Since our new blog launched yesterday, there have been a few questions about the name Parlando, what it means, and why we selected it for the blog.

Astute readers may have noticed its similarity to the French verb parler, meaning to speak. The meaning here is not so different—parlando is a form of the Italian verb parlare, also meaning to speak or to talk. It literally translates to "speaking." Since you might describe blogging as a means of speaking via computer, this alone would make it an appropriate title.

Welcome to Parlando! My name is Cecily Carver, and I'm the Social and Interactive Media co-ordinator for the Canadian Opera Company. I hope you'll find this blog useful for learning interesting facts and stories about our productions, keeping up to date with performances and events, and exchanging opinions with your fellow opera-lovers.