Our fairytale-themed party, Operanation, is a little over a week away, and excitement for the event is building. One of the most highly-anticipated aspects of this year's party is a special opera mash-up with Broken Social Scene and two operatic artists from our Ensemble Studio, Ambur Braid and Wallis Giunta. I contacted both of them to get an inside perspective on the preparations for Operanation, and what they told me was very interesting! Here, you can read what Wallis Giunta (pictured at left) had to say.

When you're done, click over to read my Q&A with Ambur Braid.

CC: Tell me a little about yourself and your role in this event.

WG: Hello Parlando readers. I'm a mezzo-soprano, and a second year member of the COC's Ensemble Studio. Since I usually sing only opera and song repertoire, I'm really excited to mix it up with Broken Social Scene on Oct. 29. My dad worked in classic rock radio and programming when I was growing up, so my musical tastes were more along the lines of Led Zeppelin and The Band (and basically still are). It's going to be so great to get to work with BSS, and do a little of what we do, and a little of what they do. I'm trying not to give away too much . . .

CC: Tell me about how you found your dress and jewelry.

WG: This year, since the theme is Cinderella, finding a dress was fun and easy. My singing partner, Ambur Braid, and I went to designers we know that have the fairytale-wedding look in their design palette. My dress is from McCaffrey Haute Couture in my home town of Ottawa, and my mother is helping me to co-ordinate that. Their dresses are perfect, and just unbelievably gorgeous. It will be a privilege to wear one, and my job for the night will be to make sure no one (including myself) spills red wine on it. It's a beautiful partnership between singers and designers: we often need to borrow fancy gowns, and they love to dress us because we are given the spotlight and can garner them a lot of attention (and some of them are opera fans too!). Ambur and I are both having jewelry designed by Toronto's Myles Mindham, who has been a great supporter of both of us for a number of years, and is simply an all-around stellar guy. We can't wait to wear his creations, and we know they will be perfect for the theme of the night. 

Our fairytale-themed party, Operanation, is a little over a week away, and excitement for the event is building. One of the most highly-anticipated aspects of this year's party is a special opera mash-up with Broken Social Scene and two operatic artists from our Ensemble Studio, Ambur Braid and Wallis Giunta. I contacted both of them to get an inside perspective on the preparations for Operanation, and what they told me was very interesting! Here, you can read what Ambur Braid (pictured at left) had to say.

When you're done, click over to read my Q&A with Wallis Giunta. 

CC: Tell me a little about yourself and your role in this event.

AB: This is my first year in the COC Ensemble Studio, second year attending Operanation. The program is incredible and they give us so many opportunities to perform in every kind of atmosphere.  This year Wallis and I were selected to perform a "mashup" of arias with Broken Social Scene and it should be quite the experience! These guys are so talented and we cannot wait to have a jam session with them.

CC: What can you tell me about your dress and jewelry?

AB: Farley Chatto designed a wedding dress for me that has a 1950s look to it and is short enough to let me comfortably run around the stage (and show off some pretty amazing "slippers"). The touches he added to the gown make it look ethereal from a distance and very detailed and gorgeous close up. He is a dream to work with! Myles Mindham designed fine jewelry for Wallis and I that will shimmer all night— but is so fresh and youthful. Myles has been working with me since my graduation from the Glenn Gould School and has always been supportive. I love his pieces because he totally thinks outside of the box (i.e. my earrings have flamingos on them).