powerful performers who are working on balancing their lives with their art and releasing the singer to express themselves fully in their work.  I have been giving these life changing workshops for such noteworthy training programs as Pacific Opera Victoria Young Artists, Calgary Opera Emerging Artists, Opera Nuova and St. Andrews by the Sea Vocal Intensive.

Dedicated to being the last mezzo standing, my professional career already spans over twenty years of performing.  Variety is the spice in my life as I continually reinvent myself as a singer of opera, concert, Broadway and as a writer (Humber College Sketch Writing Intensive), producer, and director and as a performance coach.   I’ve left the coloratura lyric mezzo land of Rosina behind, from whence I started,  and I  look forward to the witches, moms, best friends and mystical creatures yet to come my way onstage and off.