Update: Tenor Maxwell McGrath
Max continues his climb to Local Tenor Stardom with his most recent success with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra (www.portsmouthsymphony.org). On June 11 at the Music Hall (www.themusichall.org) in Portsmouth, Max made his debut with the PSO singing his signature aria, “Ah, la paterna mano” from Verdi’s Macbeth. It was thrilling to hear Max sing with a full…
Read MoreSpeaking of FOOD
Yes , I am a “foodie”. I think most performing artists are. One of my favorite local shops is Angela’s Pasta and Cheese Shop at 815 Chestnut Street in Manchester’s North End. A few weeks ago, I saw a notice about a “wine pairing” event at the end of April. So I asked my good friend…
Read MoreNew York State of Mind, Part 2
Back in the 1980s, Christine lived in Manhattan, pursuing her singing career like so many of we aspiring classical singers. Since “changing majors” and graduating from Union Theological Seminary at about that time, she had not visited NYC. So she was not ready to return to New England on Saturday morning after our delightful night at…
Read MoreNew York State of Mind, Part 1
As everyone in my life knows, I am mad for opera…whether singing opera or attending opera. This started when I was about 13, and was taken to my first opera, Puccini’s Tosca, by my beloved Aunt Jeanette and Uncle Ross. I will never forget that experience, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, back when the Metropolitan…
Read MoreStudio Winners
On Saturday, April 15, my student soprano Kelly Collins, a senior at the Derryfield School in Manchester, NH, won second place in the state-wide NATS High School Festival Competition. Kelly has studied voice regularly with me since her sophomore year, and her vocal technique, knowledge of repertoire and language, and – most important – her expressiveness and…
Read MoreThe Next Best Job in Opera if You’re Not Onstage
Last weekend, I heard a very interesting piece on WNYC ‘s informative program, “On the Media”. This episode was part of their “Day Jobs” series. I tuned in halfway through the program and was entranced by a young woman’s beautiful voice speaking about opera. Thanks to online streaming (!), I was able to listen to the entire 9…
Read MoreThe Quilting Bee
This may come as a big surprise to many of my friends and acquaintances, but I love quilting. I have always enjoyed various crafts, mainly involving textiles…long, LONG ago, I did decoupage (messy); then cross-stitch (tiny Christmas ornaments and finger towels – basically useless); yarn crafts (no, not knitting…never picked that up – I’m referring…
Read More“21 Years at the Met”
No, sadly I am not referring to myself. This is the title of a presentation by a former Met violinist, Erica Miner, which I heard on Sunday, March 19, at the Boston Public Library. The full title of the presentation was “21 Years at the Met: How I Learned to Love the Ring.” This event was…
Read More“Drawn to the Music”
This is the title of a lovely concert I heard last Sunday, March 12, at the Stockbridge Theatre at Pinkerton Academy (a fabulous venue, by the way). This was part of the New Hampshire Philharmonic’s current season. The NH Phil’s conductor, Mark Latham, always puts together unique programs and this was no exception. I was…
Read MoreDjawadi, Korngold, and Film Scores
On Monday night, March 6, I had a unique and most un-Janice-like outing to the TD Garden in Boston. Nope, nothing remotely sports related, rather a “Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience”. I attended with a close friend who is a die-hard GoT fan (thank goodness, she was willing to drive to Boston, find parking,…
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