The Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC is pleased to host a virtual Chinatown Walkabout for this year’s explorASIAN Festival on May 11 at 7pm. This Zoom tour will be led by John Atkin, Bob Sung and Hayne Wai. John is a civic historian and heritage consultant; Bob hosts cultural and culinary tours of Chinatown; and, Hayne is a longtime Chinatown researcher and advocate. They are all past presidents of the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC and collectively have over one hundred years of Chinatown involvement. The event will be framed on the Vancouver Heritage Foundation Chinatown Guide. Advance reading is recommended.
Back and bigger than ever, Art Vancouver is set to return to the Vancouver Convention Centre on May 5–8, 2022.
Art Vancouver’s vision is to unite nations through the power of art by bringing artists and galleries from across Canada and around the world to showcase fresh, contemporary work in the heart of the city’s downtown waterfront.
Returning to its annual schedule after two years, Art Vancouver welcomes 100+ exhibitors, making Vancouver a destination city for art lovers. Unique to this year, the inclusion of art in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) will add a new level of dynamism to the art fair.
Attendees can engage with interactive activities such as a live art competition, speaker panels and an art runway show on the opening night.
Raymond Chow is an internationally renowned artist based in Vancouver, Canada.
Throughout his career, Raymond has met many public figureheads and has been commissioned to paint portraitures of them. Some have included Clint Eastwood, Sunny and Cher, and Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia.
Other collector’s of Raymond Chow’s paintings have included Indira Gandhi, Paul Anka, Raymond Burr, Gordon Lightfoot, and David Lam.
Raymond Chow has exhibited with some of the most prominent contemporary artists in the world including AJ Casson, Andrew Wyeth, and many more.
Raymond Chow won his early recognition in his teenage years when many art dealers would come knocking on his parent’s door with cash in hand, eager to buy a Raymond Chow drawing.
In the mid-1950’s, Raymond began his art career drawing black ink drawings of Vancouver’s buildings. His drawings sold for around $50 in the 1950’s, artwork created by his favorite 25 cent ball point pen.
Afterwards, Chow decided to pick up a Chinese brush and start painting with acrylics beginning with a group of paintings he called the “Green Series.”
After painting in green tones, he changed to reds and whites, eventually leading to a series of paintings called the “Red Series” and a series called the “White Gown Series”. Raymond has travelled throughout the world with his rabbit-haired Chinese brush, wooden easel, and a few canvases, always ready to capture a glimpse of history wherever he went.
Throughout his career, Raymond has met many public figureheads and has been commissioned to paint portraitures of them. Some have included Clint Eastwood, Sunny and Cher, and Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia.
Other collectors of Raymond Chow’s paintings have included Indira Gandhi, Paul Anka, Raymond Burr, Gordon Lightfoot, and David Lam.
In the past 20 years, Raymond has experimented with abstracts. He once said that abstracts were the most challenging of all the works he had ever created because of the visualization needed to create them. However, for something so difficult to create, Raymond has managed to create a fine collection of abstracts. He has even created a group of abstracts he calls the “Circuit Series” using computers parts from motherboards and fans mixed with acrylic paint.
Raymond Chow has exhibited with some of the most prominent contemporary artists in the world including AJ Casson, Andrew Wyeth, and many more. He has a lengthy art career of over 50 years where his artwork has gone from art galleries across Canada to as far as the Royal Palace of India in Rajasthan. Now, he enjoys his time traveling around British Columbia and supporting the Arts in Vancouver.
The Canadian Armed Forces serves all Canadians and the members in uniform reflect the diversity that exists in Canada. Learn about the experiences of four distinguished military representatives of the army, navy and air force based in British Columbia who have Asian-Canadian heritage. Join us to hear how Canada continues to build a military workforce that leverages the diversity of Canadian society, and will help enhance military operational effectiveness by drawing on all the strengths of Canada’s population.
Moderated by Ms. Avneet Sandhu.
Moderator
Ms. Avneet Sandhu works as a communications officer for the Department of National Defence and is responsible for assisting on diversity and inclusion files. She supports the Advisory Council on Diversity to Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy Maritime Forces Pacific Formation (MARPAC) and Joint Task Force Pacific (JTFP), and the Advisory Group on Intersectionality to the Commander of Military Personnel Generation.
Avneet also supports announcements and engagements for senior officers, and connects women-led organizations, university faculty and students with the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. Avneet graduated from Simon Fraser University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and a minor in Education. She is the co-founder, vice-president and director of external relations for She Connects – a nationwide mentorship program for girls in high-school.
Panelists
Major Anh Foort
Major Anh Foort escaped war-torn Vietnam as one of the boat people. In July 1979, her family was welcomed as refugees into Canada, a place she now calls home.
Anh joined The Loyal Edmonton Regiment in the Canadian Army Reserve as a finance clerk after completing the Summer Youth Employment Program in 1987. She was accepted to Royal Roads Military College, but decided instead to pursue both a civilian and military career. She graduated from Simon Fraser University a year early and holds an Applied Sciences Degree with a major in Communications and a minor in Political Science. In 1989 she transferred to 12 Service Battalion as a Vehicle Technician. In 1999, Major Foort was commissioned in the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Logistics Branch.
Over her extensive military career, Anh has served as a Non-Public Funds Accounts Officer, a Battalion Finance Officer, and as a Supply and Transport Platoon Commander. She has also held company commander positions within 39 Service Battalion.
Major Foort completed the Army Operations Course in 2014, and was promoted to her current rank in 2015. She currently serving as 11 Company Commander, and Company Commander of the Territorial Battalion Group which responds to domestic operations in British Columbia.
In her civilian career, Anh is a Manager of Injury Services with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC). She joined ICBC in 1996, and has moved through the corporation rapidly from Claims Adjuster to her current position.
Major Foort has volunteered with the Vancouver Police Victims Service Unit, Immigrant Service Society Host and Leadership Program, and the Vietnamese Canadian Seniors’ Society. She is currently an executive board member for the Chinese Canadian Military Society and the President of the Mess Committee of the Sherman Armoury Officers’ Mess.
Anh and her husband Peter reside in Richmond, BC. Their daughter Ayden is studying Communications at Simon Fraser University.
Lieutenant-Colonel Vincent Virk
Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Virk joined the Canadian Armed Forces (Army) Primary Reserves in 2001 as an Armoured Reconnaissance Officer. He has held various positions including Officer Commanding Reconnaissance Squadron, Regimental Second in Command and Chief Instructor of 39 CBG Training Establishment. He is currently the Commanding Officer of the British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught’s Own) which is an Armoured Cavalry Regiment in Vancouver, BC.
He has supported domestic operations on two occasions as the Domestic Response Company Commander with Operation LENTUS (2018) in the fight against the BC Wildfires and most recently with Operation LASER (2020) as part of CAF pandemic response plan.
He attended the University of British Columbia and completed various military courses such as the Information Operations Course at the Peace Support Center and the Joint Command and Staff Programme (Advance Joint Warfare Stream) with the Canadian Armed Forces College. In 2013 he was awarded the Queens Diamond Jubilee medal for his efforts in recruitment diversity.
When not in uniform he is President of the Pallas Group of Companies, which focuses on vertically integrated hospitality-based businesses from conception, development, acquisition, and operations. As an avid industry advocate, he has formerly held the roles with the Intercontinental Hotel Group Owners Association as Chair of the Canada Region and Vice-Chair for the Americas Region. In 2021 he was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society.
He lives with his wife and two daughters in North Vancouver, BC and is an avid skier, hiker, and reader.
Lieutenant-Commander Justin Wong
Lieutenant-Commander Justin Wong has Malaysian heritage, and he grew up in West Vancouver, B.C. Justin enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in the late 1990’s under the Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP) attending McGill University in Montreal, Q.C., and graduating with a Bachelor’s of Commerce.
On completion of his initial Royal Canadian Navy training, he joined the Pacific Fleet in 2003. Justin first served onboard Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Algonquin as a bridge watch-keeper, and then specialized as the ships Anti-Submarine Warfare Director until 2007. On completion of his director tour, he became a Clearance Diving Officer and went on to lead a dive team during Operation PODIUM at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.
In 2011, Justin was selected for a Canadian Armed Forces member posted Outside of Canada (OUTCAN) role, and he became the Officer in charge of Royal Navy’s Northern Diving Unit in Faslane, Scotland and Southern Unit 2 in Portsmouth, England. He earned the British Armed Forces Joint Service improvised explosive device (IED) qualification and conducted bomb disposal and IED operations under Operation TAPESTRY in Northern Ireland and Scotland. During this time, he also qualified as a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Submarine Rescue Supervisor and conduced multiple NATO exercises around Europe.
In 2014, he returned back to Canada and was appointed the Executive Officer of Fleet Diving Unit (Atlantic), where he continued to support Arctic operations and dive training missions in the Caribbean.
In 2016, Justin completed his Operations Room Officer (ORO) Course and served onboard two navy ships as the Weapons Officer. Deployed on Operation RENAISSANCE, the humanitarian and relief mission to Turks and Caicos and Dominica Island in 2017, followed by a deployment on Operation REASURANCE as part of a NATO mission in the Baltic Sea, and a subsequent deployment on Operation SEA GUARDIAN as part of a further NATO mission off the Syrian coast in 2018.
Justin was later posted ashore to Naval Fleet School (Atlantic) before assuming duties as the Operations Division Commander, followed by Deputy Commandant.
In 2021, Lieutenant Commander Wong was appointed the Commanding Officer of Fleet Diving Unit (Pacific).
Major Lewis Williams
Major Lewis Williams was born in Mississauga, ON, and raised in Georgetown, ON, from a British father, and a Malaysian-born Chinese mother. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 2005, under the Regular Officer Training Plan while attending the University of Western Ontario Commercial Aviation Management Program where he received his Multi-IFR rating, key step in progressing to type ratings on larger airplanes, and commercial pilot licenses.
After completion of his degree, he went on to earn his Pilot Wings in 2010 as a Helicopter Pilot, being first posted to 103 Search and Rescue (SAR) Squadron in Gander, NL, where he trained for two years to become a SAR Aircraft Commander on the CH149 Cormorant Helicopter flying over 1,000 hours on type there.
In 2016, he was then fortunate enough to be posted to Comox, B.C., to 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron, where he went on to earn qualifications as a Maintenance Test Pilot, Training and Standards Pilot, Instructor Pilot and eventually become the Chief Check Pilot of the squadron. Now on his third posting, he was sent to be the Cormorant Pilot Representative on the Search and Rescue Standardization and Evaluation Team (SARSET) which oversees standards for the entire fleet of Cormorant Helicopters in Canada. He was promoted to his current rank of Major in January 2021, and currently has over 2,500 hours on the CH149.
Lewis has approximately 17 years of service and hopes to retire one day in Comox. In his spare time he enjoys coaching and playing on the base volleyball team, or spending it with his girlfriend outside mountain biking, snowboarding or hiking.
Joyce Lam, Founder and Former Artistic Director of vAct (Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre), passed away last week at the age of 63. Joyce founded vAct and was at its helm for 14 years, producing over 45 shows.
vAct put it best: “Many of us would not be here today without Joyce’s vision and determination to uplift Asian Canadian stories in Vancouver and beyond. A leader, dreamer, and visionary, Joyce will be dearly missed by the vAct family. Our thoughts are with Joyce’s family and loved ones.”
We are thrilled to share the arrival of our 26th explorASIAN Festival Program. We invite you to download, browse, and share the complete guide through the interactive links above, where you will find 60+ Asian Heritage Month in-person and virtual events and exhibitions presented by our various community partners.
VAHMS invites you to join us at our Community Awards Celebration on Saturday, May 21, 2022 at the PAL Studio Theatre to recognize and celebrate the arts and cultural diversity that Pan-Asian Canadian communities bring to Canadian society. During the event, we will be honouring individuals and organizations that have made a difference in these Pan-Asian Canadian communities.
The celebration will include: * Hors d’oeuvres and Wine Bar * Music by Elysse Cloma * Co.ERASGA’s performance of Passages of Rhythms * Art Exhibition displaying Works of Art from Interconnected Artists and Senior Performing Artists * Silent Auction with more than 50 prizes
Your support this year will go towards two causes: * supporting VAHMS & explorASIAN Festival so it can continue as a platform for promoting inclusion and connectivity across Pan-Asian Canadian communities * supporting Senior Performing Artists living at PAL Vancouver, community-focused housing provided to long-standing members of Metro Vancouver’s performing arts professions
explorASIAN Festival is pleased to present virtual screenings of two amazing Independent Canadian Films: The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open & The Breadwinner. The screening links will be live at 10:00 AM PST on April 20th and remain live for 48 hours.
Click here to register to receive screening links for both The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open and The Breadwinner on the morning of April 20th.
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open is about two Indigenous women from vastly different backgrounds who find their worlds colliding on an East Vancouver sidewalk when domestic violence forces one of them, a pregnant teen named Rosie, to flee her home. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3xq2teF
The Breadwinner is about Parvana, an 11-year-old girl growing up under Taliban rule in Afghanistan in 2001. When her father is wrongfully arrested, Parvana cuts off her hair and dresses like a boy in order to be able to get a job and help to support her family. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3KOf6UJ
Drawing is a way for me to express my emotions, intensifying shadows, light, and sometimes colour. It’s greatly satisfying for me to see shapes form to end up looking like something real, so I can more easily imagine myself entering their fantastical and/or colourful worlds.
I always think of things in a mathematical sort of way when drawing, sorting things into fractions and ratios. Therefore, I rely heavily on my sense of spatial awareness when drawing. My drawings are influenced by my emotions and my surroundings.
I like to survey my surroundings to figure out what colour combinations work and which colours are on what part of a face or object or otherwise.
Artist Biography
Avery Go is a self-taught aspiring artist, born and raised in Vancouver. She mostly draws people, and in general, tends to draw in a realistic style. An always curious-person, she finds the world, with its shapes and colours, fascinating, and replicating and embellishing these in her art is something that brings her joy. Her preferred mediums are graphite or Procreate. Despite this, she would love to be able to experiment and use other mediums more often.
Avery started drawing when she was around two years old; a hobby she has carried with her throughout her life. She knew she wanted to become an artist when she was six, and now, ten years later, still hopes to fulfill that dream by pursuing a path in visual arts in university.
Vancouver-based Nikkei-Canadian baritone Luka Kawabata is breaking stereotypes in the Opera World and we’re all for it. Luka will also be performing at explorASIAN’s Opening Ceremony on April 30th. VAHMS caught up with Luka to discuss diversity in opera, his unconventional path to music and creative influences.
What was your first experience with opera?
The first opera that I ever attended was Puccini’s ‘La Bohème’ at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre when I was in elementary school. My friend’s family had an extra ticket and invited me along and I wish that I could say it was a revolutionary experience – I fell asleep. I remember some amazing singing and equally stunning set design, but in retrospect, I see this experience as a lesson in meeting people where they are. It is perfectly valid that a twelve year old might not be interested or mentally prepared to sit through a three hour opera in Italian, even with an interest in music and theatre. Thinking back to this first experience with opera, it proves that you shouldn’t rule out an entire artform because you may not be in the right space to experience it in that moment – where would I be now if I thought that opera just “wasn’t for me”? I’m always thinking of ways in which we can reframe music for people to develop their own personal connection, because that is what keeps people coming back to the theatre. Ironically, I just made my debut in February with Edmonton Opera singing the role of Schaunard in ‘La Bohème’. It’s a full circle moment!
When did you decide to pursue singing professionally, and how did your family react?
I had an indirect path towards music. I took private lessons during high school because I always enjoyed singing, but somehow I never considered it as a long term option. Prior to my music degrees at UBC, I completed a degree in engineering at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. This was the first time in my life, unbeknownst to me, that I wasn’t actively connected with music. In the latter half of my engineering degree, I decided that I would pursue music so I slowly transitioned between finishing my engineering courses and adding music courses. I am very lucky to say that my family has always been very supportive – I’m sure that they enjoy having an excuse to go to a show every now and again. That being said, the life of a musician is very hard to explain to those who aren’t in it, but I feel like that can be said of any specialized industry. I jumped into a world of classical music without any academic history or theory knowledge. I definitely was not a child prodigy, writing sonatas in their bedroom. Although they don’t come from a musical background, I’m so thankful that my family has always been supportive of the industry and my goals as an artist.
What drew you to choose opera instead of more contemporary music?
Classical music is very technical and for whatever reason, this drew me in. It is an artform teeming with culture and history. It’s been shaped and reshaped for centuries – now as musicians, we have the opportunity to create new interpretations of these works that have been passed down. As a result of my training, I speak five languages conversationally (I’m hoping to grow that number) and I’ve sung in a dozen, including German, Polish, Japanese, Hoisan and Russian. I’m a huge theatre nerd, so combining the elite and technical world of classical music with the emotion and culture of live performance made this a dream for me.
How do you feel your sense of identity influences your creativity?
My artistic intent is to lead, knowing that my identity will only strengthen my voice as an artist in order to enrich my art. I have learned to acknowledge that I have a unique perspective to share based on my identity and lived experience. I work in an industry where there is a lot of room to grow as a community, but this also excites me to dream of where these paths could lead. Am I starkly aware of who I am and how I differ from others in my industry? Yes, but my job is to interpret the works of other artists and provide my perspective. I hope to collaborate with artists who are also interested in my perspective. These working relationships create the new and the unexpected even in a traditional industry.
As both Opera and classical music are seen as a Eurocentric genre, what has your experience being Nikkei-Canadian been in the Opera scene?
When it comes to representation in the industry, I see my experience as a stepping stone towards a future where someone like me doesn’t have to consider whether their appearance or personality is ‘employable’. This attitude comes with a lot of pep talks and blind courage to put myself out there despite obstacles. The opera industry is waking up and changing. Many people are taking steps to address these barriers and find alternate means of operating.
In line with the mentality of many immigrants, I often challenge myself to put in double the expected workload and never make mistakes for fear of being excluded. Having done a lot of work this year in order to address my identity as an artist, I’ve learned that this expectation doesn’t serve my ability to create great art. I try to check in with myself to acknowledge what is in my personal power to control. I know my value and worth and I try to surround myself with people who share the same perspective. My identity as Nikkei also allows me to differentiate myself from the crowd and once I stopped trying to fit a mold of the ‘ideal opera singer’, I discovered that my identity could become my greatest strength.
What are your thoughts on diversity and representation in Opera currently?
I personally don’t envision a finish line in this regard. I have visions for the future of opera, which involve telling more diverse stories, casting more diverse singers in all roles and making a conscious effort to create new stories in order to broaden the spectrum of what opera is. There is progress being made, but unfortunately, equity isn’t a descriptor that is associated with our industry. Racially-specific roles are often used in order to tokenize people of colour and to demonstrate an effort to support equity. In reality, there needs to be a redefinition of the standard for what an opera singer can be. We work in an industry where singers spend years of their life studying in order to harness their ability to be ‘employable’. The barriers that are in place in order to even get to the point of education clearly demonstrate inequity. My future of opera is where all voices are cast to sing any role that is vocally meant for the singer. Every artist brings something new to a role and this is what needs to be better appreciated.
What is your view on the performing arts landscape of Canada? Is there enough support?
Unfortunately we live in a society where the arts are seen as non-essential. This is a social and cultural issue as well as being affected by federal support. Being on the west coast, in the opera world, is treated as being stuck in a corner of an impossibly large room. Musicians are regularly expected to find their own way to auditions – a majority of which only travel to the east coast of the continent. Opera companies across Canada are few and far between, generally including one per major city. These companies rely highly on the local communities to fund their events. For many reasons, opera is not seeing the same return that the industry experienced decades ago. In good news, there are more and more indie opera companies popping up across the country and producing amazing work. If I can encourage people to do anything, it’s to support the work that these companies are doing. Indie companies are time and time again producing ground-breaking work that caters to the new frontiers of performance and what new audiences are looking for.
Are there particular musical styles or characters you’re more naturally drawn to?
I’ll start out by saying that I do love a villain. In opera, roles are composed for specific voice types and therefore there are only certain roles that a certain singer is able to perform. I enjoy performing a large range of characters, from comedy to the most dramatic, but I definitely seek complexity when I’m analyzing a character in an opera. Many operatic characters are written as either hyper-portrayals of traditional archetypes or a realistic portrayal of regular people. Both cases have opportunities to explore the flaws and layers of the characters. My favourite challenge is to define the relationships between characters and let those influence their actions and voice.
When you’re first approaching a role, are you more focused on what the composer intended or are you considering how to update the character for a modern audience?
Interpretation of an opera is a collaboration between many artists. As a singer, it’s my responsibility to be accurate with what the composer intended and interpret the role emotionally in order to connect with the audience. Language and knowledge of the score are the bare bones of the artistic preparation process. There is so much information on character and emotion that is already written into the score. Once this is confident, you are permitted the opportunity to explore your personal thoughts on the character. Depending on the director, they will provide a new vision that will influence how the performer can shape the role. There are many kinds of audiences, not all of which are looking for a new interpretation. The best that a performer can do is to provide an honest performance and hope that members of the audience connect with it.
What was your experience like working as a mentor for Opera InReach?
Opera InReach is an amazing organization committed to increasing the awareness and accessibility of music education across Canada. I’ve been lucky enough to work as a mentor and witness the reach that we have the power to enact. Rather than wait for change to be made, it inspires me to work with my peers to create change ourselves in order to provide new opportunities for the next generation.
You have won several awards including the Vancouver Opera Guild Award, The Dal Richard Award in Opera, Congratulations! What’s your secret to success?
That depends on your definition of success!! I pride myself on my preparation and professionalism, but the greatest gift that I’ve been embracing recently has been giving myself the permission to grow as an artist and explore different aspects of my artistry. It’s important to persevere through times where you may doubt yourself. I’ve had many! I usually reflect on what makes me unique as a performer and use that as my armor.
What is a dream project you would like to take on?
I always have new ideas popping into my head. I’m mostly inspired by the work that I can create through collaboration with other artists – I want to push my artistic boundaries with the help of others! I’m currently exploring my personal identity as a Nikkei-Canadian and looking to let that support my goal to build a community of Japanese musicians. I am in the beginning phases of creating a new group of Japanese songs based on the experience of immigration to Canada. I am looking to partner with artists across the country, record and tour these new works!
What are your upcoming plans and where can we see you perform next?
I’m currently working with Vancouver Opera on Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘HMS Pinafore.’ In May you can find me singing Rossini’s ‘Petite Messe Solennelle’ with Vancouver Bach Choir then I’m headed to the prairies to sing Escamillo in Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ with Saskatoon Opera. Of course, I have new digital projects on the go so keep your eyes peeled!
Check out Luka’s project Paueru-Gai ?????” which premiered in the fall.
Artist Biography
Nikkei-Canadian baritone, Luka Kawabata is a current participant in the Yulanda M Faris Young Artists’ Program with Vancouver Opera, having appeared as Dmitri in Wargo’s The Music Shop and as Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen: Up Close and Personal in the 2020-2021 Digital Season. He is also a graduate of the Digital Emerging Artist Program with Manitoba Opera. Luka has been a featured soloist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Bard on the Beach and the Vancouver Opera/Pacific Opera Victoria’s school tour of The Flight of the Hummingbird.
In the 2021-2022 season, Luka will make two company debuts as Schaunard in La Bohème (Edmonton Opera) and Escamillo in Carmen (Saskatoon Opera). He will appear as a soloist with the Vancouver Bach Choir in Rossini’s La Petite Messe Solennelle and understudy the roles of Alfio (Cavalleria Rusticana) and Captain Corcoran (HMS Pinafore) with Vancouver Opera. Luka will be featured in the role of Bill Bobstay in Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore with Vancouver Opera at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
Recent credits include the title role in Don Giovanni, Lieutenant Audebert in Silent Night, Dappertutto and Dr. Miracle in Les contes d’Hoffmann as well as Tadeusz in the Canadian Premiere of Pasazerka (The Passenger) with the UBC Opera Ensemble. He has performed roles with the Westben Arts Festival’s La Traviata as well as the European Music Academy’s La Bohème and Il Barbiere di Siviglia in the Czech Republic.
He has been the recipient of various awards, including the Toni and Hildegard Cavelti Foundation Fund from the Vancouver Opera Foundation, the Dal Richard Award in Opera, the Nancy Phipps Memorial Award in Opera, the Harry and Marjorie Slim Memorial Scholarship and the Vancouver Opera Guild Award.
Luka is a mentor for the BC chapter of Opera InReach’s community engagement programs and alumnus of the Banff Centre’s ‘Opera in the 21st Century’ program. He holds a Master of Music in Opera Performance from the University of British Columbia under the instruction of Peter Barcza.
Artist Headshot captions:
Imposter – “Screenshot from ‘Imposter’” – Video Credit: Jordan Lee
Paueru-Gai – “Screenshot from ‘Paueru-Gai’” – Video Credit: Jordan Lee
Promos – Photo credit: Mark Yammine Photography
Silent Night – “Lieutenant Audebert in ‘Silent Night’ 2018” – Photo Credit: Tim Matheson
Vancouver, BC-based rock group Son of James has unveiled two singles, “I Need You” & “Have You Been In Love”. Throughout the global Pandemic, many romantic relationships have not survived, although many have thrived, these two singles explore these two sides of love from a personal perspective.
Both “I Need You” and “Have You Been in Love” were borne out of pandemic-inspired introspection and creativity for Son of James’ lead vocalist and songwriter, Shon Wong.
Head over to CanadaBeats to read their full coverage.
