Asleep at the wheel... A clarification...

Don't hit 'publish' late at night.

I had a lot of material to work through yesterday, and so didn't proofread it quite as much as I usually do. I realized today that there might be some confusion caused by my use of the words "I will make do" in connection with the departure of Peter from Brussels, in yesterday's post.

I'm not always sure who is reading my blog regularly... If you've read my past burblings you will know how grateful I am for the coaching of Don Tarnawski, and how highly I esteem his expertise. He doesn't usually perform publicly, but has made an exception many times for my auditions here in Toronto, for which I am very grateful.

And you undoubtedly understand how I feel about Bruce as a mentor. Unfortunately for me, outside of transatlantic visits, he, like Don, spends most of his time in Toronto, not Brussels.

With respect to Peter, I only meant that I feel lucky to have had such a talented and engaging coach, conductor and a good friend, just a short bus ride away from our Brussels home. He has helped me enormously. But there are others there who play an equally valuable role, like conductor / coaches David Miller and Bart Van Reyn. And there are other important colleagues here in Canada...

Seeing the students this last weekend makes me realize more than ever how much ongoing support is needed to keep a singer growing and developing... being an opera singer requires emotional and physical athleticism, and just as hockey players, film actors and olympians need their personal trainers and coaches, so do we. I have an abundance of supporting colleagues to thank for their work in making me get better...

This is turning into an Academy Awards speech, but while I'm in the business of handing out the accolades, I should also give thanks for the trust and collaboration of the sublime pianist Dina Namer. You all know who SHE is, right?