Volume 16 Issue 4 - December 2010

We Are All Music’s ChildrenNovember’s Child Michael SchadeMJ BUELLSpare a Thought…forALL Music’s ChildrenWhere, you ask, is December’sChild? No new contest thismonth. We’ll be making anexciting list of new MysteryChildren for 2011.Are you a hoarding treasuredold photo?Share your great idea forsomeone who should appear inthis column! musicschildren@thewholenote.com.Gifts of MusicMost of Music’s Children remembersinging, playing andsharing music informally “enfamille” and with friends. Sowhy not celebrate the old/newwith an all ages Bring YourOwn Bouzouki music party!Also, this is a particularlygood time of year to give agift of live music. Please takesome lucky young person to atleast one performance in thenext few weeks. Concert gift-ingyour favourite ensemble.Can’t bring a favouriteyoungster to a Sing-AlongMessiah? Invite them to sharecastor a favourite recording.(Hallelujah! TafelmusikBaroque Orchestra andChamber Choir’s Sing-AlongMessiah will be on Bravo! Dec6 at 9pm.) Just add cider andcookies.December’s child? Probablysomeone very close to yourheart, and home.Paxjack buellFor a delightful explanationof Michael Schade’schildhood “Pretzel King”photo please visitthewholenote.com.Michael Schade (top right) and the team:partner Dee McKee (top left); with 6 (out of8) youngsters. Summer 2010, the Elijah tourwith conductor Daniel Harding (far right) andthe Mahler Chamber Orchestra – Lucerne,Bremen, and Stockholm. Inset: Michael 1968.Canadian-German lyrictenor, Michael Schade, wasborn in Petit-Lancy, Geneva,Switzerland, in the monthof January and spent his earlychildhood in Switzerland andGermany. Schade’s engineerfather’s work with Inco’s Euro-Canada in 1977. Schade attendedSt. Michael’s Choir School andlater earned an Honours Degreein Performance with a minor inPre-Medical Sciences at the Universityof Western Ontario. Hewent on to earn a Masters inOpera from the Curtis Institutein Philadelphia.Today he is equally at homein Europe’s and North America’sforemost opera houses. Hispassion for singing embraces anextensive schedule of solo andcollaborative concerts and re-ingartist. Michael Schade’s discographycovers a wide range ofopera, oratorios and passions,lieder and recital repertoire.In March 2007, Schade andAdrianne Pieczonka were thetriantitle of Kammersänger:Austria’s highest honour for singers.Summer 2008 featured MichaelSchade’s 15th consecutiveyear at the Salzburg Festival,where he took on the new role ofCo-Director of the new SalzburgYoung Artists Project alongsideBarbara Bonney.Previously married to Calgary-bornmezzo-soprano NorienBurgess, Michael Schade makeshis home in Oakville, Ontarioand in Vienna with his four children,four step-children andpartner Deanne McKee.Do you remember last month’schildhood photos being taken?Yes indeed: Christmas! Andmountain hikes in the summer!Both were always a big deal forus. Christmas is very special inmy parent’s home – a celebrationof family and our religion.My father reads from the Bibleand my mother plays the guitarand sings with the childrenand to the children (now grandchildren)in the evening and thehouse is lit with candles andthen we all go to Mass. It is amagical time to be a child andmy parents taught me to celebratethat. So far my son Nikihas escaped the green tights andcrown; maybe this year!As far as the outdoors areconcerned, my family spent alot of time in the beautiful Swissoutdoors and it was always importantto my parents that wemade these outings during weekendsand holidays. My motherpacked the best picnics a childcould want.Suppose you met a little child todaywho asked “What do youdo?”... I would explain that I ama singing court jester! That mylife is a dream, that my workmakes me happy. I would tell thechild to dream and to work hardat making those dreams happenfor themselves; to never settlefor just vanilla or conventionfor convention’s sake or success’sake. Dare to be different anddare to do something that makesPHOTO: A FLIGHT ATTENDANT USING DEE’S CAMERACONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NOVEMBER WINNERS! HERE’S WHAT THEY WON – Oh the Magic! Margaret Oldfield& Elizabeth Erskine each win amagnificent pair of tickets tohear Michael Schade sing therole of Tamino in The CanadianOpera Company’s new productionof Mozart’s playful and sublimely melodic The Magic Flute (Jan 29 -Feb 25). Please see our listings for full details, or visit www.coc.caMichael Schade’s Alma Mater! Lorrie MacKinnon, Adrienne Pollak& George Fung are guests of St. Michael’s Choir School with a pair ofVIP tickets (reception and premium seating) for the Friday Dec 10Massey Hall concert Christmas Fantasy (7:30pm). Mary Dee, ClaudiaKrawchuk & Charles Ritchie: a pair of tickets each for the concert onSaturday Dec 11 (2pm). See our listings for full concert details. Mr.Schade (not performing at this concert) says “That school is the bestthing since sliced bread!” Linda Skeries wins Mozart: Arie & Duettiwith Russell Braun, Isabel Bayrakdarian & Michael Schade; CanadianOpera Company Orchestra, Richard Bradshaw, conductor. CBC Records’own delightful celebration of Mozart’s 250th birthday. (SMCD 5239)Jean Parkes wins the Medici Arts DVD Wagner: Die Meistersinger vonNürnberg with Falk Struckmann (Hans Sachs), Ain Anger (Veit Pogner),Adrian Eröd (Sixtus Beckmesser), Johan Botha (Walther von Stolzing),Michael Schade (David) & Ricarda Merbeth (Eva); Orchestra & Chorusof the Vienna State Opera, conducted by ChristianThielemann. (Medici Arts: 2072488) Rudi Peka,Otto Rath, & Catherine You: In Midnight’s Stillness –St. Michael’s Choir School’s 10th recording: traditionalcarols, sacred melodies and contemporary seasonalmusic with their guests The True North Brass.Music’s Children gratefully acknowledges Liesel and Hans, Dee, Phil, Victoria, Edward, Raymond, The Canadian Opera Company, St. Michael’s Choir School, Naxos, CBC Records.December 1, 2010 - February 7, 2011 thewholenote.com 61