Pirates of Penzance Photo and Reviews

Good evening!

I hope this blog post finds you well. I am personally enjoying a quiet evening after a fun day. Today I performed my 12th show of Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan with Drayton Entertainment at the St Jacobs County Playhouse. 

I have to say it has been a long time for me to play in a musical, but also in G&S! I had my first big exposure to operetta at the age of 17 when I played Rose Maybud in Ruddigore with the G&S Society of Nova Scotia. It has been a treat to come back with it, but also to play it with a predominately Musical Theatre company. I have to say, I love it! I have learned so much in such a short period of time, and I am now motivated to work up some musical theatre repertoire and to take more dance classes. (I love to dance, so, bonus!)

There have been some pretty positive reviews so far that I would like to share:

"Suzanne Rigden, an opera singer making her Drayton debut, has a high, clear agile voice that clearly has no need of amplification.  Besides bringing off Mabel’s highly-ornamented songs perfectly, Rigden also proves herself a fine comic actor."

Christopher Hoile from Stage Door

http://www.stage-door.com/Theatre/Current_Reviews/Entries/2015/10/11_The_Pirates_of_Penzance.html

"Everyone is exceptionally good with considerable vocal skills yet there is a standout here: Suzanne Rigden as Mabel in her Drayton debut.

While other cast members have musical theatre voices, Rigden is pure opera. She has beautiful, crystal-clear vocals, which led her to be named one of CBC's Hot 30 Under 30 Classical Musicians."

Valerie Hill from Waterloo Region Record

http://www.therecord.com/whatson-story/5955345-updated-pirates-of-penzance-brings-the-zany-to-st-jacobs-stage/

file:///Users/suzannerigden/Desktop/untitled%20folder/The%20Pirates%20of%20Penzance_Drayton%20Entertainment_2015_139.JPG

"Soprano Suzanne Rigden excels as Mabel.  Her rich operatic voice fills the theatre."

- Mary Alderson from Entertain this thought

http://www.entertainthisthought.com/2015/10/10/the-pirates-of-penzance-2015

Here are some production photos! 

Photo 1: Post "Poor Wand'ring One"
Photo 2: Post Second act duet
Photo 3: Finale of Act 2: Reprise of "Poor Wand'ring one"

Good evening folks! Come out and see Pirates if you are in the Waterloo area.

CBC Classical Music's Hot 30 under 30

Hello again!

I just wanted to write and update you on some fun and exciting news:

I have been selected this year to be part of CBC Classical Music's Hot 30 under 30! I am very honoured and excited to be named on this list.

It has been a wonderful 2014-2015 season and this is icing on the cake.

http://music.cbc.ca/#!/blogs/2015/8/30-hot-Canadian-classical-musicians-under-30-2015-edition

Happy Wednesday to all!

Suz

Update from Tanglewood #TMC75

Hello blog readers,

I am writing after a very long hiatus. Actually, I can't believe it has been so long! I have been quite busy since I wrote last and there is much to update which is, of course, great news.

I am currently a vocal fellow at Tanglewood, which has been a wonderful and enlightening experience. It is very exciting to have been part of an institution that so many famous musicians have been a part of. A few notable alumni include: Leonard Bernstein, William Bolcom, Zubin Mehta, Dawn Upshaw (Who is our current head of voice faculty), Michael Tilson Thomas, Stephanie Blythe, Leontyne Price, and Aaron Copland. As you can imagine, I have been around some wonderful performers, seen some great concerts and have learned quite a bit about my own learning process. My particular highlight has been learning the Concerto per la notte di Natale dell'anno 1956 by Luigi Dallapiccola. That was a tough piece, but my goodness did it teach me a lot. I am learning new arias now and they feel like baby food in comparison! 

A little quote for fun:
Soprano Suzanne Rigden (who also provided the English program translations) has a lithe and athletic voice that easily encompassed Dallapiccolla’s complex vocal lines, executing the stratospheric ascents without undue effort. -Brian Schuth
http://www.classical-scene.com/2015/07/25/fcm-night-3/

On another note, I have become a vegetarian! It has been a little over two months that I have not eaten anything that moo's or coo's. I will say that I have on occasion eaten some fish. That being said, it was only about four or five times. I have to say, I feel great! It was not a dietary thing, more of an environmental reason and animal rights etc. I keep telling myself I will do the vegan thing, but I wouldn't have survived here on residence food, that is for sure. I would like to disclaimer here: I do not do this to make anyone else feel bad about what they ate and am not judging of those who do eat these things. Since becoming a vegetarian I have had a lot of people ask why, and then they immediately become defensive. Therefore, please don't ask if you don't really want to know. #endrant

Okay, back to singing things: Since writing last I had and wacky trip to China. We toured fourteen cities. I can tell you that I saw a lot of hotels and not much of the cities themselves. I went to the great wall of china whilst being extremely get-lagged and, frankly, quite sick. It was still very impressive and breath-taking. I will say though that I do not want to eat Chinese food for another year. It was great food but I had enough! Other than that, it was cool to feel like celebrities there. I love that they enjoyed the operatic pieces and especially our Rossini cat duet.

Immediately following that I had a turn around of two days in Montreal and then headed to the Lunenburg Academy of Music for four weeks. It was a great program as it was an intensive individual study program and its in such a wonderful picturesque town! I met some really wonderful people and got to see my family. It really was the best of all worlds. While there I was preparing my repertoire for the Montreal International Music Competition, which happened between May 25-June 6th. What amazing voices we heard from all over the world. I had a really great experience preparing for this competition and was pleased with my performance. I unfortunately did not advance from the Quarter Finals, but I feel lucky to have been selected to be there. 

That brings us up until the present. I can assure you that there are many other wonderful things that have happened during these experiences, but I am leaving you with the highlights of it. If you would like to have more information of upcoming performances etc. Please see my website: www.suzannerigden.com

This picture is relatively self-explanatory. This is myself, Rich Coburn and Christianne Bélanger on a huge poster in China.

Until the next time...

Vancouver Opera Die Fledermaus Reviews

Salutations from Vancouver!

I have been thoroughly enjoying my time here, as well as working with Vancouver Opera. I have to say the winter is most definitely more tolerable here. Ten Degrees and sunny in February works well for me!

As for the show, it has been so wonderful working with these world class colleagues and singing at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.  The music is just so joyous, and so fun to sing! 

There have been a few reviews out, and I wanted to share some of their comments with you!

"..The part of her savvy, cynical maid Adele gives Suzanne Rigden (another new face) a chance to play the perfect high-voice ingenue."David Gordon Duke from The Vancouver Sun
http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Opera+review+Fledermaus+evokes+mystique+Vienna/10852858/story.html#ixzz3TRRCO6qC

"My outstanding pick of the night has to be Suzanne Rigden’s Adele, who was not only a fine singer, but flirtatious and very funny with a great sense of comedic timing. She stole the stage." - Cathy Browne from Vancity Buzz

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/03/die-fledermaus-frothy-fun-fabulous/

"Soprano Suzanne Rigden, in her VO debut as Adele, possesses a lithe and delicate coloratura, and an impish coquettishness."- Jessica Werb from The Georgia Straight

https://www.straight.com/arts/401466/die-fledermaus-positively-effervescent-production

"Suzanne Rigden as Adele, captured everyone’s heart within the first few seconds; her operatic laughter, squeals, and giggles could be understood in any language. Her role did much to keep the laughs rolling throughout the evening." - Boating Vancouver

https://boatingvancouver.wordpress.com

"Playing the part of Adele, her chambermaid, the Canadian soprano Suzanne Rigden received kudos from the audience for her effervescent approach and her strong and confident singing of the most striking coloratura parts." -Carlos Javier López from Opera World

http://www.operaworld.es/en/fledermaus-vancouver

Below is a picture of Act I taken by Tim Matheson: 

Best wishes for 2015!

Dear Blog world,

I am deeply sorry for taking so much time in between posts. When life happens, sometimes you need to just get up from the computer and enjoy it! There have been some really great things happening in the past little while. 2015 is turning out to be a pretty exciting year, and it has only just begun. Resolutions are of course important, but I just am trying to constantly find the best I can give and be the best person I can be. I learned a lot last year through running and singing. If I were to sum it up:

1. If you put in the time and effort, you will see the results. 
2. Be kind to yourself. Love yourself more than someone else can love you, then you won't need someone else. (Not that its bad- just that you will enjoy it more when you aren't asking constantly for their affection)
3. Focus on the positive and you can move mountains.

So far here is how 2015 is shaping up:

I started the year on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with my special someone... ;)

Then shortly after, I took the First Place, Artist Division, in the National Opera Association Voice Competition, winning the Todd Duncan Legacy Award in Greensboro, North Carolina.

In a week or so I head back to Vancouver for the first time in almost six years. (Crazy!) I am so excited to get back to the West, run outdoors in the winter, do yoga, eat cheap sushi, see friends and most importantly sing Adele with Vancouver Opera. When I finally get to do what I love the most and what I sacrifice so much for, it makes it all seem worth it. 

After Vancouver I will head back to Montreal for a few days and then head to China for a fourteen city/ fourteen concert tour with some great friends. We will be there for Three weeks touring all over the place! I can't wait to head back. I haven't been there since 2008.

Next up is a trip back to the Maritimes in April/May to be a part of training and outreach for the Lunenburg Academy of Music Program, where they bring in different conductors and coaches from Italy to work on Rossini. They have a partnership in Italy. I am looking forward to returning home to see my family as well as work on some great repertoire. 

In May-June I will be home in Montreal finally to check in on the cat etc. I will be very happy to get back home after about three months living out of a suitcase. Then I will head south a few hours to Tanglewood to be a part of the 2015 summer festival. I will spend two months in Lenox, MA. 

So far, its looking pretty fun for 2015! I have a lot of music to learn and a lot of traveling to do. 

Please check back in! I will be periodically blogging and keeping everyone up to date on my experiences. You can also follow me on twitter: https://twitter.com/serigden

Feel free also to check out my website: www.suzannerigden.com
I have new pictures, videos and music to hear!

Keep moving; It's cold out there!

Suz