Soprano Mireille Asselin, a recent graduate of the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Studio Program, has been deemed “Superb” by the Los Angeles Times and praised by Opera Canada for her “vivacious stage presence.”
1. What are we interrupting (i.e. what music-related activity are we taking you away from to write this)?
Currently (Tuesday, May 28) I'm in the midst of packing for what will essentially be ten months on the road – yes, this is as daunting as it sounds! And in between suitcases I'm fitting in as much score study for my summer projects as possible, which includes Charpentier's La descente d'Orphée aux enfers and Verdi's Falstaff.
2. What, if anything, are you most looking forward to as an audience member between now and September 7?
I am most looking forward to my all-access pass to the Boston Early Music Festival, which runs from June 9 to 16. In between rehearsals for our own production, I'll be able to experience concerts given by the world's leading baroque musicians and also take in an amazing variety of programs curated by the BEMF Fringe festival, featuring a lot of young artists and new exciting groups. I can't wait to catch some sort of harpsichord recital at midnight in a downtown Boston church!
3. How about as a music maker/player?
I will be an artist at the Wolf Trap Opera Company this summer after my time in Boston, and my first project there will be to sing in a recital with the legendary pianist Steven Blier – he's come up with a fascinating program called “Wonders to Wander To,” and I can't wait to collaborate on some interesting repertoire (and in some languages I've never worked in before!) with this man who has been an idol of mine for quite some time. If ever you're in NYC, you should try to catch a performance in his series “New York Festival of Song.” You'll never think of recitals the same way again.
4. What are you already preparing for musically beyond the summer? And (how) do your summer plans tie in with these longer term plans?
One always has to be two steps ahead of upcoming work, preparing for the next gig when you're in the midst of the current one. This summer for me is no different! I'm presently plotting my repertoire choices for the Wigmore International Song Competition, which will be in August and September 2013 in London. I'm also tackling a difficult score that I'll have the chance to record this fall (more details to be released about that soon!) and I'm starting to take a look at the new English libretto that I need to prepare for my first ever contract at the Metropolitan Opera, where I'll be covering Adele in Die Fledermaus next season. Lots of balls in the air right now – but luckily I'll be in places equipped with incredible staff and facilities to help me with all of this over the coming months.
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