IN CONCERT
What: A Viennese New Year鈥檚
Where: Farquhar Auditorium at the University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd.
When: Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $50-$70 from ; the UVic Ticket Centre will open two hours prior to the performance to sell tickets at the door
The life of a professional opera singer involves constant travel, an endless itinerary of planes, trains and automobiles.
Of course, exposing yourself to crowded, germ-infested travel hubs is not great for anyone who makes a living with their voice, which is why B.C. soprano Natalie Image takes preventative measures.
鈥淵ou learn to be really careful,鈥� said Image. 鈥淚鈥檓 the weirdo on planes that wears a mask, and I have bleach wipes for everything that I鈥檓 going to touch. I sanitize my hands before I eat things.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to do what you鈥檝e got to do to try and stay healthy. You don鈥檛 get your paycheque if you can鈥檛 sing.鈥�
Image, who made her Carnegie Hall debut on Dec. 12, has been on the move recently. She returned to B.C. last week after a two-year term in San Francisco, where she participated in the Adler Fellowship Program with the San Francisco Opera. The native of Osoyoos is ready to celebrate, having completed the performance-oriented residency for young artists, which included roles in Carmen and Rusalka with the San Francisco Opera.
She didn鈥檛 have much time to enjoy her accomplishments, however, as she flew to New York City the very same weekend her things were being moved into her new residence in Tsawwassen.
Sounding every bit a veteran, Image has already signed on to the wandering ways that will bring her to Victoria for a performance Wednesday with the Victoria Symphony for A Viennese New Year鈥檚.
鈥淎t the beginning, when you are going through your education, you have to travel to meet different instructors. But when your career really starts to get going after you finish a young artist program, you try and base yourself where you want to be, or where the majority of work is. And just travel, travel, travel.鈥�
Artistic director Paul Destrooper of Ballet Victoria, who choreographed a team of dancers in collaboration with the symphony for the event, will include some of the more traditional pieces in the company鈥檚 repertoire 鈥� polkas, waltzes, marches and pas de deux 鈥� to fit a program consisting primarily of music by Johann Strauss.
鈥淏ut we also sneak in some original pieces that are a little bit more contemporary, and involve humour and a little bit of pantomime,鈥� Destrooper said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit of a break from the more serious traditional pieces of the Viennese New Year鈥檚. We play with it a little bit.鈥�
The tradition of ringing in the new year with music from Vienna has been adopted by cities around the world. The celebration of Strauss began centuries ago with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera, and has been adopted in the years since. Vienna Philharmonic鈥檚 traditional New Year鈥檚 program 鈥� which is broadcast to more than 90 countries around the world 鈥� is the largest worldwide event in classical music.
The Victoria concert is always a hot ticket, too. Giuseppe Pietraroia will conduct the Victoria Symphony, which will combine forces with Image and tenor Adam Luther for the concert.
Image said Pietraroia has been wonderful to work with, and gave her room to improvise by catering some of the program to her strengths, which fits with the lighthearted tone of the event.
鈥淗e was great in helping me and Adam work in finding stuff that worked for both of us. I think it鈥檚 going to be fun. Viennese music always has these great waltzes and fantastic tunes, which has been fun to prepare.鈥�
